Armed groups that attack schools will be prosecuted by Australian military forces as part of their endorsement of an international schools protection pact.
Australia joins 116 other countries that have formally endorsed the Safe Schools Declaration.
As part of the declaration, military policies and measures will be put in place to ensure education continues for all children during war time.
This includes investigating attacks and prosecuting those responsible, and discouraging the use of schools for military purposes.
Schools in war-affected countries were subject to more than 5000 attacks in 2020 and 2021, according to the Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack (GCPEA).
Countries in the Asia-Pacific region, such as Pakistan and Myanmar, have alarmingly high incidents of schools and students being made victims of war, as classified by the GCPEA….