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From Classrooms to Conflict in Rwanda by Elisabeth King Cambridge : Cambridge University Press , 2015. Pp. 212. £19·99 (pbk).
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From Classrooms to Conflict in Rwanda is one of the few empirical works that examine violent conflicts from an educational perspective. The primary aim of the book is to analyse the role of education in creating conditions for ethnic conflict and the multitude of ways it could potentially contribute to peacebuilding in Rwanda. The book provides a comprehensive analysis of the interrelationship between education, conflict and transformative peace, drawing upon an extensive empirical study that utilises semi-structured interviews with a range of participants, including Rwandans and Belgians, a comparative historical analysis that spanned from colonial period to the post-genocide Rwanda, and curriculum and education policy analysis. In her analysis the author raises some critical points about manipulation of the education system in producing and sustaining 'socio-structural and psychocultural' conditions at different epochs of Rwandan history which eventually led to a horrific genocide. The book also highlights some possibilities to correct the problematic educational policies and practices in order to reshape a new Rwandan society that is inclusive, forward looking and sustainably peaceful.
The book is broadly framed within the debate about the 'two faces of education' (Bush & Saltarelli 2000) to question the fundamental idea that education is inherently a positive intervention; instead, it argues for a critical understanding of the type of education that fuels conflict and the type that fosters peace. These ideas are not necessarily new but are tested empirically in this country case study. More specifically, the book reveals that the dominant assumption held by national policymakers and international development partners that 'ethnic ignorance' essentially led to conflict in Rwanda is flawed. It also expounds on the synergetic interactions between...