A war against education?

Heather Congdon Fors (), Ann-Sofie Isaksson (), Annika Lindskog () and Mohammad Sepahvand ()
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Heather Congdon Fors: Department of Economics, School of Business, Economics and Law, Göteborg University, Postal: P.O. Box 640, SE 40530 GÖTEBORG, Sweden, http://www.economics.gu.se
Ann-Sofie Isaksson: The Institute for Futures Studies
Annika Lindskog: Department of Economics, School of Business, Economics and Law, Göteborg University, Postal: P.O. Box 640, SE 40530 GÖTEBORG, Sweden, http://www.economics.gu.se
Mohammad Sepahvand: Lund University

No 861, Working Papers in Economics from University of Gothenburg, Department of Economics

Abstract: This paper examines how violent conflict affects the supply of education in one of the world’s poorest countries, Burkina Faso. We combine unique nationwide census data on all primary schools with geocoded records of Islamist violence to assess how local conflict exposure shapes school availability, staffing, and the mix of education provision. Using a staggered difference-in-differences design and teacher-level panel data, we find that conflict significantly reduces the number of open schools, teachers and pupils. In affected areas, primary schools experience declines in teacher experience and female representation, though effects on qualifications are limited. We also find evidence of sizable geographical spillovers, and that violence increases teachers’ likelihood of moving to other municipalities or leaving the public education system altogether. The results highlight how insecurity undermines education supply through both direct disruption and teacher displacement, with important implications for service delivery in fragile settings.

Keywords: Conflict; violence; education; schooling; Sub-Saharan Africa; Sahel; Burkina Faso (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D74 I20 I25 O12 O55 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 62 pages
Date: 2026-03
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