Child Education Journal
Vol 8 No 2 (2026): Child Education Journal

Educating Children in Crisis: Adaptive Islamic Curricula as Drivers of Transitional Justice in Nigeria, Somalia, and the Sahel

Tri Wahyudi Ramdhan (Sekolah Tinggi Agama Islam Darul Hikmah Bangkalan, Indonesia)
Luluk Alfiya (Institut Bahri Asyiq Galis Bangkalan, Indonesia)
Mowafg Abrahem Masuwd (University of Zawia, Libya)
Makherus Sholeh (Universitas Islam Negeri Sayyid Ali Rahmatullah Tulungagung, Indonesia)
Moh. Amiril Mukminin (Institut Bahri Asyiq Galis Bangkalan, Indonesia)



Article Info

Publish Date
30 Aug 2026

Abstract

Prolonged conflict in Sub-Saharan Africa has disrupted formal schooling for millions of children aged 6–18 years, threatening educational continuity and their cognitive, social, and emotional development. Despite their continued presence in conflict-affected communities, local Islamic educational institutions remain insufficiently examined within Education in Emergencies and the Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus. This study aims to examine how adaptive Islamic curricula support conflict-affected children and contribute to transitional justice in Nigeria, Somalia, and the Sahel. Using Qualitative Document Analysis, 42 strategically selected documents published between 2015 and 2025, comprising humanitarian reports from UNICEF, UNESCO, and the World Bank and peer-reviewed academic case studies, were triangulated and analysed through deductive thematic coding using a standardized 4R Framework codebook encompassing Redistribution, Recognition, Representation, and Reconciliation. The findings identify three context-specific mechanisms. In Nigeria, hybrid Tsangaya curricula promote Redistribution by integrating basic literacy into traditional learning and expanding access to education for disadvantaged, conflict-affected children. In Somalia, adaptations of Aqidah and Akhlaq pedagogy foster Reconciliation through prophetic narratives that support trauma healing and cognitive-emotional stability. In the Sahel, religious educators strengthen Representation by translating universal human rights concepts into vernacular Fiqh frameworks for community dispute mediation. These findings demonstrate that adaptive Islamic curricula function not merely as alternative schooling but as grassroots educational “survival infrastructure” linking learning continuity, psychosocial recovery, and locally grounded justice practices. The study therefore proposes Faith-Based Transitional Justice as a context-sensitive framework for strengthening post-conflict child education policy and practice.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

CEJ

Publisher

Subject

Education

Description

Child Education Journal (CEJ) dikelola oleh Tim Redaksi Jurnal dari Fakultas Keguruan dan Ilmu Pendidiakn (FKIP) UNUSA yang diterbitkan oleh Unusa Press. Fokus CEJ adalah pada bidang pendidikan yang secara khusus memiliki ketertarikan pada hasil-hasil penelitian pendidikan anak. Tujuan jurnal ini ...