Education Diplomacy for Improving Learning of Vulnerable Children in Community Schools in Zambia

VVOB co-authored an article for the 'Education Diplomacy' special of the international journal Childhood Education. Drawing on VVOB's and partners' experiences from community schools in Zambia, the article explains how we use education diplomacy to bring communities and governments together to improve vulnerable children's learning outcomes.

The article analyses the challenges faced by Community Schools, including untrained volunteer teachers, inconsistent government support, and tensions between local and public school staff. Through strategic dialogue, advocacy, and training, VVOB and ZOCS worked with the Ministry of General Education to build consensus on policies, funding, and school management practices. The study demonstrates that diplomatic skills such as negotiation, cultural sensitivity, and systems thinking are critical to achieving inclusive, sustainable education reform.