UNRWA Education Programme lessons learned from almost 70 years of - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

UNRWA Education Programme – lessons learned from almost 70 years of educating Palestine refugees Dr Caroline Pontefract (UNESCO-UNRWA) ATEE Conference 15 February 2018

Introduction to UNRWA The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) provides assistance and protection for 5 million Palestine refugees in Gaza, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and the West Bank. 2

UNRWA education: history For almost 70 years UNRWA has worked in partnership with UNESCO to ensure that Palestine refugee children have access to quality education 3

UNRWA education: today • Over half a million Palestine refugee children and 22,000 education staff • 711 schools • 8 Vocational Training Centres for youth • 2 educational science faculties (teacher training institutes) 4

UNRWA education overview UNESCO/UNRWA partnership since 1950 with UNESCO • commitment to provide high-level technical education UNRWA approach: basic education system for refugees • (secondary education in Lebanon), from school to HQ Host country curriculum, study plans and academic calendar • to enable Palestine refugee children to transition to secondary and higher education, and receive accredited education Focus on teacher training - Institute of Education established • Technical and Vocational Education, Education Science • Faculties, scholarships for higher education Education always important to the Palestine despite the • context of repeated conflict and regional instability UNRWA and UNESCO, partners for the education of Palestine refugees: https://www.unrwa.org/newsroom/videos/unrwa- and-unesco-partners-education-palestine-refugees 5

UNRWA education quality: articulating the vision To provide quality education for Palestine refugees to achieve their full potential, individually and as a member of their local and global community, towards active and productive participation in social, political, economic, technical and cultural life. School aged children complete quality, equitable and inclusive education…. ! 6

organisational level individual capacity legislative level development Research & EMIS • Research#Strategy Inclusive Education (IE) • Curriculum and SA (EMIS) • IE#Policy • • HRCRT#Policy Classroom#Observation#&#DropG • IE#Strategy • Curriculum#Framework#(CF) out#studies • School#Health#Strategy • • MLA Research#Briefs • IE#Advocacy#Training#Manual • HRCRT#Teacher#Toolkit#&# • Identification#of#Diverse#Needs# TOT Toolkit# • CF#training#package#&#TOT unrwa education Governance Strategic P & M • (UNRWA#Accountability# • MTS#&#FIPs reform • Framework) Common#Monitoring#indicators • (Education#Gov.#Framework) • Reform#Indicators#M&E# • Education#Technical#Instructions Strategy • Scholarship#Programme# • Perceptional Indicators#&# Survey Teacher development • TVET & Youth Teacher#Policy Partnerships, • • HR#Directives TVET#Strategy Communication & ICT • • Placement#and#Career# School Based#Teacher# • Development#(SBTD)#– Guidance# ICT#in#Education#Strategy • • (Capacity#Development#– Grade#1G6 Media#production • • Leading#for#the#Future# TVET#staff) SMS#programme#info#system • • (L4F) (Blended#Learning#– TVET# ICT#partnerships#(CISCO,#ICDL,# Programme#Development) Microsoft)

2014 World Bank report – Learning in the Face of Adversity “UNRWA schools continually and consistently outperform public schools by a margin equivalent to more than one additional year of learning” Full report: https://unispal.un.org/DPA/DPR/unispal.nsf/0/48 e2ea199ae1317e85257d8f005759a6?OpenDocu ment&Click=852560D3006F9C53.37acdaa24c74 643a85257582006d7a35/$Body/0.9D8A ! 8

Education in crisis 9

Operational challenges: Syria crisis Syria Humanitarian assistance needs – 95% • Internal displacement -254,000 • Displacement to Jordan/Lebanon • School damage – pre-crisis 118, now • 104 (42 UNRWA schools) Hard to reach areas – 56,500 • Lebanon 5,482 Palestine refugee children from • Syria (PRS) students in UNRWA schools in Lebanon Jordan 1,396 refugees from Syria in UNRWA • schools in Jordan - 974 PRS and 422 Syrian refugees 10

Operational challenges: Gaza and the West Bank Gaza Repeated hostilities/escalations in • violence (2008, 2012, 2014) 3662 deaths 2008-16 • Delay to school year (2014) • Psychosocial impact (51% PTSD) • West Bank Occupation - checkpoints, mobility • restrictions, military incursions Psychosocial impact • 11

The challenge of refugee education ! Children may have missed months or years of education and may need • support (psychological and educational) to reintegrate back into formal education. Children may have experienced trauma and loss and need psychosocial • support. Social integration can be a challenge – there can be friction between • refugees and Host communities, and other refugees. Children may struggle with a different curriculum or language. • Children’s home environment may not be conducive to learning. • 12

Responding to the challenge: UNRWA EiE - same goal, different ways of achieving it So what to do? Continued focus on quality education through systemic education reform ! Do things differently, do more of some things, do new things.. ! And always measure impact… ! Different ways of doing things ! Access to education – alternative ways of delivery Safe Learning Spaces • Self Learning Programme (Syria Self- • Learning Materials, Interactive Learning Programme, UNRWA TV) Doing more of some things ! Psychosocial support • Recreational activities • Teacher development and support • Community engagement • Learning support/catch up classes • ! Doing new things Safety and security • My Voice My School • 13

Responding to the challenge: missed education Summer learning/catch up classes: Learning support for children who • have missed education due to the security situation, dropped out or are falling behind Helps children catch up, adjust to a • new curriculum, and provides language support “Taking lessons in mathematics, Arabic, English and science, I can prepare for next year’s exams, which lowers the anxiety” Mohammad-Raddi (14, displaced from besieged Yarmouk camp, Syria) 14

Responding to the challenge: missed education YouTube: https://www.youtube.com Interactive Learning /user/unrwatv Programme (ILP) Grades 1-9 UNRWA TV Arabic and Maths ! Grades 4-9 Arabic, English, Maths, Link: Science http://ilp.unrwa.org/ UNRWA Self- ! Learning Programme ! Syria Self-Learning Link: http://wos- Materials (SLM) education.org/slm- Grades 1-9 without-logo-#wo- Arabic, English, Maths, arabic Science 15 !

Responding to the challenge: psychosocial support (PSS) Strengthening the policy system • for PSS before, during and after emergencies (MHPSS Agency- wide Framework, Education Conceptual Framework for PSS in UNRWA schools) Integration of PSS throughout • the system (capacity development) Additional School Counsellors • “Safe” spaces • UNRWA Recreational Guide: Recreational activities - • https://www.unrwa.org/ Recreational Guide, capacity sites/default/files/conte building, recreational kits, nt/resources/recreation recreational spaces al_activities_resource_g Trauma support – external • uide.pdf expertise 16

Responding to the challenge: supporting children to return to school (phased transition) Case study of Gaza after 2014 hostilities: phased approach to return to school 83 schools damaged • 270,000 Gazans sought shelter in UNRWA schools • Attacks on schools serving as shelters • 3000 children injured, 1000 permanently disabled • Devastating psychosocial impact on children • Disruption of education - start of school year delayed by 3 weeks • 17

Responding to the challenge: supporting children to return to school (phased transition) Case study of Gaza after 2014 hostilities: phased approach to return to school Structured psychosocial support and recreational activities at the start of Phase1: the school year (one/two week period) Transition phase – focus on active learning, and the key skills and concepts Phase 2: of the core school subjects to enable children to adjust to formal learning (one/two month period). Psychosocial support and recreational activities continued. Phase 3: ! Return to normal schooling with standard curriculum schedule. Focus on quality education in addition to long-term PSS support, targeting all students and specialized targeted interventions for students with additional PSS needs . 18

Responding to the challenge: promoting social cohesion Integration of Palestine refugees from Syria in Jordan and Lebanon • into regular UNRWA classes Including all children , regardless of origin, in activities e.g. • recreational and psychosocial support activities Community engagement and events (HR day, Games etc) • 19