We have learned tolerance, kindness and solidarity”, says Aissatou Ka, a learner aged 11 at the Foundiougne 3 primary school in the Fatick region, in Senegal. She and her classmates listen attentively to their teacher during a lesson called ‘Living together’, where they are learning about the different types of bullying at school.
Schools are meant to be safe spaces for learning, free from violence. Yet, one in three learners face bullying at school, with long-lasting consequences on academic achievement, physical and mental health, and school dropout.
A national survey reports that 87% of learners aged 7 to 11 in Senegal experienced at least one act of violence since the beginning of the school year, at school, on the way to school, and within the home. Violence in and around school is often driven by harmful gender norms and stereotypes, and exacerbated by factors such as poverty, ethnicity, culture and ability, among others.
To address this, UNESCO trained teachers and pedagogical supervisors to respond to gender-based violence in schools in three regions in the country (Fatick, Diourbel and Pikine Guédiawaye) as part of its flagship programme, Our rights, Our lives, Our future (O3).
This work is welcomed by education stakeholders in the country: “The training provided by UNESCO was a good opportunity and highly relevant… gender-based violence is a factor for school drop-out and a cause of psychological and emotional shocks for many children, especially girls”, says Mbacké Thioune, in his responsibility as inspector of the basic education cycle in the Fatick region.
Preventing violence in the classroom
When facing or witnessing violence at school, Aissatou explains that learners in her school are encouraged to speak up, address harmful behaviours of classmates and report the situation to their teacher or a trusted adult.
For Babacar Sarr, the principal at Aissatou’s school, school is a stage in a learner’s life that can influence the perception of their environment. “Learners must be aware of the different types of violence at school to make sure they are not violent towards their schoolmates”, he says. Babacar has been a principal in various schools for the past 14 years. If a learner is violent, he says, “[they] might be suffering without being able to express it.”
This work also extends to violence by teachers. Since corporal punishment was outlawed in the country, there has been a notable decline in violence by teachers. “We have to advocate for positive discipline because positive discipline begets good behaviour.” Babacar actively supervises the implementation of the teacher training and ensures that teachers at the school also receive training in child psychology.
But for Babacar, the cause of violence is not at school, but elsewhere: “What happens at school is often what happens at home.” Among the 87% learners reporting having experienced violence in the survey, 82% indicated that it occurred within the family environment, 32% at school and 16% on the way to school.
Starting at home
Ibrahima Gaye, the imam of the local mosque, has seen the impact of violence on his grandson’s education who was repeatedly beaten up on his way to school. He eventually stopped going to school.
Socio-economic difficulties in communities can exacerbate violence in the home, within social classes, and extending to schools. Ibrahima believes the home environment is critical to responding to school violence. “If children were made aware of the issues at home, if they got that basic education, there would be less violence.”
Ibrahima uses his seniority and standing in the community to discuss issues of violence: “After prayers, there are always people around, so I make sure I get people talking about it.” Involving the community, parents, village chiefs and religious leaders, is key to raise awareness on preventing and addressing violence from the homes so that it does not reach the school environment.
As part of the training, and as violence is also found within communities, school principals are encouraged to raise community awareness about the negative impacts of violence on children’s education. In Foundiougne, a network of community members has put in place home visits and discussions with parents and family members to raise awareness on violence, at school and in the home.
To date, 4,260 primary school teachers were trained through these efforts across 200 schools in Senegal, reaching over 250,000 learners. Since 2019, UNESCO has strengthened the response to and prevention of gender-based violence in schools through the O3 programme in Senegal. The programme also addresses other drivers impacting the education of children and young people, including early and unintended pregnancy and HIV education.
Source: www.unesco.org
