In today’s world, the education debate is often framed as a moral imperative, and it is. But that framing is no longer sufficient. In an era of protracted conflict, climate shocks and tightening public budgets, education is also something else: strategic infrastructure. When it collapses, instability accelerates. When it holds, societies recover faster, economies rebound sooner and fewer crises become permanent. The data points are stark. UNESCO reports that 250 million children are out of