© UNICEF/NYHQ2008-1016/Christine Nesbitt
Kinkole Primary school near Kinshasa, DRC.

By Taleen Vartan

NEW YORK, USA, 31 January 2012 – In 2011, UNICEF commissioned research to investigate the role of education in peacebuilding in post-conflict contexts. The resulting report, entitled The Role of Education in Peacebuilding: A synthesis report of findings from Lebanon, Nepal and Sierra Leone, is part of a knowledge generation study within the Back on Track programme on Education in Emergencies and Post-Crisis Transition. Back on Track is a five-year partnership between UNICEF, the Government of the Netherlands and the European Commission.

The study examines how integrated education interventions could have a stronger role in post-conflict peacebuilding within the United Nations system. It includes a programme literature and research review on the role of education in peacebuilding, as well as three country case studies on UNICEF’s education work in Lebanon, Nepal and Sierra Leone.

Literature Review

One of the main objectives of the study was to provide evidence on the role of education in peacebuilding based on academic, programming and evaluation literature. Through a comprehensive review of 520 documents related to education, conflict and peacebuilding, researchers found that education is a driver of social development in post-conflict settings. It promotes peace and serves as a powerful force for social transformation. The findings from the literature review also highlight the need for heightened attention to education sector reform from a peacebuilding perspective and greater engagement with the UN peacebuilding architecture.

Literature review

Case studies

Education is often a key casualty of armed conflict. Lebanon, Nepal and Sierra Leone were selected for this study to encompass a cross-section of different conflict environments.

Despite wide social, economic and political differences in these countries, the inextricable role of education within the peacebuilding agenda was clearly evident in all three cases. In these identified countries, but particularly in Sierra Leone, vast interest in and appreciation of the importance of education marked the immediate post-war period. In Lebanon, after 2006, schooling was highly valued; the government and international agencies prioritized coordinating psychosocial support for teachers and students, rebuilding and refurbishing schools – which were previously used as shelters – and bringing children back to school as soon as possible.

Case Study – Lebanon
Case Study – Nepal
Case Study – Sierra Leone

Building sustainable peace

Education is an essential building block for sustainable peace. “The role of education in peacebuilding is pivotal in post-conflict countries,” said Jordan Naidoo, UNICEF Senior Education Advisor. “Education is fundamental for economic growth, national advancement and can serve as a conduit for social cohesion and reconciliation in countries recovering from crises.”

This study suggests that the focus should remain on bolstering the role of education in post-conflict contexts to support social transformation, as well as paying close attention to the values and content communicated through education systems in these fragile countries and territories.

The Role of Education in Peacebuilding flyer

Back on Track logo

News note

NEW YORK, 24 January 2012 – The State of Kuwait has contributed $250,000 to UNICEF in Turkey to support UNICEF’s humanitarian response to victims of the Van earthquake. The support was announced by His Excellency Mansour Ayyad Al-Otaibi, Permanent Representative of Kuwait to the United Nations.

On 23 October 2011, an earthquake measuring 7.2 on the Richter scale hit the province of Van in eastern Turkey. Some 604 people were killed and over 4,000 injured as dozens of buildings, including multi-story apartment blocks and schoolteachers’ lodgings, collapsed or were seriously damaged.

Due to continuing seismic activity and the assumption that most buildings have been damaged and weakened, much of the population in the affected areas, which had a total population of up to 600,000 – almost half of them children – was effectively left homeless. In many respects, normal life has not resumed.

Tens of thousands of people have left the region. Of these, about 35,000 are accommodated in state guest houses and other public buildings in other provinces. Most survivors remain in the region, living in tents, tent cities or in some cases container homes, in harsh winter conditions, pending other arrangements.

UNICEF’s response to this emergency has been prioritising interventions in the areas of education and child protection, concentrating its efforts in helping schoolchildren and children up to five years of age to regain a sense of normalcy in the aftermath of the emergency.

UNICEF has set up 40 classroom units, each made up of two specialised containers, and of 10 container-based washroom and sanitation units. In addition to the classroom units previously delivered, UNICEF has delivered eight container-based living units to accommodate 24 school counsellors/guidance centre staff, as well as supplied 190 recreation kits and 190 early childhood development kits, each containing sufficient materials for 50 children.

UNICEF is ensuring that psychosocial support is provided to all children affected by the emergency, including those who have lost family members and friends. UNICEF is training social workers to provide psychosocial support on a “tent-to-tent” basis and providing psychosocial support training to 237 guidance and counselling teachers and 215 Guidance and Counselling Centre personnel in Van.

UNICEF plans to provide further container units and other equipment and materials in this context, as well as early childhood development kits.

© UNICEF/NYHQ2011-2121/Dormino
Children participate in the creation of a one-minute video in Kenscoff, a community near Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

By Rudina Vojvoda

NEW YORK, 30 January, 2012 – With 43 per cent of its people under 18 years old, Haiti has one of the youngest populations in the world. Yet the country’s young people continue to suffer from a lack of opportunities and remain vulnerable in the aftermath of the 2010 earthquake.

Listen to the Podcast in Streaming MP3 format

Before the quake, 55 per cent of children were missing out on their right to an education. Despite post-disaster efforts to return children to the classroom, many remain out of school. Additionally, issues related to child development receive little attention, especially outside urban areas.

To highlight the challenges faced by youth, UNICEF and partners PANOS Caribbean and Fondation haitienne d’Aide aux Vulnérables are providing media training to vulnerable children. In these trainings, young people learn how to use radio and video equipment, write reports and take pictures to bring attention to the needs and challenges facing their peers.

UNICEF moderator Femi Oke discussed this innovative program with three of its organizers: Margarette Altidor, President of Fondation haitienne d’Aide aux Vulnérables; Jean-Jacques Simon, UNICEF Haiti Chief of Communication; and Jan Voordouw, Programme Coordinator of PANOS Caribbean.

Youth participation

According to Mr. Simon, the project has successfully helped children address their concerns about education, health sanitation and other aspects of day-to-day life.

“We have created unique productions where you can understand what the children of Haiti are going through,” said Mr. Simon. “The scars are not completely healed, and one of the goals here is to prepare youth for the future. Building the future of this country is one big challenge, but it’s a challenge that youth must be part of.”

Discussing opportunities for young people, Mrs. Altidor called on Haitian institutions to play a bigger role in training and educating young people. “It’s not only a job for the international organizations, but Haitian organizations, too. Young people in Haiti should try to do their best,” said Mrs. Altidor.

Tools for survival

The 2010 earthquake in Haiti was one of the largest to strike the Caribbean in the last two centuries. More than 220,000 people were killed in the disaster, and over a million remained displaced one year later. During catastrophes like this, and in the recovery phase that follows, communication is a crucial survival tool.

“It is when the population needs the information the most,” said Mr. Voordouw, pointing out that the media skills children learned during their training were not only marketable talents for the participants, but a benefit to the community as well.

“In the Haitian culture, children can be seen but cannot be heard, so when it happens, [it] can be very useful,” he continued.

And the children’s stories are having an effect.

“The problems get solved,” Mr. Voordouw said. “We have had some indications that domestic violence went down after the children spoke about it.”

© UNICEF Philippines/2012/Maitem
Students at Consolacion Elementary School in Cagayan de Oro City, Philippines, use UNICEF-provided school packs to resume their studies.

By Marge Francia

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Philippines, 25 January 2012 – In City Central School, in Cagayan de Oro City, two teachers recently held their first day of classes since the devastating floods that swept through their community – even as their own futures looks uncertain.

Vivian Benedictos and Marilou Gambuta, co-teachers and best friends, share a first-grade classroom at the school. It is a space they not only teach in, but now also live in.

Escaping the floods

When Tropical Storm Washi (locally known as Sendong) tore through the city in December, it unleashed a deluge that wiped out whole communities, including Ms. Benedictos’s and Ms. Gambuta’s. But by working together, they managed to save both their families from the rushing floods.

“I could hear that the water was already behind us,” said Ms. Gambuta. “I didn’t want to look back because I knew I wouldn’t find my house there anymore. I covered my ears because I could hear my neighbours screaming for help.”

As soon as her family was out of harm’s way, she called Ms. Benedictos, warning her to flee before the floodwaters descended on her town.

“When I heard from Marilou, I started to panic and shout. I told people, ‘let’s go,’ but my neighbours didn’t believe me,” said Ms. Benedictos. “The water started to rise, and I got out of the house. My sister and my children stayed on the second floor, thinking they would be safe there, so I had to go back and get them. By the time we left the house, the water was already chest-deep.”

After escaping the floods, the teachers were reunited in their classroom. It has been their home – and their families’ home – ever since.

Schools help children heal

Others were not so lucky. Among the estimated 1.1 million people affected by the disaster, 6,071 were injured and 1,257 killed. According to recent Department of Education figures, at least six education personnel and more than 100 students were killed, and almost 200 students remain missing.

Many schools were completely or partially destroyed, or are being used as evacuation centres. Students whose schools have been repurposed as evacuation centres have had conduct classes in basketball courts or municipal halls.

© UNICEF Philippines/2012/Francia
Teacher Vivian Benedictos speaks with student Gia Bitua in Cagayan de Oro City, Philippines. Both fled their homes during the recent floods.

But returning to school is essential for all flood-affected children. School helps children resume a sense of normalcy, which is critical to their emotional recovery. Schools are also a protective environment for children, who are more vulnerable to exploitation and abuse in the aftermath of disasters. And in the long-term, education promotes social cohesion and contributes to the social and economic stability of the flood-affected areas.

On 23 January, Ms. Benedictos and Ms. Gambuta began their first day of class since the deluge.

“I was able to hold class today but it was very hard,” Ms. Gambuta said. She had learned that two of her students are still missing, five weeks after the disaster.

“Some of my students are still in shock. I wanted to cry while they were telling me their stories about the flood, but I had to be strong,” she continued. “Adults like me can recover, but with children, it’s extra hard for them. Going back to school would be good for them.”

Regaining normalcy

The Government’s Department of Education, UNICEF and other education partners are working together to help children return to the classroom. UNICEF and partners are supporting the repair or reconstruction of 23 severely damaged schools and 68 day-care centres. UNICEF is also providing school kits, early childhood development kits and other learning supplies, and is working with partners to train volunteers to offer psychosocial support activities to children in schools and evacuation centres.

“In an emergency, the school acts as a lifeline for children. That is why UNICEF helps to quickly reopen schools and replace children’s school supplies. We believe getting children back in school is an important step in regaining normalcy in their lives,” said Maria Lourdes de Vera-Mateo, Education Chief of UNICEF Philippines.

The children have also been eager to return to class. It has been an inspiration for teachers like Ms. Benedictos and Ms. Gambuta, who remain as committed as ever to helping their students.

“Children need to heal properly, and we as teachers need to help them through it,” Ms. Gambuta said.

© Matthew Emry, 2010, Tajikistan
Adolescent-and-Youth-Perspectives-Research

NEW YORK, 17 January 2012 – Young people often report that they are not given the opportunity to participate in processes that affect their lives; or when they are, they often feel their participation is not meaningful enough.

A new case study on youth participatory research supported by UNICEF’s Education in Emergencies and Post-Crisis Transition (EEPCT) programme, or Back on Track, looks at the methodology and processes used in ‘A Study of Adolescent and Youth Perspectives on Education Quality in the Central and Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CEE/CIS) Region’ (henceforth referred to as ‘Adolescent and Youth Perspectives Research’).

Case Study on Youth Participatory Research on Education Quality in CEE/CIS Innovative Practices, Lessons Learned and Recommendations

This case study is part of a series supported by the Back on Track programme in an effort to highlight innovative and substantial programming through hallmark interventions.

This case study helps to strengthen the future use of and rationale for youth participatory designs in UNICEF programming. By identifying the strengths and weaknesses of the ‘Adolescent and Youth Perspectives Research’ methodology and process, and by highlighting best practices and recommendations for future scale up, UNICEF and partners are better positioned to more effectively implement current and future efforts that meaningfully involve youth.

Background on ‘Adolescent and Youth Perspectives Research’

Research undertaken by the UNICEF CEE/CIS Regional Office in 2007 and 2009 revealed troubling indicators of deteriorating education quality in the CEE/CIS region, with distinct effects on adolescents and youth.

In response to this, the ‘Adolescent and Youth Perspectives Research’ was implemented to investigate the impact of fragility on education quality in Chechnya (Russian Federation), Georgia, Kosovo and Tajikistan, and its impact on adolescents and youth; analyse adolescent and youth views in order to identify regional trends concerning the impact of fragility on education quality; and to identify the areas of education quality in most urgent need of attention.

UNICEF conducted a series of nationally representative, participatory studies on youth perspectives on education quality. Youth were at the heart of this work, researching and describing their understanding and experiences of education quality and its drivers. Youth were offered the opportunity and responsibility to “assess youth opinions about education quality based principally on their most recent experiences with formal education systems but also experiences in the more distant past, including before, during and after armed conflict.”

Peer-to-peer participation key to meaningful research about youth

© Matthew Emry, 2010, Kosovo.

UNICEF staff and consultants concluded that the ‘Adolescent and Youth Perspectives Research’ provided a unique and strong entry point for discussion with their ministries of education. The study was the “first time ever for this kind and level of focused research”. It provided a first glimpse at post-primary education needs and their specific differences from primary education. The research filled gaps in existing reliable data, and the information gained was ever more important because it “comes directly from youth” and “is grounded on young people’s realities and opinions”.
The youth researchers felt strongly that research offers an opportunity to build capacity, engage the marginalized, inspire action and highlight youth capabilities. The involvement of youth throughout the study was a highlight of how the study was designed and implemented.

The youth researchers strongly believed that the young people being interviewed were more likely to discuss their problems with people of the same age and background. This “safe space” allowed young people to speak freely and explore issues important to them.

“The [participatory] process strengthens the capacity and skills of youth so that they can be prepared in their future role as decision makers,” explains Matthew Emry, author of the case study on youth participatory research. “It ensures that the issues and solutions identified truly reflect the needs and desires of young people. It builds the confidence of communities that young people can and are eager to participate positively in their society. It is a concrete down payment on our promise to invest in their future.”

Related links:

Early childhood programmes benefit children in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

MEDIA RELEASE

© UNICEF/NYHQ2009-0323/Christine Nesbitt Zambia, 2009
Family members in front of their home on the outskirts of Lusaka.

Funding to improve access to equitable quality basic education in 16 priority district

LUSAKA, Zambia, 16 January 2012 (UNICEF) – The Government of the Netherlands is supporting the UNICEF education programme in Zambia with US$10 million (50 trillion Zambian kwacha) with a focus on the most vulnerable children in the country.

“The overall goal of the programme is to contribute to the national targets of improving children’s access to equitable quality education, in line with the Millennium Development Goals and the Sixth National Development Plan. If we are to expect Zambia’s children and adolescents to be able to develop, learn, and participate in a protective and enabling environment, it is our duty and responsibility as a partner country to double our efforts in providing the required support to help us reap these desired results,,” said His Excellency Ambassador Harry Molenaar of the Royal Netherlands Embassy during a signing ceremony in Lusaka.

This agreement comes with the following specific expected results:

• The needs of most vulnerable girls and boys are prioritised and included in the national education policy, strategies, planning, curriculum development, and training in child friendly teaching and learning environment by 2013;
• The needs of the most vulnerable children in 16 target districts are prioritized and included in planning, management, and monitoring of education services at the district and provincial levels;
• 10,000 children in 16 target districts participate in early childhood, care, development, and education services by 2013;
• 500 basic and community schools in 16 target districts are provided with a child friendly learning environment by 2013;

UNICEF will channel the US$10 million contribution through direct financial and technical support to the Ministry of Education, Science and Vocational Training. By the end of 2013, it is expected that systems, policies, and capacities will have been strengthened leading to improved learning achievement for children in target areas, especially the most vulnerable. The programme will be implemented in the following low performing districts: Lukulu, Kalabo, Shangombo, Petauke, Katete, Chama, Milenge, Samfya, Chilubi, Luwingu, Mporokoso, Chiengi, Kaputa, Mbala, Mungwi, and Isoka.

According to the UNICEF Representative to Zambia, Dr. Iyorlumun J. Uhaa, this new investment fits well with the overall collaboration between the Government of the Netherlands and UNICEF in many areas, both at the global and country levels.

“We are excited and looking forward to meeting the challenges and opportunities this arrangement presents to us,” said Dr. Uhaa. “Under the leadership of the Government of Zambia, we will implement this programme to achieve tangible and measurable results for children in the target districts.”

By Chris Niles

NEW YORK, USA, 9 January 2012 – A quality education is the cornerstone of every child’s rights, yet across the developing world millions of children’s futures are stunted because they don’t have the opportunity to learn.

UNICEF is addressing this deprivation with an innovative approach that aims to remove barriers to success in primary school by giving pre-schoolers the knowledge to successfully enter first grade.

Called ‘Getting Ready for School: a Child-to-Child Approach’, the programme is a low-cost way to provide supplemental education to pre-schoolers, especially the most marginalized.

Learning from friends

The programme is succeeding in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the poorest country on earth, and one with an entrenched cycle of exclusion from education. Half of adults there have either never attended school or only completed primary school.

“In class, I love to read, write and sing,” said Mariam, 5, who lives in Kinshasa, capital of DR Congo. She attends pre-school with a handful of young friends.

The unique part about the programme is that Mariam’s teacher is not much older than she is. Child-to–Child builds on the natural phenomenon of children learning from their older friends – in Mariam’s case, her neighbour Nefa Kabeya.

“It’s important to help the younger kids so they can avoid having problems in first grade. If they’re not well prepared in first grade they’ll never ask questions and won’t participate in class,” Nefa said.

© UNICEF video
In Kinshasa, DR Congo, 12-year-old Nefa Kebeya tutors two of her young friends through the UNICEF-supported Child-to-Child programme.

A successful pilot

The Child-to-Child programme was launched as a pilot programme in 2007 in partnership with the Child-to-Child Trust. Six countries participated in the pilot: Bangladesh, China, DR Congo, Ethiopia, Tajikistan and Yemen. It has proven successful in communities with strong community support, such as the Tigray Region of rural Ethiopia.

“The main reason for this is that the programme was designed to work within our culture,” said Maekelech Gidey, a UNICEF education specialist in Ethiopia. “It is our culture that neighbours work, eat and play together. The programme supports this, and that is why people can easily and happily participate in it.

Child-to-Child is filling a critical gap for pre-schoolers, giving them the social and academic confidence to begin their formal education on time and to stay with it. Ba-ati Primary School in Tigray is seeing the changes first hand.

“When I compare this year’s first graders to the last year’s, I can see a big difference. Ever since the Child–to-Child programme started, the children’s understanding has increased,” said teacher Tigist Araya.

In Bangladesh, 30 schools were selected for the Child-to-Child pilot because of their high drop-out and low school completion rates. In 2009, only 23 per cent of children between ages 3 and 5 attended pre-school.

Liton, 10, is making his own contribution to reversing that trend. Once a week he teaches two younger children the basics of reading, writing and counting. Guided by his own teachers, Liton makes lessons fun.

© UNICEF video
In rural Bangladesh, 10-year-old Liton (right) tutors his young neighbour Akhimoni.

Benefits to students and teachers

But the programme’s benefits go further than getting little ones ready for school. Since he’s been mentoring his young friends, Liton has discovered that, not only are his young charges improving in their studies, he is too.

“Since going into the Child-to-Child programme, I’ve learned a lot. My reading is much better. That’s been very good for me,” he said.

It’s also been good for Bangladesh, which aims to achieve universal primary school education.

“I have seen that enrolment has increased, school drop-outs have lessened in the areas that have the programme,” said Director General of the Director of Primary Education Shyamal Kanti Ghosh.

The programme is simple and cost-effective, which UNICEF and its partners hope will enable it to be expanded into more countries and regions and integrated into other UNICEF quality-education programmes.

“The most important thing for this innovation is that it’s less costly. And it is community-based, so everybody can see the changes. And the attachment of the teachers to the process is very strong,” said UNICEF Early Childhood Development Specialist Mohammad Mohsin.

© UNICEF/Pakistan/2011/Gulnaz Jabeen Khan
MehreenYaqoob, ParveenMajeed and friends –Learning with joy at ECE Class in Government Girls Primary School Qadirabad, Tehsil Jampur, District Rajanpur

News note

ISLAMABAD, 4 January 2012 – UNICEF and partners today welcomed the opening of 35 new schools in Muzaffargah, Rajanpur and Rahimyar Khan in Southern Punjab, three districts hit by the 2010 monsoon floods. These schools have been constructed by the children’s agency at locations where schools were damaged or completely destroyed by the floods that devastated Pakistan from July to September 2010.

More than 4,500 children are now attending these schools which have been handed over to the Punjab Education Department.

The Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands has contributed US$1.2 million for the construction of 24 schools and the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) has contributed an additional US$250,000 for the construction of seven schools. Funds for four schools have been provided by the governments of Italy, Hungary and Sweden.

The Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, H.E. Hugo G. Scheltema, inaugurated 24 schools constructed with Dutch funding at a ceremony held recently, in the Peer Dargai Shah Government Primary School in Muzaffargarh district.

Speaking on the occasion, the Mr. Scheltema said, “There is no doubt that education is the key to progress for any nation. I feel delighted to see these beautiful schools that UNICEF has built to help the children in the flood-affected districts of Punjab. Increased enrollment after floods and the keenness of parents to send their children to school makes is very clear that there is need for more schools and more teachers. I am sure that UNICEF will manage to build more schools and the Punjab Education department will provide more teachers to ensure that every child is educated.”

After the devastating floods of 2010, UNICEF initiated a schools reconstruction proragmme in the worst affected districts of southern Punjab – as well as other parts of the country – since most of the government school buildings were either damaged or completely destroyed. In order to bring children back to school and to prevent the loss of a full academic year, Temporary Learning Centres were established by UNICEF in camps and communities. With time, prefabricated school structures with all amenities have replaced these temporary learning centres. These new schools signify a new method of teaching and learning – the Child Friendly Schooling approach.

“The Child Friendly Schooling approach is interactive and makes learning fun for children. It has elements of health and hygiene through provision of safe drinking water and improved sanitation, Early Childhood and Development for preparing young children for school, playground and equipment for healthy physical activities, psychosocial support for rehabilitation of trauma-affected children, involvement of parents and community, and many other unique features that makes education attractive,” said Karen Allen, UNICEF Deputy Representative.

“Dutch funding has helped us achieve the objective of providing quality education to children who had suffered due to floods. This is an investment that not only fulfills their basic rights, but also contributes to the future of Pakistan. I urge all parents, teachers and community members to take ownership of these schools and ensure that every child of school going age is in school, especially girls”, she added.

UNICEF education staff share their stories

NEW YORK, 4 January 2012 – We asked UNICEF education staff around the globe to tell us about their most inspiring moment they experienced in 2011. Something that they would not forget and reminded them why they chose this profession. Here are some of their stories.

©Elena Duro/2011
Children having breakfast in the indigenous rural school of the Province of Salta, Argentina. The school is located at 3,500 meters high and some children have to walk several hours through the mountains to get there.

Elena Duro
Education Specialist
UNICEF Argentina

One of the most moving and motivating experiences this year was a visit to an indigenous rural school in the province of Salta, located at an altitude of 3,500 metres. There are many difficulties with regard to access in this area.

Arriving at the school after a long journey, we shared breakfast with children who had walked for hours through the mountains to get there. We spoke with teachers and principals who make daily sacrifices to provide these children with not only a quality education but also affection, comfort and shelter – this really inspired and motivated my daily work.

That school is one of 1,500 around the country participating in an educational quality self-evaluation programme. This participatory and democratic methodology, developed by UNICEF in partnership with provincial governments, instills an evaluation culture in schools (both primary and secondary) and has the main objective of increasing inclusiveness and quality of education.

Photo courtesy John Ekaju/2011
Jogi children attending a Community Based School CBS in Mazar-i-Sharif, Afghanistan.

John Ekaju
Education Specialist
UNICEF Afghanistan

I visited a Jogi community school in Mazar-i-Sharif, in northern Afghanistan with colleagues from the education section and Save the Children. This minority group is excluded from mainstream society as well as formal schools because of their cultural and linguistic background. Negative stereotypes and biases that have existed for generations have led to extreme discrimination and disadvantage.

Jogi children don’t have Afghani citizenship or birth certificates, rendering them stateless in their own country. Because of discrimination and derogatory language, they are forced not to attend regular government schools.

UNICEF, in partnership with Save the Children, initiated classes for these communities in Mazar-i-Sharif. The special classes provided an opportunity for the children to learn with a renewed sense of self-esteem and confidence. They are excited to come to their own school, where they do not face prejudice and discrimination. The young volunteer teacher we met was trained in pedagogy by UNICEF and Save the Children, thus ensuring that the classroom was interactive and the children enjoyed the learning experience.

A recent qualitative survey organized by UNICEF revealed signs of an emerging Jogi identity, with an increasing awareness about their rights and a growing, if still limited, assertiveness in denouncing the discrimination they suffer. I am excited to be part of this drive to advocate for these children, who are the hope for the future generation of this great country.

© UNICEF/NYHQ2008-0531/Brooks
Rafah School for Girls in al-Husseineh, a neighbourhood southeast of Damascus. Syrian Arab Republic. 2008.

Siham Zakaria
Education Project Officer
UNICEF Syria

I joined the education section at UNICEF Syria three years ago because I wanted to see the positive results of education interventions reflected on children, schools and the education system as a whole.

In 2011, I was strongly reminded of these initial motivations by a school theatre project we implemented in a very poor village in Raqqa governorate, in the northeast of Syria – an area that needs a lot of support.

The theatre performances were part of hygiene promotion activities focusing on child and community participation. Conducted with Secours Islamique – France, the activities promoted awareness of hygiene and environmental issues, and aimed to enhance good behaviour among children in school and at home.

All the children in the school attended along with school staff and families from the village. Girls and boys, as well as some of the family members, participated in role playing, singing, dancing, answering quizzes and winning prizes. The children were very happy for the wonderful job they did, and I was very happy that the education programme of UNICEF, through its equity lens, targeted so many children, whoever they were and in spite of where they came from.

© UNICEF/NYHQ2008-0590/Holtz
Central African Republic, 2008. Girls in class at a UNICEF-supported school in a camp for refugees from neighbouring Sudan, in the town of Sam Ouangja in the north-eastern province of Haute-Kotto, near the Sudan border.

Farid Boubekeur
Chief of Education
UNICEF Central African Republic

My most inspiring moment this year came when I visited the town of Berberati, in southwestern Central African Republic.

We were there to introduce indoor “solar light bottles” to one of its primary schools. These solar lights require only a disused water bottle filled with water and a small amount of bleach to prevent bacterial growth. The bottle is placed inside a hole in the roof and sealed to prevent roof leakage. Sunlight passing through the bottle refracts and disperses in all directions, generating the equivalent of a 50-watt lamp.

When the school director climbed up and installed one on the roof of the latrines, I stood back and enjoyed the smiles and excited exchanges between the students and teachers. The director promised to install these new lights in every room in the school, which until now were dimly lit even during daylight hours because of a lack of electricity in the region.

This simple, low-cost technology will allow UNICEF to illuminate 50 new schools in 2012, saving money and helping to limit global warming. Education officials and the local press recognized that, in addition to influencing educational policy and capacity, UNICEF delivers practical solutions for improving the well-being of students and the larger community.

Page 1 | Page 2 | Page 3 | Page 4 >>

© UNICEF/NYHQ2011-1770/Pirozzi
A teacher assists Julian Goaheh, 6, in a UNICEF-supported school in Ganta Town, Liberia.

By Rudina Vojvoda

NEW YORK, USA, 28 December 2011 – In 2011, significant strides were made in improving the education of children around the world: More children are now enrolled in primary schools than ever before. Still, in spite of remarkable progress, civil unrest and natural disasters have slowed down improvements in affected areas.

Listen to the Podcast in Streaming MP3 format

To wrap up the year, UNICEF podcast moderator Femi Oke spoke to United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Right to Education Kishore Singh.

Sustainable progress

The past year has seen major educational achievements on several levels, Mr. Singh says. There has been sustainable progress in expanding education, greater recognition of the critical importance of education on the UN development agenda, serious country initiatives to advance secondary education, and stronger emphasis on technical and vocational training around the world.

Girls’ education has also improved significantly, even though girls still comprise more than half of all children out of school.

© Photo courtesy of Kishore Singh
United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Right to Education Kishore Singh says there is a need for more innovative and equitable education systems around the world.

“One of the biggest impediments [to gender equality in education] is the social misconception,” says Mr. Singh. “Girls in many developing countries are still viewed to be not equally entitled to education.”

Educating children in emergencies

In his latest report to the UN General Assembly, Mr. Singh estimates that around 28 million children of primary school age who live in conflict-affected countries are currently out of school. Around 875 million school children live in high seismic-risk zones and millions more face regular floods, landslide or other natural disasters.

Educating children in these areas is vital, not only to recovery but also to preventing humanitarian emergencies in the first place.