School improvement booklet (english)

SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT BOOKLET A MANUAL FOR COMMUNITIES, TEACHERS AND EDUCATIONISTS Government of Pakistan, WFP and UNESCO gratefully acknowledge the support of USAID Pakistan and consent of UNICEF in reproducing this School Improvement Booklet Ensuring high quality education and addressing the educational and overall development needs of children is essential for the development of Pakistan The task is wide ranging and complex, and needs to build upon established good practices and understandings, both from Pakistan and abroad One of the key contributors to success has been shown to be the active participation of communities in the school improvement process, working together with government and teachers to address educational and overall development needs of children Community participation in school affairs occurs mainly through Parent Teacher Councils (PTCs), Parent Teacher Associations (PTAs), or School Management Committees (SMCs), which have been formed throughout Pakistan The members of the PTCs, PTAs and SMCs parents, teachers and local community members are required to develop strategies for school development and contribute their time and resources to implementing school improvement plans in an effort to improve the quality of education received by the children This school improvement booklet has been developed to assist communities and teachers by providing a practical and illustrated guide to improvement of the school environment through development of strong school community linkages It has been designed to assist them to improve the physical and educational learning environment in schools, and to make them richer, healthier and more inclusive places for effective learning It has been developed as a supplement to official school policies and guidelines through a joint effort by students, teachers, education authorities I would like to congratulate all those who contributed in preparing this valuable booklet I have great pleasure in presenting this selfhelp manual to all partners who are involved in improving education in Pakistan I hope that this booklet will be used to ensure effective community participation in school development and improvement in the achievement of quality education JEHANGIR BASHAR Federal Secretary Education FOREWORD FOREWORD PREFACE PREFACE – 29 IDEAS TO MAKE OUR SCHOOL A SUCCESS This booklet is a collection of ideas and suggestions for the community to improve the school environment and thus the education of its children It was originally written in collaboration between UNICEF and Pro Loka and is then reprinted by UNESCO with necessary modifications UNESCO gratefully acknowledges the consent of UNICEF in reproducing this booklet It primarily addresses the SMC/PTA/PTC The SMC/PTA/PTC is a group of people from the community who are elected by the village to take the responsibility of managing the school’s affairs It also addresses teachers, students and other community members on the importance of the school and its environment There are many different types of what we call a ‘school’ There are Primary Schools for young children, where basic subjects are taught and where school life for children starts Therefore, it is especially important to care about the quality of education at this stage In Middle and High Schools, it is essential to provide sufficient means of education for a variety of subjects and a big number of students Since many schools have still not been rebuilt after the earthquake, there are also big differences in classrooms Some classes are taught in tents, some in semipermanent structures and some in permanent buildings In every type of school, these ideas apply, as there is always some way to make a school safer and more comfortable Different areas in a school, where improvement is possible, are discussed The booklet is therefore split up in six parts, which are separated by a colour code OVERVIEW Suggestions for the School Ground Taking Care of a School Building These ideas are for all schools They aim at the improvement of the school compound and its buildings These ideas are addressed to schools where some or all classes are taught in buildings Suggestions for the Classroom Making Teaching Successful These ideas are for all schools They aim at the improvement of the classroom and its teaching and learning atmosphere These ideas are addressed especially to teachers They include suggestions for teaching and activities during school time Taking Care of a School Tent Appendix These ideas are addressed to schools where some or all classes are taught in tents The appendix includes helpful material for school improvement Comments by the authors The book is written in British English All non-specified persons mentioned in this book, such as ‘teachers’, ‘SMC PTA/PTC members’ or ‘students’ are used in a gender-neutral form Both genders are addressed in all cases SMC/PTA/PTC taking part IDEA IDEA IDEA IDEA IDEA IDEA IDEA IDEA IDEA IDEA 10 IDEA 11 IDEA 12 IDEA 13 IDEA 14 IDEA 15 IDEA 16 IDEA 17 IDEA 18 IDEA 19 IDEA 20 IDEA 21 IDEA 22 IDEA 23 IDEA 24 IDEA 25 IDEA 26 IDEA 27 IDEA 28 IDEA 29 RIGHTS 06 08 10 11 13 14 15 16 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 32 34 35 37 38 40 41 42 44 45 46 47 49 51 52 53 55 56 58 CONTENTS THE SCHOOL MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE TAKING PART MORNING ASSEMBLY CURRICULUM AIMS SUGGESTIONS FOR THE SCHOOL GROUND REUSE OLD MATERIA L WALLS AND FENCES THE PLAYGROUND AND WHAT WE DO THERE PATHS AND STAIRS LET’S KEEP OUR SCHOOL CLEAN GROWING FLOWERS GROWING TREES WATER TANK AND DRAINS IMPROVE SANITATION FACILITIES STREET SIGN SUGGESTIONS FOR THE CLASSROOM MAKING A WRITING BOARD CHARTS DISPLAY STUDENTS ’ WORK FURNITURE CLASSROOM PARTITION CLASSROOM NUMBERS SCHOOL BELL TAKING CARE OF A SCHOOL TENT TENT INSTALLATION AND REINFORCEMENT TENT MAINTENANCE TENT IMPROVEMENT TAKING CARE OF A SCHOOL BUILDING PAINTING A MURAL WINDOWS MAKING TEACHING SUCCESSFUL – TAKE CARE OF THE CHILDREN’S NEEDS SCHOOL AS AN ENJOYABLE ENVIRONMENT FOR CHILDREN TEN ALTERNATIVES TO CORPORAL PUNISHMENT LOCAL STORIES ART CLASSES - CREATIVE TEACHING DIET & NUTRITION SCHOOL AS A PLACE OF HELP AND RESPECT TALKING ABOUT THE EARTH QUAKE APPENDIX FILL CHARTS EXCERPTS FROM THE CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD THE SCHOOL MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE SMC/PTC/PTA RELATED IDEA 29 As members of the community, we can take part in the improvement of our school by becoming a member of the SMC/PTA/PTC By taking this responsibility we can improve education through this committee Depending on need, we can take care of the building and the school ground as well as teaching materials There are some guidelines to be followed to maintain an efficient management The objectives of an SMC/PTA/PTC include educational improvement, involving the community in school issues, supporting the teacher in any way, using the school funds where need is at hand and arranging activities for and with the children The SMC/PTA/PTC is responsible for the finances of the school and other material, like furniture It has to check the building frequently and take care of the school compound It is therefore also very important that a craftsman is part of the SMC/PTA/PTC He will provide expertise and know which kind of labour to arrange if something needs fixing The committee will meet at least once every two months If there is either an important topic to discuss or an emergency, spontaneous meetings may be organised All members of the committee have to attend These meetings will always be held in the school itself In these meetings the SMC/PTA/PTC has to discuss all issues that are raised by different members, according to importance The Committee also has to make sure to decide on a few realistic tasks rather than on many that won’t be realised The SMC/PTA/PTC has its own bank account, which can be accessed by the chairperson and the secretary It will collect government funds as well as donations on the account Government funds must only be spent on school maintenance issues But generally this money should cover all expenses related to school improvement In case of money shortage, the community should contribute with small donations Members of the SMC/PTA/PTC Chairperson – elected by the Community Secretary – Headmaster Parents – elected by the Community Area personnel/leader – elected by the Community Craftsman – appointed by the Community In a Girls school, more than 50% of the SMC/PTA/PTC members have to be women Agenda of an SMC/PTA/PTC Meeting Review of the last meeting What was achieved? And what was not achieved? Overall view of the educational environment Preparation of future programme / ideas School building – school improvement Finances SMC/PTA/PTC Any investment made has to be noted on a list that will be with the person responsible for the account (either the chairperson or the secretary) If you require labour for work in the school, you have to sign a simple contract, which includes the salary and the due date These expenses will be listed as well and the receipts kept In every meeting, the SMC/PTA/PTC members should bring up their concerns and ideas This book is a guideline to carrying out these improvements easily Activity: Acquire finances Take a small paper or metal box to collect money for the school Organise collections in the bazaar or on Friday after the juma prayer by talking up the school needs and the money required Count the money collected and, if it is not required immediately, deposit it in the bank Main Rules for the SMC PTA/PTC Document your work! Take responsibility! Discuss your issues thoroughly! Make decisions! Acquire finances! TAKING PART TAKING PART Participation of Children A comfortable and stimulating school environment helps to create a positive, child friendly learning environment Such an atmosphere will influence children a lot, as they will enjoy school This extra motivation will help them to learn Creative Methods • Role-play: Make groups of five and give them the topic ‘How my school should be’ They will have one lesson to prepare their ideas and will then present them in class • Drawings: In one lesson the children can make drawings of their imaginary school with all the features they would like it to have Like, after a role-play you can discuss their ideas afterwards Also, the process of school improvement can itself be a great experience; finding a way to realise ideas is a skill children can learn and apply in their future Activities like how to make a decision as a group, being creative in different ways, creating artworks with their own hands, and even working as a gardener are very valuable • Songs and poetry: Let them write songs or poems about their ‘dream school’, and discuss these texts afterwards Workshops A workshop is a meeting where all the children can share ideas and state their opinions on a topic or proposal They will separate into small working groups, where they discuss their ideas within the group; then they present their ideas to each other in the big group and then settle on the best ideas To decide which ideas are the most feasible, you have to make a chart listing all the ideas Every student can make a star for their favourite idea and those ideas, which have the most stars, will then be followed up In this book you will find many ideas, you can realise these together with the children, to make your school a nicer place The more you include them in the work, the more the children will feel that this is their school and they will be proud We call that ‘Participation of Children’ They will be asked for their ideas and wishes and they can also work on solutions themselves The ideas in this booklet will always contain suggestions as to what on a particular topic you could directly with the children These are activities you find in the boxes on the bottom For creative outcomes you should also try creative methods in finding and realising ideas Children have very diverse ways of expressing their ideas Some of them can express themselves by talking about something, some of them would not know what to say, but can great paintings, or write a story You can use these skills to realise an idea Some of these ideas on how to involve children will help you: Questionnaires A questionnaire is a written list of questions that you hand out to schoolchildren, which they will answer In most cases, an effective questionnaire asks simple yes/no or multiple choice questions, and takes no longer than 15 minutes to complete, for example: a) Do you like the school and why? b) How would you like to improve the school improvement? c) What is your favourite activity in the school? SCHOOL AS AN ENJOYABLE ENVIRONMENT FOR CHILDREN RELATED IDEAS 23, 25, 27, RIGHTS The school should be a safe and enjoyable environment for our children They should be motivated to go to school everyday This motivation will make them successful and they will achieve a lot To maintain good education in class, it is important that the students respect the teacher and obey his orders The whole community should feel responsible for the well-being of the students and a good school environment In case the teacher loses control over the class over time and starts to use corporal punishment as a means to discipline the children you have to interfere Beating the children as a punishment will create fear Students who are afraid of the teacher won’t be able to learn effectively as they learn because of fear and not because of interest or curiosity Instead of corporal punishment, the teacher should use other methods to keep the class attentive Most often, relaxing activities like art or working in the school ground will maintain their motivation and concentration You will find some of these activities as well as a summary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) in this booklet 45 IDEA 22 Activity Get the Convention on the Rights of the Child from Internet and read parts of it to the children Sit together with the children in a circle and discuss their opinions on the topic This will be a chance for them to talk about issues they are unhappy about and situations they can’t deal with As an educated teacher you can also carry this awareness to the parents of the children Tell them about the negative effects of Corporal Punishment and what they should instead As a teacher you are an important factor in the child’s development TEN ALTERNATIVES TO CORPORAL PUNISHMENT RELATED IDEA 22 It is quite difficult to keep a whole class attentive and teachers are doing a great effort in keeping the children interested in the lessons In case an individual student is not paying attention or is even disturbing the lesson and making it difficult for others to follow, the teacher has to direct him There are 10 ideas how to teach a student the importance of paying attention and not disturbing the lesson: Ask the child to write his or her daily dairy This should sparkle some creativity and will be a way to keep the student busy! Give oral and written explanations! 10 In case you feel you don’t know any further, contact the head of the school! Share the possible consequences of the act! Passed on over years are the stories of Mohammad (PBUH) who showed his love for children He (PBUH) emphasized that children should not be punished in a way that would cause pain or injuries One story tells that He (PBUH) always had his two grandsons on his back When He (PBUH) bent down for his prayer these two stayed on for a while sometimes But Mohammad (PBUH) waited until both of them left his back before He (PBUH) stood up again Inform children about their negative activities and their possible results! Keep a record of the child‘s conduct and keep informing the child about it! Tell the students that you would inform their parents if they didn‘t improve! In severe cases or if the child is misbehaving continuously, suspend the student from class for an appropriate time and discuss the behaviour with the parents! In case you observe any abnormal behaviour in a child, you should consider informing parents and in severe cases a counsellor or lady health worker! Stop the student after school and make him or her stay longer at school to discuss a proper way of behaving! IDEA 23 In Islamiyat Lessons look for stories of Mohammad (PBUH) where children play a role and interact with him Ask the local Maulana if he can tell you some stories or relevant Hadiths You might find traditional stories as well that emphasize the importance of children and how they should be looked after If you feel that the whole class is disturbed and unable to stay attentive, you should perhaps take some time out and talk to the class about their behaviour Make them understand your situation but also the importance of them to follow the lesson 46 LOCAL STORIES RELATED IDEAS 13, 25 “Once upon a time, far behind the Himalaya mountain range, there was a very special man…” There are different types of stories: religious stories, stories of our Holy Prophet (PBUH), legends from our forefathers, family stories, stories of special happenings in our area, stories of wise men, stories of nature or animals, stories with moral or of great humour Everybody likes to listen to fairy tales and stories In our culture, storytelling has a long tradition Our grandparents pass on stories of local heroes, wonderful happenings or funny episodes These stories are part of our culture and give us an insight into our history To tell a story improves our language skills We learn how to entertain our friends and how to express something in a traditional way To listen to a story improves our listening skills; we learn to memorize spoken words and to think about their meanings and values Depending on the age of the students, the teacher can either prepare a story to tell himself or he can ask the students to so In any case, everybody should sit in a circle by arranging chairs and benches This way everybody can listen well For the story, you should use the local language Depending on the origin of the story, you can also speak in Urdu or English It can be good to dim the light or go outside to create a special atmosphere to further the fantasy and creativity After the story, you should discuss with every-body about the meanings of the story and emotions that arose 47 IDEA 24 Activity: Make a Local Stories Book Write down and document local stories Identify the most interesting local stories and write them down This way you can preserve them and share them with others You can also think of making a storybook If you have drawings, add them to the book Activity: Invent Your Own Story Invent your own story Start discussing the topic and characters of your story and develop your own fairy tale You can work in smaller groups to prepare the story and then present it to the others For younger students, the teacher should carefully select a story that is not too difficult and does not include elements of fear or sadness While telling the story, the teacher should watch the students and their reactions In case that there are questions, students can always ask their teacher! After the story you could add a painting and drawing class The students could paint characters and elements of the story, share the paintings with everybody and make a picture story out of it You can put up the drawings for decoration on the wall inside the school For older students, the teacher should motivate the students to tell the stories themselves The students can ask at home, for example your grandparents, about local stories and legends Then you should prepare the story and tell it in the local story class It is recommended that you a story telling class on a regular basis, such that every student gets the opportunity to tell one story IDEA 24 Activity: Play Your Own Story Together with your teacher you can make a small drama play out of a local story Distribute roles, discuss the different scenes and dialogues and make costumes As a longer project you can rehearse the play and then even perform it in front of the community Material Old stories Fantasy Notebook Colours to draw Costumes 48 ART CLASSES - CREATIVE TEACHING RELATED IDEAS 3, 10, 13, 15, 20, 24 In school, children are generally asked to remember facts and reproduce them at any time They have to copy what the teacher writes on the writingboard and answer the questions the teacher asks Seldom students get the chance to express their own ideas and show their creativity As they not have time, they would need to rest from calculations and spelling tests; they start to be inattentive An activity like painting and drawing is relaxing for the mind and helps them to refocus Make sure that the students have, apart from their studies, time to express creativity There should be colours, paper, cardboard and scissors included in the teaching materials they want and not have to answer specific questions, which they might feel uncomfortable about As such, art is also a way of relief for children who are under stress, whether because of traumatic experiences during the earthquake or their situation after The motivation the children will bring to the art class will increase their attention in other subjects as well and make the lessons for the teacher a lot more comfortable Art is a subject that is less related to achievement than other lessons and it takes the pressure of academic performance off the student It can be a time where the children express their experiences freely They can draw what Material You can afford pencils, colours and good paper from the bazaar You can also use watercolours, cardboard, scissors and glue Think about natural material you can use for artworks In and around the school compound you will find different material like wood, grass and flowers 49 IDEA 25 Activity: Art Competition The teacher will choose a topic (e.g ‘Animals and plants around my house’, ‘My favourite place in the village’) whereupon every student will express his opinion in an artwork The finished works can then be displayed in the school and parents are invited to see them The SMC/PTA/PTC will be the jury and give prizes to the best works The art lessons not need such a strict lesson plan as other classes The teacher should, according to the age of the children, decide on techniques that the students can learn to be familiar with Younger children may start with colours and pencils, the older ones can use any material to produce an artwork, depending on their ideas Artworks can also be inspired from stories, which the children read in class After an English, Urdu or Islamiyat lesson where the children hear about different countries and situations, they can draw parts of these stories Also Science or Environmental Studies can give you ideas for artworks IDEA 25 Activity: Collective Art You can also create art together Take a piece of white paper and start painting a head Then pass the paper to another student and ask him to paint the body The next student can then add arms, another one the feet, another one shoes and so on You can the same with a story: one student writes one sentence and the next one continues As a very interesting and funny alternative, you can fold the paper before giving it to the next student, so he or she does not see what was written or painted so far Activity: Outdoor art You can turn the school ground into a living art museum: paint the walls and stones in various colours, make a statue out of wood branches or use any natural material to create art pieces 50 DIET & NUTRITION RELATED IDEAS 6, What we eat is important for our bodies to stay healthy and to grow If we eat well, studying will be much easier and we can concentrate for a longer time A good diet is balanced in proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals Both the quantity and quality of ingredients play a vital role Often we eat staple foods such as wheat, rice, maize, millet or other grains These, and also bread, potatoes and sugar are good sources of carbohydrates and provide energy to the body They not always contain enough vitamins and minerals Proteins are needed for building new tissues, particularly during growth period, pregnancy and after infections or injuries When there are not enough carbohydrates in the body, proteins are also providing energy Sources of proteins are meat, lentils, milk, eggs, fish and beans Vitamins and minerals are elements needed in very small quantities, but they are essential for the normal function of the body The important vitamins are A, B, C, D, E, K and B-complex They can be found in liver, meat, animals fats, vegetables, citrus fruits and other fruits, oilseeds, nuts, groundnuts and also sunlight Important minerals are: Iodine, Iron, Calcium, Sodium, Potassium, Zinc, Magnesium and Selenium They can be found in sea food, Iodized salt, fruits and vegetables, cereals, meat and fish Fat is a supplier of energy and heat, it can be found in oil from animals or plants, meat and eggs Activity: What I eat? Analyse your food Look at the food the students bring to school and discuss their ingredients Split the ingredients up in the four categories: carbohydrates, proteins, fats and vitamins and minerals What would be a balanced and also tasty school meal? Activity: Make a menu Look at available ingredients and make a proper menu for a day or a week Discuss the different types of food in different times of the day or seasons of the year Look at the available vegetables in the school or house garden and make a list of local dishes that you can share with your friends For a healthy and prosperous life it is therefore important to introduce the concept of a balanced diet that is a mix of animal and plant sources and includes carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals IDEA 26 51 SCHOOL AS A PLACE OF HELP AND RESPECT RELATED IDEAS 22, 23 Every human being is different This makes life in general and school life in particular a challenging task Some of us have special mental or physical capacities, some of us experience difficulties doing sports or concentrating for a long time Some of us speak a lot, some speak less Some children are physically or mentally disabled Everybody has competencies and deficiencies and it is impossible to compare each other in a general way A school class can be seen as a big family The teacher and children should care for each other and try to support each other as much as possible This includes helping children who have difficulties following the course, coming to school regularly, children who are scared of going to school, children who not bring enough to drink or to eat to school, etc It is the responsibility of the schoolteacher and the children that everybody feels well in the class Some children also have physical or mental difficulties It is important that the physical and the psychological school environments are adapted to these children Make sure that they have good access to the school, to the classroom and also to their chair and table Help them to study and you will see that the atmosphere in the class will improve IDEA 27 Activity: Blindfold Game Make groups of three students each Take a black or very dark piece of cloth (it can also be a dupatta or a jersey) and put it around the eyes of one child such that this child cannot see anything anymore The other two students should now guide the blind student through the school and the classroom The ‘blind’ student can explain where in the classroom or the school ground they are at different times, this way one can experience how it is to perceive the world with other senses 52 Activity: Hot Chair Game Make a circle with your chairs in a small group of to 10 students Put one chair in the middle of the circle Choose one student to sit on this ‘hot’ chair in the middle of the circle Now turn-by-turn, every student of the circle will talk loudly about the positive and negative feelings he or she feels towards the student in the middle Try to respect each other and discuss also problems that occur in the classroom It is very interesting for the middle person to listen to the opinions of the others TALKING ABOUT THE EARTHQUAKE RELATED IDEAS 25, 27 The surface of the earth is made up of many plates, which move slowly Where there is friction between two plates, an earthquake can happen We know a lot about the movements of these plates You can find out more in books, the Internet or by asking people who know about it What we don’t know is when such a movement will happen again With the help of Allah we can positively look into the future and don’t have to concentrate too much on the past As the teacher you have to make the students understand an earthquake You should teach them how an earthquake is caused (plate tectonics) and what we have to when the earth starts to move again You can contact UNICEF/UNESCO or other NGOs for teaching material on this issue what they play in the afternoon There are more relevant topics for them at times than speaking about the earthquake itself, but it is always good to talk If you observe a child that seems to have severe traumatic problems you should contact lady health workers from the community It is also the teacher’s responsibility to care for the well-being of the children Apart from what the children learn about the earthquake, they need time to talk about how they experienced it themselves Alone, the chance to express their sorrows or future visions is very helpful for them In these discussions, you should give them as much free space as possible Give them time to speak about whatever they like, whether it is their family or In these discussions, the children also learn how to discuss and how to listen They have to learn how a discussion is led and what understanding and responding means Material Teaching material from UNICEF/UNESCO Training Books Internet Holy Quran 53 IDEA 26 Activity Make a circle of chairs or benches in the classroom or in the school ground Start a discussion by asking questions about the children’s daily life or by explaining to them something about the earthquake and safety issues You can also ask random students to tell a story about their experiences related to the earthquake APPENDIX The following pages provide material for the SMC/PTA/PTC to implement the ideas of this booklet There are example charts that can be used to organize the work of the committee and distribute responsibilities These two pages also explain how to organize SMC/PTA/PTC meetings in a short way Furthermore you will find contact details of UNICEF/UNESCO and the authors of this booklet if you have ideas and suggestions or want to know more about school improvement, you can contact us 54 55 IDEA 29 FILE CHARTS RELATED IDEAS SMC With so many different things that can be done to improve the school, the work of the SMC/PTA/PTC is quite extensive By organising our work and taking responsibilities for these tasks, we will be able to manage many different ideas This idea includes a couple of suggestions: how to organise the work of an SMC/ PTA/ PTC and how to lead a project, from the decision to follow one project to its final implementation Make these charts once and copy them a couple of times 56 Idea/Area of School Date Who did it Comments 16.12 Class 5, children and 2009 teacher We collected garbage from the school ground and the teacher burnt it School ground 21.12 Craftsman, SMC/PTA/PTC 2009 members We put up a new school sign in front of the buildings, close to the street SMC/PTA/PTC Meetings Chart It is important to know what was discussed in previous SMC/PTA/PTC meetings and especially who is responsible for certain actions To keep track of this you can use this simple SMC/PTA/PTC meeting chart This will also be proof to outsider that the SMC/ PTA/PTC is working smoothly Date and Time Not present Topics discussed Actions planned Responsible Members 19.12.2008, 5pm to 7pm Mr Rafque, Ms Aisha Maintenance of the school, inside and outside Cleaning day outside (1), whitewash of classrooms (2) Mr Zahoor (1), Ms Alina (2) 1.2.2008, 4pm to 7pm Mr Fayaz School exhibition School fund collection Mr Shahid 57 IDEA 29 Achievement Chart To keep track of all the ideas and to stay motivated you can use this ideas chart Fill in the number of the idea or just the area where an improvement was implemented, the date of implementation, the people who worked on it and any comments on experiences or difficulties The SMC/PTA/PTC will keep record of the implemented ideas You can also use this as a reference to the DEO or an educational organisation to show what has been achieved so far and how the community is participating in the improvement RIGHTS EXCERPTS FROM THE CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD RELATED IDEAS 22, 23, 27 On the following pages you will find excerpts from the Convention on the Rights of the Child This document was set up by the United Nations to define the rights of each child But it also defines what is the best environment for a child to grow up and what we can to provide such a childhood Some of these articles also refer to some of the ideas in this booklet and are helpful to understanding why some of them are so essential to the education of our children You can get the full document from UNICEF or download it from the Internet under www.unicef.org/crc From the Preamble The Convention was based on the ‘faith in fundamental human rights and the dignity and worth of the human person, and have determined to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom’ They take ‘due account of the importance of the traditions and cultural values of each people for the protection and harmonious development of the child, recognising the importance of international cooperation for improving the living conditions in every country.’ The signatories, which include Pakistan ‘have proclaimed and agreed, that everyone is entitled to all the freedom and rights set forth therein without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status’ and ‘that childhood is entitled to special care and assistance.’ Article 13 The child shall have the right to freedom of expression; this right shall include freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing or in print, in the form of art, or through any other media of the child’s choice.’ Article 19 State Parties shall take appropriate legislative, administrative, social and educational measures to protect the child from all forms of physical or mental violence, injury or abuse, neglect or negligent treatment, maltreatment or exploitation, including sexual abuse, while in the care of parent(s), legal guardian(s) or any other person who has the care of the child They recognise ‘that the child, for the full and harmonious developments of his or her personality, should grow up in a family environment, in an atmosphere of happiness, love and understanding’ and it should be ‘brought up in the spirit of peace, dignity, tolerance, freedom, equality and solidarity.’ 58 Article 23 State Parties recognise that a mentally or physically disabled child should enjoy a full and decent life, in conditions which ensure dignity, promote self reliance and facilitate the child’s active participation in the community measures to ensure that school discipline is administered in a manner consistent with the child’s human dignity… State Parties shall promote and encourage international cooperation in matters relating to education, in particular with a view to contributing to the elimination of ignorance and illiteracy throughout the world and facilitating access to scientific and technical knowledge and modern teaching methods… .ensure that the disabled child has effective access to and receives education, training, health care services, rehabilitation services, preparation for employment and recreation opportunities in a manner conducive to the child’s achieving the fullest possible social integration and individual development… Article 29 State Parties agree that the education of the child shall be directed to: Article 28 State Parties recognise the right of the child to education and with a view to achieving this right progressively and on the basis of equal opportunity, they shall, in particular: (a) The development of the child’s personality, talents and mental and physical abilities to their fullest potential; (e) The development of respect for the natural environment (a) Make primary education compulsory and available free to all.’ (b) Encourage the development of different forms of secondary education… (c) Make higher education accessible to all (d) Make educational and vocational information and guidance available and accessible to all children (e) Take measures to encourage regular attendance at schools and the reduction of drop-out rates State Parties shall take all appropriate Article 31 State Parties recognise the right of the child to rest and leisure, to engage in play and recreational activities appropriate to the age of the child and to participate freely in cultural life and the arts .shall encourage the provision of appropriate and equal opportunities for cultural, artistic, recreational and leisure activities 59