Good schools in Tanzania – a project to fight school violence
Background
The UN-Convention for Children ́s Rights, which was ratified by Tanzania in 1991, obliges all contracting states to protect children against violence and sexual abuse. Also the African Charta on the Rights and Welfare of the child obliges educational institutions to undertake preventive actions for child protection.
Our project
The project as a whole aims at contributing to establishing good schools in Tanzania by preventing school violence. Children and youth in Tanzania are daily confronted with a high amount of violence, bullying and sexual harassment as our studies and surveys depict.
The project consists of four parts.The first one is a representative survey study with Tanzanian pupils of secondary schools in the Rulenge-Ngara diocese. In step two and three of the project measures to fight school violence, bullying and sexual harassment are first identified through a best practise analysis and then implemented and scientifically tested within schools. We were very proud to meet Hon.Ummy Mwalimu (MP) Minister of Health, Community Development, Gender, Eldery and Children in Tanzania and to share our ideas with her.
In step four, we broadened the project by asking what constitutes a good school and we made short explanatory films with school kids in Tanzania. In addition, there were three teacher trainings in Mwanza and Biharamulo attended by a total of 80 teachers.
Our four action-areas
All suggested actions are embedded in four action- areas:
- School Supervision
- Relationships
- Curricula
- Film-Workshops with Students: What is a good school? A school without violence
Action-Area: School Supervision
- representative/ coordination office, coordinating all activities
Hotline where pupils can report and get help - use of video cameras and security staff
yearly report of all violent events •system of reward and penalty focussed on teachers - school guiding principles
- teacher training with a handbook, which has been established in Vechta and was translated into Kiswahili
Action-Area: Relationships
- implementation of conflict-guides and so called break-buddies and conflict- mediators
- school clubs (like UNICEF Kindness Clubs), where pupils come together in the afternoon
- work with parents: Reinforcement of parenting skills
Action-Area: Curricula
- social competence trainings
- Training of teachers` methodic competences
-
cooperative learning methods
Action-Area: Film-Workshops with Students
- making explanation videos with students: What is a good school? A school without violence
Main Results of the study (representative survey in 2015)
Questionaires for pupils and headmasters in secondary boarding schools in the Rulenge-Ngara diocese. 568 pupils participated. see http://www.ijern.com/journal/2016/January-2016/24.pdf)
Fig. 1: Pupils`experience of violence at schools by peers as a victim
Fig. 2: Pupils`experience of violence by teachers as a victim
Contact
Dr. Daniela.Steenkamp@uni-vechta.de daniela.steenkamp@uni-vechta.de