This Forced Migration Review paper explores the role that education can play as a protection mechanism in and after emergencies. The article notes that, based on work by Save the Children exploring the practical connections between education and protection in several conflict-affected countries, parents feel safer if children are in school rather than out. Education lessens the chance that the child will be recruited, exploited or exposed to other risks. In practical terms, education structures can play a more protective role in children’s lives.