This Introduction discusses approaches to and perspectives on analyzing the complex relationship between education, fragility, and conflict and its underlying causes and dynamics. It argues for the need for contextual and time-bound multi-level analyses of interlinked societal dimensions in order to address the ultimate purposes of education policies and programmes, whether they aim to ameliorate or transform existing conditions. Examples are presented of the ways these dimensions apply to the country cases on Afghanistan, Bolivia, Nepal, and Sudan and to the discussion of why quality data is important for analysis, and for policy and programme design.