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Paper short abstract

This research examines how humanitarian aid can support locally-led education systems by leveraging their complex adaptive traits. It explores middle-tier capacity building and localization efforts on the Thai-Myanmar border to strengthen sustainable educational responses during protracted crises.

Paper long abstract

As protracted conflicts escalate globally, over 473 million children now live in crisis-affected contexts (Østby & Rustad, 2024), demanding education responses that move beyond interim solutions toward sustainable, locally-led systems (Burde et al., 2017; Winthrop & Matsui, 2013). This presentation investigates how humanitarian aid approaches can more effectively support education systems operating as complex adaptive systems (CAS) during emergencies, drawing on research in four settings on the Thai-Myanmar border. The analysis builds on comparative case studies which synthesize the perspectives of Karen and Karenni education authorities, teachers, teacher trainers, and international non-government organizations. Building on research demonstrating that locally-led education systems sustain effective programming through decentralized governance and adaptive feedback mechanisms (Tyrosvoutis, 2025; Rinehart, Layi Chan, and Tyrosvoutis, 2025), this presentation examines organizational features enabling resilience during crises. However, these systems often remain undermined by centralized donor requirements and rigid compliance frameworks (Haines & Buchanan, 2023; Décobert, 2020) that fail to recognize their complex adaptive capacity. This presentation addresses two critical questions: How can aid approaches support long-term strengthening of education systems and the redistribution power by leveraging systems’ complex adaptive traits? What agency do middle-tier actors exhibit in emergency settings and what, if any, capacity building is needed to move beyond mere responsibility transfer? This presentation seeks to challenge neocolonial aid practices (Menashy & Shields, 2017) by centering local agency and contested educational futures emerging from communities' own contexts, needs, and aspirations, ultimately providing actionable guidance for decolonizing humanitarian education service delivery.