(Human Rights Watch) – Albanians older than 40 know about militarized schools. For years during communism, children took time from classes to march, dig, and shoot in preparation for an onslaught from the “imperialist West” or “revisionist East.” Last week they drew on that experience to help children in other countries keep their classrooms for learning. On September 9, Albania became the 56th country to sign the Safe Schools Declaration– a political commitment to protect education in armed conflict. This includes a pledge to respect the Guidelines for Protecting Schools and Universities from Military Use during Armed Conflict, which safeguards students, teachers, and schools in war.
