Making Schools Safe: Ministerial Taskforce Renews Commitment to End Violence in and Around Schools

Hon Conrad Sackey, Minister of Basic and Senior Secondary Education, Sierra Leone: “Every child should be free from violence. Safe and secure learning environments are core to well-being and growth, and we are committed to prioritizing the education sector’s role to ensure our children can thrive.”

Rt Hon Baroness Chapman of Darlington, Minister of State for Development, United Kingdom: “Violence against children is not inevitable—and education systems have a central role in preventing it. We need to strengthen systems so every child can learn in safety. As partners, we have set ambitious commitments, and now we must work together to turn them into real change.”

Schools should be safe places where every child can learn and thrive. Yet violence in and around schools remains a significant barrier to education for millions of children worldwide, with disproportionately negative impacts for the most vulnerable, including children with disabilities and those living in crisis and conflict settings. The Ministerial Taskforce on ending violence in and around schools—officially formed in May 2025—represents a concrete political commitment to change that.

This week, on the margins of the Education World Forum, the Ministerial Taskforce reconvened to share national progress and discuss policy, financing, and system-level actions to prevent and respond to all forms of violence in and around schools. The event was co-chaired by Hon. Minister Conrad Sackey, Sierra Leone’s Minister for Basic and Senior Secondary Education, and Rt Hon Baroness Chapman, UK’s Minister of State (International Development and Africa) in the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), with support from the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), Center for Global Development (CGD), UNICEF, and Safe to Learn. Education ministers from Colombia, Malawi, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sierra Leone, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe joined the meeting to reaffirm their commitment to ending violence in and around schools.

Ministerial Taskforce

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Reaffirming commitments to ensure school safety

Since January 2024, the FCDO, GPE, CGD, UNICEF, and Safe to Learn have worked together to mobilize political leadership to end violence in, around, and through schools. In May 2025, this effort resulted in a joint commitment by the UK and Sierra Leone to co-chair the Taskforce, under which 11 education ministers and country representatives committed to leveraging political leadership and raising awareness of the scale and impact of violence in and around schools, and to strengthening the education sector's role in protecting children. This year’s meeting demonstrates the Taskforce members’ sustained commitment to strengthening education sector leadership and collective action in ending violence against children.

From commitments to systemic change

Over the past year, the Taskforce has contributed to keeping the efforts to end violence in and around schools high on the global education agenda and to shifting narratives so that preventing school-related violence is seen as a core responsibility of the education sector. Ahead of the Second Ministerial Conference to End Violence Against Children in November 2026, members have made progress on the pledges made at the First Ministerial Conference and have engaged in regional dialogues to share how commitments can translate into action.

Building on this, at this week’s meeting, members reaffirmed their commitments to:

• Sustaining political leadership to keep violence prevention and response high on national, regional, and global education agendas.
• Accelerating implementation of existing commitments (including pledges made during the First Ministerial Conference).
• Encouraging peer learning and collaboration, sharing experiences on what works to strengthen prevention, response, and accountability within education systems, and supporting countries to move from commitment to delivery.
• Reinforcing the critical role of education in tackling harmful social and gender norms and in promoting safe, inclusive, and gender-equal learning environments for all children, including the most marginalized.
• Partnering with civil society, youth, and survivor-led organizations to support sustained progress and accountability.

Over the next year, the Taskforce aims to help move from commitment to delivery, adding to the global efforts on this important agenda. Fifty-two countries (including six Taskforce members) have made pledges related to creating safe schools, of which 29 have already reported progress ahead of November's Second Ministerial Conference. Moreover, 20 countries (including Sierra Leone and Uganda) have endorsed the Safe to Learn Call to Action, which outlines key areas, with proven solutions, to strengthen prevention and response within education systems.

Violence in and around schools is no longer a hidden issue—it’s gaining global attention, with more countries taking action. To truly protect learners, bolder policy reforms and stronger financial commitments are required. Without sustained prioritization in national budgets, these efforts risk falling short of the systemic change children urgently need. With the Manila Conference approaching, Ministerial Taskforce members will provide a critical leadership role—championing the agenda, influencing their peers, and helping to turn global commitments into real action to end violence in schools.

Read the latest Ministerial Taskforce declaration here. Access the Spanish translation here.