Session Overview: Safe Learning Environments

Promoting Safe Learning Environments: Minimising Violence in Schools


Global Consultation 2009, Istanbul

Wednesday 1 April 11:00-12:45, Concurrent Learning Session Block 3

Abstract

The panel presentation will be an opportunity to familiarize participants with challenges different organizations have identified in promoting safe learning spaces and enhancing the protective dimension of education. Presenters will highlight some of their strategies for addressing these challenges, and ways of measuring safe spaces. The example of Chad will also be discussed at a macro-level to analyse how education system can provide safety to refugee children.

UNHCR will present a general framework for both defining and promoting safe learning environments in refugee settings. The presentation will give a broad overview of what is a safe learning environment, challenges to be addressed, types of strategies for reducing violence in schools, and possible ways to measure success.

CCF will present the findings of its recent impact assessment on child friendly spaces and highlight both the lessons learned and good practice in establishing safe learning environments for child friendly spaces. CCF will be able to describe how it conducted the assessment and specific ways of measuring safe learning environments within child friendly spaces.

IRC will then present its partnership with UNHCR and some additional tools and training materials that it jointly developed with UNHCR to further ‘operationalize’ these general guidelines. IRC will present the piloting of training materials in both Chad and CAR that will become distance education modules for UNHCR and implementing partner staff. IRC will share some of the types of violence and strategies that participants in these two trainings described for reducing violence in schools. The process used during the workshop highlighted the necessity to build a vision before mainstreaming Safe Learning Environments through the project cycle.

UNHCR in Chad will present the strategy developed for the project Educating Children of Darfur funded by PriceWaterhouseCoopers in the challenging environment of Eastern Chad. Efforts will be made not only to provide safe infrastructures, but also to build a protective education system through a high level of quality of education in the camps.

Session Objectives

  • Objective 1: To introduce participants to different frameworks for Promoting Safe Learning Environments
  • Objective 2: To familiarize participants with resources and tools that will help them implement strategies to promote a safe learning environment and enhance protection of children
  • Objective 3: To further understand how safe learning environments can be monitored and evaluated


Expected Outcomes

  • Outcome 1: Participants will have a framework for promoting safe learning environments
  • Outcome 2: Participants will have a list of possible strategies for promoting safe learning environments
  • Outcome 3: Participants will have some possible indicators for measuring safe learning environments


Panel

Chair: Eva Ahlen , UNHCR

Presenters:


Supplemental Materials:


For more information regarding this session please contact the Session Coordinator Eva Ahlen at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

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