Education as Coping and Social Justice in Conflict Situations: Community Agency and Schooling under Disruption in Kashmir

Education in conflict-affected societies is not merely disrupted; it is continuously renegotiated through everyday practices of survival, care, and resistance. Drawing on the well-established field of Education in Emergencies and conflict-sensitive education, this paper examines how children, families, teachers, and communities in Kashmir navigate prolonged political violence, securitization, and recurring educational interruptions. Based on mixed-method fieldwork with students, teachers, parents, community members, and non-governmental organisations, the study explores how education is sustained through adaptive, community-driven strategies rather than formal institutional continuity alone. Findings reveal that repeated school closures, internet shutdowns, and militarisation undermine learning aspirations and psychosocial wellbeing, yet simultaneously generate locally grounded coping mechanisms such as curfew classes, informal learning networks, and intensified parent–teacher collaboration. Situating Kashmir within broader theoretical debates on education, resilience, and social justice in conflicts situations, the paper argues that education functions as both a site of vulnerability and a critical resource for dignity, hope, and social survival.