Quality of education in (post-)conflict situations: A case study about the policies and practices of UNICEF and Save the Children in Kosovo

Abstract

This study investigates the different approaches of quality of education in (post-)conflict situations. The model of Adams approaches quality of education as reputation, input, process, content, output and as value-added. During the last fifty years there is a trend in focus on quality, shifting from quality as input and output to quality as process and content. The constructivist and socio-cultural ideas about how to stimulate learning and the ideas about international development are used to give meaning to quality as process and quality as content. According to these ideas, more attention should be given to collaboration, innovation and critical thinking and to ownership and participation. The study shows that in improving the educational quality in situations of (post-)conflict, social and affective aspects of learning and active participation should be emphasized. Therefore, quality as process and quality as content are even more important to reach quality of education in situations of (post-)conflict. The case-study about the policies and practices of UNICEF and Save the Children in Kosovo analyzes how both organizations address quality of education. Both organizations have a rights-based perspective on development and both organizations especially address quality as process and quality as content to improve education in Kosovo. UNICEF pays most attention to quality as process and Save the Children emphasizes quality as content. It can be concluded that these approaches are the right way to improve the educational sector in Kosovo. However, more emphasis should be given to social and affective aspects of learning to reach better quality of education.