Student perceptions of school safety and student learning outcomes in a context of protracted conflict

Abstract

In this study, we analyze quantitative survey and assessment data on 712 students in northeast Nigeria to examine, first, which students feel safe in school in a region experiencing protracted conflict, and second, how perceived safety was associated with literacy. Students with vision and hearing disabilities were less likely than other children to perceive themselves as safe at school. Children with these disabilities who felt unsafe performed nearly 0.8 standard deviations below other students, while students with disabilities who felt safe performed only slightly below others. We found no association between length of conflict-related school closures and literacy outcomes.