Violent conflicts and learning outcomes: Evidence from Sub-Saharan Africa

This study assesses the impact of violent conflicts on learning outcomes in sub-Saharan Africa using data on standardized test scores and conflict events from ten countries. Our findings demonstrate that exposure to violent conflict events experienced since birth significantly reduces pupils’ proficiency in reading and mathematics. The timing of exposure and the nature of conflict events influence the extent of these effects. Violent conflicts, particularly those causing higher casualties and infrastructure destruction, experienced during early childhood prior to primary school entrance, and to a lesser extent during schooling, significantly hamper learning. These adverse effects remain consistent across pupils’ socio-economic backgrounds, indicating that conflicts do not exacerbate existing disparities in learning outcomes. Moreover, conflicts affect female enrollment, though their precise impact on the gender gap in learning outcomes is less clear. Our analysis reveals that damaged school infrastructure and territorial development serve as primary conduits through which conflicts disrupt learning. This research sheds light on the multifaceted impact of violent conflicts on education and highlights the need to address both immediate and long-term consequences for human capital development in conflict-affected regions.