About UNRWA UNRWA is a United Nations agency established by the General Assembly in 1949 and is mandated to provide assis- tance and protection to a population of some 5 million registered Palestine refugees. Its mission is to help Palestine refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, West Bank and the Gaza Strip to achieve their full potential in human develop- ment, pending a just solution to their plight. UNRWA’s services encompass education, health care, relief and social services, camp infrastructure and improvement, microfinance and emergency assistance. UNRWA is funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions.
About Digital Explorer Digital Explorer is an award-winning education social enterprise based in London. A pioneer in the development of innovative real-world learning programmes, Digital Explorer supports teachers and pupils in schools internationally to engage with and take action on critical global issues from cultural conflict to climate change.
About Skype in the classroom Teachers everywhere are using Skype to help their students meet new people, discover new cultures and connect to classes from around the world, all without leaving the classroom. Skype in the classroom is a free global community that invites teachers to collaborate on classroom projects where they might use Skype, and share skills and inspiration CONTENTS
Foreword 01 Introduction 02 Teachers’ Notes 03 Lesson Plan 01 07 Lesson Plan 02 09 Lesson Plan 03 11 Lesson Plan 04 13 Lesson Plan 05 15 Lesson Plan 06 17 Activity Sheets 01-14 19
Activity sheets for lessons Factsheets 01-07 33 Background information Useful websites 40 Photo credits 41
FOREWORD
Welcome to My Voice-My School My Voice-My School is an education project rooted in In Autumn 2014, classes of Palestine refugee students student voice. It puts children at the heart of the conver- from Syria will connect with their peers in the UK via sation of what education should look like and appeals to Skype to consider their education and the challenges the international community to continue to prioritize edu- that they must overcome in reaching their aspirations. In cation funding, particularly in the context of the Syria their respective locations, student groups will research, crisis. discuss and develop a school or community-based com- munications project to help highlight the importance of The degradation of education in Syria brings into sharp education and the harms associated with its loss. relief how adult events can substantially harm a child’s future. The United Nations’ No Lost Generation initiative shows how this loss on an individual basis can become compounded to affect a country and a region.
My Voice-My School is based around online video con- Dr. Caroline Pontefract versations between Palestinian refugee children from Director of Education Department Syria in UNRWA’s schools in Jordan, Lebanon and Syria UNRWA Headquarter, Amman and their peers in the UK. Through the use of these video conversations, online digital media and specifically- designed curriculum materials, children will benefit from a sense of solidarity across borders and develop the skills needed to advocate for their own education and future.
A project by With
With thanks to our funding partners
INTRODUCTION
My Voice-My School gives children the opportunity to Activity Sheets (pages 19-32) share their ideas about education and their future. The Activity Sheets are for students to use as part of the lessons. They are designed to be copied as class hand- The output of the project is a communications campaign outs. focused on improving education.
Students will develop their communications campaign Fact Sheets (pages 33-38) through: The Fact Sheets are designed as background reading for Partnering with another class and collaborating teachers and could be appropriate for more able stu- with their peers via Skype; dents. Researching current issues and innovations in edu- cation; What resources are available online? Conducting community surveys; and To find out further information about My Voice-My Learning communications skills School or to download or stream any of the multimedia resources, please visit myvoice.digitalexplorer.com. Teachers are supported to use this project with their class through: This teacher booklet Slideshows Further downloadable resources from A slideshow has been made for each lesson. These myvoice.digitalexplorer.com/resources slideshows provide a structure for the lesson and further information on some topics. Slideshows can be shown to Skype interaction via education.skype.com/ a whole class using a projector and laptop, or used as a partners/unrwa reference by the teacher.
What’s in this booklet? Videos Teachers’ Notes (pages 3-6) Videos have been made featuring students’ stories. The teachers’ notes provide an overview of the project These short videos feature students from the My Voice- and guidance for teachers on using technology in the My School pilot schools. classroom. Photos Lesson plans (pages 7-18) The student stories are also available as photo essays. Each lesson plan contains: Additional photos showcasing the work of UNRWA in An overview of the lesson education are also available. A list of the resources available for the lesson (in the booklet or online) Any preparation that the class teacher needs to do before the lesson Learning objectives for students Alternative lesson ideas Step-by-step lesson plan
TEACHERS’ NOTES
Lessons Overview Lesson 3 - Researching the topic There are six lessons that lead your class through the My The communications campaign on improving education Voice-My School project to create the final communica- needs to be grounded in research and the views of the tions campaign. community. In this lesson, students will be guided to do more research into current issues and innovations in edu- Two of the lessons are based around Skype conversa- cation and to conduct surveys within the school or wider tions. These have been marked with the Skype symbol: community.
The suggested timing for this project is 6 x 1 hour lessons Lesson 4 - Communications planning with an additional 2 hours of research and preparation work. This additional work can take place in class time or Students share their findings from their research and sur- can be completed as homework. veys. Together, they list all the possible ideas for a uni- versal quality education. The class will vote on the ideas
they wish to take forward as part of the communications The final output of the project is a communications cam- plan. Students will complete the lesson by developing paign focused on improving education. Students their communications campaign. knowledge, understanding and skills will be developed through: Understanding the global education context Lesson 5 - Hear our voices (Lesson 1) Using the communications plan from the previous lesson, Appreciating the views and experiences of young students will create a press pack, including a written people from diverse backgrounds (Lesson 2) press release to share with the UNRWA communications Researching current issues and innovations in edu- team. Students can also act on their communications cam- cation and conducting surveys (Lesson 3) paigns, contacting journalists or setting up meetings or Developing a communications plan (Lesson 4) conferences with school staff or community members. Learning how to write a press release (Lesson 5) Lesson 6 - Sharing our success Lesson 1 - Building context and confidence The two partner schools come together for a second Skype lesson to share their success, reflect on what they The introductory lesson for My Voice-My School has two have learnt and their hopes for the future. The lesson can aims. Students will be introduced to the global education also be used as a springboard for further ideas on col- context for the project, looking at the current internation- laborating and creating a sense of solidarity between al debate on ‘quality education’. The remainder of the young people everywhere. lesson will concentrate on preparing for the first Skype video call with the class in the partner school.
Lesson 2 - Communicating globally My Voice-My School brings together different student voices and their views of education. Through a Skype video call, students in your class will exchange questions, thoughts and opinions with their peers in their partner school class. The teacher will guide this Skype conversa- tion to cover life experiences, views and thoughts about education. At the end of the Skype call, both teachers will select a joint focus for the communications cam- paign.
TEACHERS’ NOTES
Skills-based approach Subject case studies My Voice-My School helps students develop transfera- During the pilot phase of the project, different schools ble skills that are useful across curriculum subjects and as have implemented the lessons in a variety of subjects. preparation for the workplace. The case studies below show just some examples of how My Voice-My School can be used to develop skills and enrich the curriculum experience for students. Communications skills
The final output for My Voice-My School is a communica- tions campaign focused on improving education. English case study Through this, students will learn how to develop a mes- Teachers and students at Haifa School in Beirut, Lebanon sage, identify critical audiences and choose the right are using the My Voice-My School project as part of their form of communications. English curriculum for their Year 9 classes. English teacher, Noorhan Ali, said of the project, “It’s so great to use a ICT skills project that the students are so enthusiastic about. This really matters to them and you can see it in the way their My Voice-My School uses technology to open up new learning and language skills have developed. With the ways of learning. Students will develop their proficiency chance to use new learning technologies and to interact in using video chat and social media as learning tools. In live with native English speakers, it’s just incredible.” addition, there are opportunities for classes to build websites and create digital video as part of the project. Citizenship case study Literacy At Eastbury Comprehensive School in Barking, England, My Voice-My School serves as the coursework element Literacy skills will be developed through the research for Citizenship GCSE exams. “With its focus on advocacy, phase as well as writing a press release or speech as the teamwork and action, the project is superb for my class. final output for the communications campaign. For students to be able to work directly with an UNRWA school and debate such issues of local and global signifi- Research skills cance is just superb. I couldn’t ask anything more,” com- Students are asked to find out more information about ments Head of Citizenship, Tracy Knight. education from a variety of sources including researching online and conducting surveys. This will help to develop ICT case study students’ independent learning skills as well. At the Haifa IDP Centre in Damascus, Syria, ICT opens the world of knowledge to the students, whose school life has been disrupted by the ongoing crisis. “Without the formal infrastructure that we had previously, My Voice- My School brings valuable learning to my students in new ways. Using technology tools like Skype, shows my students what’s possible and opens up a whole range of learning of opportunities. The students are also making a website about their My Voice-My School project. We’re enjoying the future of education already,” says teacher Noorhan Abdulhafeez.
SKYPE IN THE CLASSROOM
Introduction place chairs in a series of semi-circles facing the computer, interactive whiteboard or screen Any lesson that involves connecting to another class- desks moved to the back or side of the classroom, room will be exciting for your students and will offer new so that they are not ‘barriers’ to the conversation ways of learning and collaboration. The notes below are to help you maximise the learning for your class and to a dedicated speaker position near the computer build confidence in using Skype as an education tool. webcam and microphone
When using educational technologies such as Skype, Facilitating classroom debate and discussion there are two areas to focus on: the technology and the During the My Voice-My School project, the teacher’s learning. role will shift from that of traditional knowledge-giver to
facilitator. Here are some active techniques that the There is further technology guidance on the page oppo- teacher can use to help debate and discussion in class. site, to ensure you have the right set up for your class- Set the scene by referring to the aims of the de- room. If possible, try to make contact with your partner bate or discussion, why it is taking place and any class prior to the Skype lesson, and even try a practice class guidelines for behaviour. call to ensure that the technology works. This will help to Keep the debate flowing by asking students to reduce any nervousness you may have about using Skype in the classroom. It will also allow time to discuss clarify their points, e.g. ‘What do you mean by the focus of the lesson, and provide background about that?’ your students and the resources that are being used. Re-energise a discussion by asking student ques- tions like ‘Would it be fair to say…?’ ‘I think …. Do Teachers may want to go through some of the questions you agree with this?’ raised in preparation for the Skype lesson to ensure that If comments are off-topic, don’t be afraid to steer any potential sensitive issues are considered beforehand the discussion back gently, ‘I don’t think that’s the (see the Fact Sheet on working with sensitive issues on focus for today’s discussion, but we can talk about page 39 for more). it next lesson.’ Link students’ comments to points that other stu- dents have made, e.g. ‘That’s an interesting point, Learning but have you thought about what [name] said ear- The key to a successful Skype lesson is structure. Both lier.’ Skype lessons have detailed notes included in the rele- Moderate airtime. If one or two individual students vant lesson plans (see Lesson 2 on page 9 and Lesson 6 are taking up all the discussion time, try a comment on page 17 for further details). like ‘[name], your comments are very good, but I just want to give someone else a chance.’ These plans break the allotted time into chunks to make Deal with insensitive comments immediately, first the lesson easier to manage. Following the timing care- by referring back to the class guidelines and if nec- fully will help to make a more successful lesson and al- essary following school policies for bullying. low all students to contribute equally. Some of the debate may be emotional for some students. Allow them the space and time they need to step away from the discussion and come Classroom set-up back to it when they feel ready. Follow-up in class You may wish to change your classroom set-up for or through the school student welfare or support Skype lessons to suit class discussion. A recommended systems as appropriate. set-up for a Skype lesson is:
Technology Basics
The minimum equipment needed to conduct Skype- based learning is:
A computer (desktop, laptop or tablet)
Good internet connection capable of streaming video
Skype installed (If you don’t have Skype installed on your device, you can download it from: skype.com/en/download-skype/)
Webcam (integrated or separate)
Microphone and speakers (integrated or sepa- rate)
Optional extras that will improve the learning experi- ence:
Digital projector and screen or interactive white- board
External speakers will improve the ability of the whole class being able to hear
Using Skype for the first time
The first thing you will need is a Skype ID. You may al- ready have one, but if not, you can sign up for a Skype ID at login.skype.com/account/signup-form. It may also be useful to have a separate Skype account for your class or school, separate to your personal Skype ac- count.
Once you have a Skype ID you can join the Skype in the classroom platform at education.skype.com. Search for ‘My Voice-My School’.
LESSON 01 BUILDING CONTEXT & CONFIDENCE
Lesson overview The introductory lesson for the My Voice-My School project has two aims. Students will be introduced to the global education context for the project, looking at the Millennium Development Goals and the current international debate on a ‘quality education’. The remainder of the lesson will focus on preparing for the first Skype video call with the class in the partner school.
Resources available for this lesson In this booklet Online materials (myvoice.digitalexplorer.com/resources)
Fact Sheet 01: About UNRWA (page 33) Six student story videos featuring a student from each of the pilot schools Fact Sheet 02: UNRWA & education (page 34) Slideshow 01: Building context & confidence
Fact Sheet 03: Refugees (page 35)
Fact Sheet 04: Universal quality education (page 36)
Activity Sheet 01: Class guidelines (page 19)
Preparation Read the background material in the Fact Sheets Check to make sure that the videos play on your computer Read through and familiarise yourself with the lesson plan and any resources you are using Check to see if your class already has a set of class guidelines to reference during the lesson Print out enough copies of Activity Sheet 01
Learning objectives Students justify their opinions as to the importance of education Students understand the global context of the My Voice-My School project Students learn about the experience and education of students in other schools Students develop the guidelines and focus for international discussion
Alternative ideas You can exchange information with your partner school teacher before this lesson, such as short videos, messages from the students, photo essays and website or social media links to replace or complement the videos available online.
LESSON PLAN 01
Lesson steps Class activities Resources
STARTER: Share this question with students either using Slideshow Slideshow 01 01 or writing it on the board. WHY IS EDUCATION Whole class discussion IMPORTANT? Ask students for their thoughts, reminding them that there are no right or wrong answers. 10 MINUTES Prompt students to justify their answers to this question as part of a whole class discussion.
STEP 1: Teacher exposition on the background of the MDGs and Slideshow 01 their relevance to education.
UNIVERSAL QUALITY EDUCA- TION Share with your students the move to the idea of a ‘quality education’. My Voice-My School is their oppor- 10 MINUTES tunity to have their input into what a quality education looks like and to develop a communications campaign to help this happen. Conduct a review to consolidate student learning.
STEP 2: Tell students that they are about to watch short films fea- Student story videos turing a student from each of the pilot schools. MY VOICE-MY SCHOOL FILMS While students are watching the videos they should think 20 MINUTES about the following: Do they have any questions for clarification? Was anything surprising? What similarities did they spot? What differences did they spot? Now watch the six student story videos. Use the questions above as a starting point for a whole class discussion.
STEP 3: Divide your class into 5 groups (you can reduce the num- Activity Sheet 01 ber of groups to ensure that there are at least 3 students Slideshow 01 PREPARE FOR SKYPE in each group). These will be the working groups for the 20 MINUTES project. Whole class discussion Each group has two activities: 1. Come up with a list of things students would like to ask students from their partner schools during the first Skype call. 2. Develop a list of class guidelines for the Skype discussion (using Activity Sheet 01). For each activity, groups should develop a list and then share as a class. By the end of the lesson you should have agreed: A list of questions for each group (without dupli- cates) A set of class guidelines
LESSON 02 COMMUNICATING GLOBALLY
Lesson overview My Voice-My School brings together different youth voices and their views of education. Through a Skype video call, students in your class will exchange questions, thoughts and opinions with their peers in the partner school class. The teacher will guide this Skype conversation to cover life experiences, views and thoughts about education. At the end of the Skype call, both teachers will select a joint focus for the communications campaign.
Resources available for this lesson In this booklet Online materials (myvoice.digitalexplorer.com/resources)
Guidance on using Skype in the classroom (pages 5-6) Slideshow 02: Communicating globally
Fact Sheets 5: Working with sensitive issues (page 37)
Activity Sheet 02: Skype lesson #1 (page 20)
Preparation Check and test the technology requirements for this lesson (see pages 5-6) Book a computer room or offsite venue if necessary for the Skype video call Read through and familiarise yourself with the lesson plan and any resources you are using Ensure that students have copies of their class guidelines from Lesson 1 and the questions they would like to ask Print out enough copies of Activity Sheet 02 for each group
Learning objectives Students confirm preparation for the first Skype call Students learn through discussing with peers internationally Students reflect on their first Skype call
Alternative ideas If you are not using Skype or partnering with another school, you can use the same discussion topics within your class. The rest of the project would then focus on collaboration between students in the same class or at the same school.
LESSON PLAN 02
Lesson steps Class activities Resources
STARTER: Review Lesson 1: Slideshow 02 PREPARING FOR THE SKYPE Class guidelines Activity Sheet 01 CALL Prepared questions Activity Sheet 02 10 MINUTES Questions from Lesson 1 Go over the format of the Skype lesson using Activity Sheet 02. There are four sections for the class discussion. Use Ac- tivity Sheet 02 to outline these with your class.
STEP 1: Use the questions on Activity Sheet 02 to guide the class Skype in the classroom discussion. SKYPE LESSON #1 Skype technology set up Remember your role as an active facilitator using the (see page 6) 40 MINUTES guidance on page 5. Start a Skype video call with your partner school. Discussion topic 1: with your partner teacher allow each group to take it in turns to ask a question to partner stu- dents. Discussion topic 2: with your partner teacher ask each group to share why education is important to them. Use follow-up questions to develop any ideas. Discussion topic 3: prompt an open discussion about how students would like to see their education im- proved. Discussion topic 4: students vote on one of the three My Voice-My School topics (see Activity Sheets 05-07) to focus on for their communications campaigns: School environment Personalisation Student welfare
REVIEW: Review the lesson with your class: Whole class discussion WHAT HAVE STUDENTS Ask each student to choose three words to de- LEARNT? scribe the experience 10 MINUTES Can they give reasons for their choice of words? Students could complete this activity as short written an- swers in their books.
LESSON 03 RESEARCHING THE TOPIC
Lesson overview The communications campaign on improving education needs to be grounded in research and the views of the com- munity. In this lesson, students will be guided to do more research into current issues and innovations in education and to conduct surveys within the school or wider community.
Resources available for this lesson In this booklet Online materials (myvoice.digitalexplorer.com/resources)
Activity Sheets 03: Research skills (page 21) Slideshow 03: Researching the topic
Activity Sheets 04: Conducting a survey (page 22)
Activity Sheets 05: School environment topic (page 23)
Activity Sheets 06: Personalisation topic (page 24)
Activity Sheets 07: Student welfare topic (page 25)
Preparation Read through and familiarise yourself with the lesson plan and any resources you are using Print out enough copies of the relevant Activity Sheets
Learning objectives Students explore the reasons behind their chosen topic Students develop their independent research skills Students practise their independent research skills
Alternative ideas For students who are not used to independent research, teachers may wish to have an extra research lesson in a com- puter lab. This means that students will be able to develop their online research skills with the support of the teacher. You may feel that students conducting a survey may be too complex. An alternative would be for student groups to interview one or two people instead for a certain ‘group’ such as parents, students or teachers.
LESSON PLAN 03
Lesson steps Class activities Resources
STARTER: This lesson represents an opportunity for students to Slideshow 03 think about solutions to the topic they voted for at the FROM TALK TO RESEARCH end of the Skype conversation. 10 MINUTES Remind students about their chosen topic, and explore it in more detail: Why did they choose this topic? How does it relate to their own experience? Are there any particular areas student would like to investigate?
STEP 1: Ask students to work in their teams from Lessons 1 and 2. Slideshow 03 RESEARCH & SURVEY SKILLS There are two main elements to the research task for the Activity Sheet 03 student teams: 10 MINUTES Activity Sheet 04 Coming up with ideas about how education could be improved through group discussion or further research (Activity Sheet 03) Conducting a survey to find out what people in the school or wider community think about the topic (Activity Sheet 04) Go through the Activity Sheets with your students to help develop their independent research skills and critical thinking.
STEP 2: Each of the topic Activity Sheets (pages 23-25) has a Activity Sheets 05-07 as ap- number of different research or ideas boxes. propriate ASSIGN TASKS Cut these out and hand one to each group. 10 MINUTES Ask each group to read through their ideas boxes for the whole class, so that each group knows about the other ideas that are being researched. Each group then decides how they want to find out more. They could: Use the internet to find out more information Interview a member of staff or someone else in- volved in education Discuss the topic as a group and come up with some ideas Conduct a student or community survey
STEP 3: Students use the remainder of the lesson to start their research and continue for homework. CONDUCT RESEARCH AND SURVEYS 15 MINUTES + HOMEWORK
LESSON 04 COMMMUNICATIONS PLANNING
Lesson overview The student groups share their findings from their research and surveys. Together, they list all the possible ideas for a universal quality education. The class will vote on the ideas they wish to take forward as part of the communications plan. Students will complete the lesson by developing their communications campaign.
Resources available for this lesson In this booklet Online materials (myvoice.digitalexplorer.com/resources)
Activity Sheet 08: Communications ideas (page 26) Slideshow 04: Communications planning
Activity Sheet 09: Communications plan (page 27)
Activity Sheet 10: SMART targets (page 28)
Preparation Read through and familiarise yourself with the lesson plan and any resources you are using Print out enough copies of the relevant resources
Learning objectives Students select communication focus based on criteria Students develop a communications plan based on their research and community feedback Students use SMART targets to create an effective communications plan
Alternative ideas The lesson plan focuses on a press release as the final output for the students’ communications campaign on school improvement. Activity Sheet 08 describes a number of other ideas that could be used. Some teachers may wish to give their classes more choice as to the format of their communications campaign.
LESSON PLAN 04
Lesson steps Lesson steps Class activities Resources
STARTER: Students have spent over an hour researching and con- Group presentations STARTER: ducting surveys to find out more about their chosen educa- SHARE FINIDINGS Slideshow 04 WHY IS EDUCATION tion topic. IMPORTANT? 15 MINUTES Now that the research phase is completed, it is time for the 10 MINUTES students to share their findings. Give each group 5 minutes to summarise the main points that they have discovered. Then ask a spokesperson for EDUCATION IN CONTEXT OF each group to share their main findings. THE MILLENIIUM DEVELOP- MENT GOALS STEP 1: Hand out a copy of Activity Sheet 09 to each group. This is Activity Sheet 09 their structure for planning a communications campaign. PLANNING THE 10 MINUTES COMMUNICATIONS Go through the different stages of the communications CAMPAIGN planning document. 10 MINUTES Clarify any questions that students may have. Ask students to complete Section 1. MY VOICE 20 MINUTES STEP 2: Students will now select the proposals for education they Activity Sheet 09 wish to put forward as part of their communications cam- CHOOSE PROPOSED paign. CHANGES Invite students to suggest any ideas for how education 15 MINUTES could be improved, based on their research and discus- sions. List all of these ideas on the board. Students select the ideas that they wish to include in the communication campaign, using the criteria on Activity Sheet 09 (suggested max. 3 ideas). Students complete Sections 2 and 3 of their communica- tions plan (Activity Sheet 09). PREPARE FOR SKYPE STEP 3: Students list the communications products (e.g. Press Re- Activity Sheet 08 20 MINUTES lease, photo pack, etc.) they will create for their communi- Activity Sheet 09 COMPLETE PLAN & cations campaign in Section 4 of their plan. TARGETS Activity Sheet 10 OPTION: additional ideas for inclusion are listed on Activity 20 MINUTES Sheet 08. Slideshow 04 Students then plan how they will achieve their goals in Sec- tion 4 by the end of the next lesson using Activity Sheet 10: SMART targets.
LESSON 05 HEAR OUR VOICES
Lesson overview Using the communications plan from the previous lesson, students will create a press pack, including a written press release to share with the UNRWA communications team. Students can also act on their communications campaigns, contacting journalists or setting up meetings or conferences with school staff or community members.
Resources available for this lesson In this booklet Online materials (myvoice.digitalexplorer.com/resources)
Activity Sheet 11: Press release example (page 29) Slideshow 05: Hear our voices
Activity Sheet 12: Press release writing frame (page 30)
Fact Sheet 06: #letusthrough case study (page 38)
Preparation Read the background material Read through and familiarise yourself with the lesson plan and any resources you are using Print out enough copies of the activity sheets for each group Book appropriate ICT facilities if students wish to type their press release
Learning objectives Students know about the main aspects of a press release Students write a press release (and design other communications campaigns or products) Students agree any further actions, including sending the completed press release and press pack to [email protected]
Alternative ideas Additional ideas for the communications campaign are listed in Activity Sheet 08.
LESSON PLAN 05
Lesson steps Class activities Resources
STARTER: Hand out a copy of Activity Sheet 11 to each group. This Slideshow 05 shows the basic sections of a press release. HOW A PRESS RELEASE Activity Sheet 11 WORKS Go through and explain each section to the students. 10 MINUTES Use Slideshow 05 to explain how journalists can use press releases as the basis for articles and reports.
STEP 1: Each group needs a copy of the press release example Activity Sheet 09 (Activity Sheet 11), the writing frame (Activity Sheet 12) and Activity Sheet 11 WRITING A PRESS RELEASE their notes from the previous lesson (Activity Sheet 09). Activity Sheet 12 40 MINUTES Using this information, each group should write a press release. Tasks can be shared between group members. For in- stance, some students may want to focus on writing the press release, others on background information and some may want to create or gather supporting materials such as photos or video.
STEP 2: Send the completed press release and any accompany- Whole class review ing or supporting materials to [email protected] REVIEW Agree any follow-up actions needed. 10 MINUTES
LESSON 06 SHARING OUR SUCCESS
Lesson overview The two partner schools come together for a second Skype lesson to share their success, reflect on what they have learnt and their hopes for the future. The lesson can also be used as a springboard for further ideas on collaborating and creating a sense of solidarity between young people everywhere.
Resources available for this lesson
In this booklet Online materials (myvoice.digitalexplorer.com/resources)
Guidance on using Skype in the classroom (pages 5-6) Slideshow 06: Sharing our success
Fact Sheets 5: Working with sensitive issues (page 37)
Activity Sheet 13: Skype lesson #2 (page 31)
Activity Sheet 14: Project review (page 32)
Preparation Check and test the technology requirements for this lesson (see pages 5-6) Book a computer room or offsite venue if necessary for the Skype video call Read through and familiarise yourself with the lesson plan and any resources you are using Ensure that students have copies of their class guidelines from Lesson 1 Print out enough copies of Activity Sheet 13 and 14 for each group / student
Learning objectives Students confirm preparation for second Skype call Students celebrate success Students learn through discussing with peers internationally Students reflect on learning and the project as a whole
Alternative ideas For classes who are not linking with a partner school via Skype, the same lesson outline can be used. The discussion topics can be used as the basis for a whole class discussion rather than a Skype video call.
LESSON PLAN 06
Lesson steps Class activities Resources
STARTER: There are four sections for the class discussion. Use Activi- Slideshow 06 ty Sheet 13 to outline these with your class. PREPARING FOR THE SKYPE Activity Sheet 13 CALL Remind students of their class guidelines from Lesson 1 (Activity Sheet 01). 10 MINUTES
STEP 1: Use the questions on Activity Sheet 14 to guide the class Skype in the classroom discussion. SKYPE LESSON #2 Skype technology set up Remember your role as an active facilitator using the (see page 6) 35 MINUTES guidance on page 5. Start a video call with your partner school! Discussion topic 1: each group has the opportunity to share their successes from their communications cam- paign. Discussion topic 2: individuals share points about what they have learnt during the course of the project. Discussion topic 3: individuals share how their views of students from different countries have changed as part of the project. Discussion topic 4: individuals share how their views of education have changed during the project.
REVIEW Review the lesson with your class and ask them to com- Activity Sheet 14 plete the review on Activity Sheet 14. 15 MINUTES
ACTIVITY SHEET 01
Class guidelines Think about what guidelines you might need to: develop your discussion skills develop your listening skills show respect for others
We have developed these class guidelines. We believe that they are fair and sensible guidelines to guide our Skype conversations and agree to follow them.
ACTIVITY SHEET 02
Skype lesson #1 Welcome to your first Skype conversation with your partner school. The Skype call will fol- low a set format, which you can see below. Use the Discussion topic headings to guide the conversation as well as the questions you have developed during Lesson 1.
Your class guidelines will also help to guide the tone and style of the Skype call.
Discussion topic 1 - Getting to know each other (15 minutes) - each group has the opportunity to ask one of their questions to students at their partner school
Discussion topic 2 - Importance of education (10 minutes) - each group shares the importance of education to them, e.g. education is important so that I can get a good job
Discussion topic 3 – Improving education (10 minutes) - open discussion about how education can be improved, e.g. students may want a better school environment or a curriculum more relevant to their aspirations
Discussion topic 4 - Choosing our communications focus (5 minutes) - list all the ideas for creating a quality education and vote on which to follow for the joint communications project
ACTIVITY SHEET 03
Research skills STEP 1 Choose your topic STEP 6 Synthesise You will have identified your chosen topic at When you have completed your research, you the end of the Skype lesson. Before you start, will need to look at your notes again and bring make sure that you and your team are clear the all the sources together to form your idea exact focus that your are working on. about how you should develop your project over the coming lessons. STEP 2 Find more information The next step is to find out more about your Reliability chosen topic. This can be both finding out more How do you know if the source you have cho- facts as well as finding out people’s opinions sen is reliable? When was it written? about a topic. How do other people feel about You will need to think about who wrote the ma- the area you want to work on? You can find terial and why. Look at the case studies below. more information from a variety of different How reliable would these sources be if you are sources, online, by conducting surveys, using a investigating innovation in education? library or following the news.
Range of sources STEP 3 Keep notes The best research will use a range of sources. Make sure that you keep notes while you are This will help to create a balanced view of the researching. You can include key facts and issue and help you to create a strong solution things that you found interesting. You should to your chosen topic area. also make a note of the source of the infor- mation, i.e. where you found the information. This will help you when you make your presen- Microsoft Innovative Schools tations later in the programme. Microsoft has a website dedicated to creating innovative schools. There are a range of ideas for schools and teachers STEP 4 Judge usefulness to use. What might be the reason for them to publish this How useful is the information that you have information? Do they include ideas that do not use their own gathered. Make sure that you choose the best technology? sources for the information you need for your http://www.microsoft.com/education/ww/leadership/Pages/ project. For this project, try interviewing people involved in education in your area, conducting surveys with other students in your school and with members of the local community and by The Innovative Educator finding innovative examples online. If you search online to find the blog of an innovative educator by typing in “innovator teacher blog”, Lisa Nielsen’s site The STEP 5 Judge reliability Innovative Educator is the top search result. Does this mean How reliable are your sources? Look at the fol- that her ideas are more innovative than other results? lowing notes on reliability and the case studies. http://theinnovativeeducator.blogspot.co.uk/ Can you choose between what is a fact and what is opinion? Should you include unreliable sources in your ideas?
ACTIVITY SHEET 04
Conducting a survey Surveys are very useful ways to find out what STEP 3 Create your survey other people think about a chosen topic. Sur- Now you have your survey questions and your veys can be used together with interviews and target audience, you can start to make your sur- other research tools to bring the views and ide- vey. There are two ways to do this. You can ei- as of people in your school and wider commu- ther do a paper survey and go up to people nity into your research. There are four steps to one-by-one to ask them questions or you can conducting a survey: post a survey online. Make sure you choose the option best suited to your audience. STEP 1 Choose your questions What information do you want from the survey? There are some easy to use online survey tools If you have chosen as your topic the school en- that you might like to try: vironment, you may want to find out if other stu- dents at your school see this as a problem as well. Survey Monkey One of the most famous online survey tools, they have a free option and you can sign up An example question would be: using a Facebook or Google account as well as Would a better school environment help you registering for a separate account with them. learn? Yes / No https://www.surveymonkey.com/
You could use a scale of answers such as: Google Forms A better school environment would help me Google Forms is part of the Google Drive suite learn: Strongly agree / Agree / Don’t know / of applications. You need to have a Google Disagree / Strongly disagree account to use them. You can find out more at: www.google.com/google-d-s/ You may want to find out students’ opinions of createforms.html some possible solutions: On a scale of 1 (lowest) - 10 (highest), how much Remember that you will need to keep the re- would the following improve your school envi- sults carefully. If you are conducting a paper ronment: survey, make sure that you keep the papers less rubbish in the playground (1-10) carefully. For an online survey, the services above will calculate your results for you. clean walls, classrooms and floors (1-10)
more plants and trees in the school (1-10) STEP 4 Analyse your results
How are you going to use this information? You STEP 2 Choose your audience might use the question asking which idea they Who are the best people to answer your sur- like best to help design your model school. Or vey? This depends on the information you are you might use the fact that 87% of the communi- trying to gather. You may want to ask your fel- ty think that there should be more trees planted low students their opinion, or if you want to en- in and around your school. gage the wider community around your school, you’ll need to ask them survey questions.
ACTIVITY SHEET 05
School environment topic
The students we talked to during the development of My Voice-My School spoke many times about their school environment. They felt that when a school was dirty or did not have any plants, it did not feel like a good place to study. Some of the issues they identified were: Too much rubbish in the school grounds Not enough plants or flowers at the school
No quiet place to study or revise for exams
1. School design 2. Reducing litter
It will not be possible to rebuild your school, but In some schools the litter problem was caused have a look at some architecture websites and by students. In other schools, it was because of there may be some ideas that you could use to people from the community dumping rubbish in improve your school environment. Start with this the school grounds. See how students at one of example: www.designboom.com/architecture/ the pilot schools addressed the problem of litter giancarlo-mazzanti-timayui-kindergarten/ in this short video: vimeo.com/2741910. Could you do a similar project in your school ?
3. Grow your own food 4. School garden Some schools have decided to make their The National Gardening Association in the USA school grounds an educational resource. Stu- is on a mission to have a garden in every school. dents help to grow their own food and also look They say that school gardens help with after animals. This can help study in science and “resulting in improved academics, better eating other subjects as well as develop skills for the habits, greater environmental stewardship, and students involved. See the example of Ashley ultimately healthier, more secure and engaged Primary School: www.ashleyschool.org.uk/eco- communities”. Is this something that you could school/ learn from?
5. Green roofs 6. Painting If there is no more space in your school for this, Have a look at how the community from Husn how could you use spaces that are often un- Refugee camp in northern Jordan used painting used? Having a green roof can help to reduce to bring new life to their surroundings. How energy costs as well as extending the school would you paint your school if you had the building. How could the roof in your school be choice? ww.giz.de/en/downloads/giz2013-en- used? jordan-colour-up.pdf
ACTIVITY SHEET 06
Personalisation topic
Every child is different. Every child learns in different ways and has different ambitions and aspira- tions. How can the small number of teachers in each school hope to be able to create an appropri- ate range of lessons for over 200 children every week?
This is the issue of personalisation.
It would be amazing to have the same number of teachers as there were students in every school, but this is probably not possible, nor likely to happen. Below are some ideas that might make a difference, by thinking a bit differently and using other tools.
1. Using online resources 2. Curriculum An education researcher in India developed a How can the curriculum be most appropriate for project where he put a computer connected to young people and their aspirations?
the internet in a wall in a deprived area of the In England, the government decided to change capital city, Delhi. He watched in amazement as the way that ICT is taught. They decided that children who had never been to school came young people should be taught how to pro- up and started using the computer and teaching gram or code a computer, not just how to use themselves. The project, Hole-in-the-wall, has one. shown how computers can be used for self- learning. There are thousands of free resources The UNRWA curriculum framework highlights on the internet. How could your school make values and teaching about the Palestinian identi- best use of these? ty to make learning more suited to students. You might not be a government minister, but Are there areas of the curriculum that could be changed slightly in your school?
3. Vocational education & apprenticeships 4. School dropout Many school systems struggle with getting the Why do some students dropout of school? The balance right between vocational training numbers of dropouts range from 1.6 million in (education that is more suited to work skills - an- the high school system in the USA to 9.1% of ything from plumbing to computing) and aca- young people in the UK aged 16-18 classified as demic learning (subjects like languages, maths Neet (not in education employment or training). and science). Recent research by UNRWA has put the dropout Is your school getting the balance right or would rate for UNRWA schools between 1% and 2%, you like more vocational training? How could citing a variety of reasons including undera- parents and local businesses be a part of this chievement, financial pressures and marriage. initiative? What might be the reasons why students might Could they offer apprenticeships, where a stu- dropout? How could school be improved or dent learns a job for 3 days a week and studies changed to encourage them to stay? at school for 2 days a week?
ACTIVITY SHEET 07
Student welfare topic Student welfare and safety came up in conversation many times during visits to the partner schools in developing My Voice-My School. The idea that a school should be a safe place for study was repeated by children from different countries whatever their backgrounds and circumstances. There are a number of different ways that you may wish to consider to improve the quality of edu- cation through focusing on student welfare. Below are some ideas and questions to get you think- ing.
1. Police or guards in schools 2. Metal detectors and physical safety Police can help to deal with issues that teachers There is a debate about the physical nature of cannot. In some countries, e.g. the USA, armed schools and in particular their physical appear- police in schools are proposed as a way of pro- ance. Should schools be like fortresses with high tecting students from gun and knife crime. Police walls or fences or metal detectors at their en- officers can also play a role in educating chil- trances? Or should they be more open and con- dren about issues such as drug crime. Do you nected to the community? think having a police officer or guard in your school would help keep it safer?
3. School uniform (for teachers and students) 4. Relations with the community Here are some ideas about how school uniform How can a school and its surrounding area be can help to enhance student safety: declared a peace zone? This approach has been used in both El Salvador to address gang help stop students from displaying symbols or violence and recruitment of gang members colours related to political parties or gangs from schools and in Nepal through the Promot- ing Schools as Zones of Peace campaign (see help resist pressure to purchase certain items http://www.czop.org/index.php/programmes/ helping school staff recognise intruders promoting-schools-as-zone-of-peace) to varying degrees of success.
5. Conflict resolution and anti-bullying 6. Counsellors in school For many students, dealing with conflict with It is estimated that 2 in 3 secondary/high schools their peers may be the most important issue. in England have a counsellor on site. This pro- UNRWA launched its Human Rights Conflict Res- vides ease of access for the 60% of students olution and Tolerance initiative for schools to who are thought to have long-term emotional help teachers support conflict resolution. Should difficulties. It is easy for students to refer them- Conflict Resolution be a part of every child’s selves if the support is at school, rather than hav- education? ing to go to a separate office. Should every school have a professional counsellor by law?
ACTIVITY SHEET 08
Communications ideas Here are some communications ideas that you could use for your campaign. You may want to use one or more of these options.
Social media tools like Twitter and Facebook can be used to bring your campaign to a wider audi- ence. They can also be used to drive internet users to petition sites like ipetition or bring together people, such as thunderclap. Social media is best used where raising mass awareness is your main goal and you can use this to help create wider change. Don’t forget to use #myvoicemyschool!
Holding a community event is useful if you want members of the community to take part in imple- menting your school improvement ideas. You could invite members of the community to an event at your school and make a speech about the improvements you would like and the reasons be- hind it. You could then invite everyone to be part of the solution.
A meeting with school or education staff will be useful if you think that they are able to help you with your ideas for school improvement. Even if they can’t help directly, they could take your mes- sage to others who might be able to help. If you want to take this route, you will need to prepare a great presentation for them.
A press release will be useful, if you think that if more people know about what you are trying to achieve in your school, then more people might help. Don’t think that because you are young, no one will listen to you. In fact, maybe the opposite is true. So share your voice and your ideas for your school by writing a great press release and sending it to as many newspapers as possible!
Petitions and pledges are useful to show to ask a wide number of people for support. If there are a lot of names on a petition, it is harder to ignore than just a single voice. Likewise, if every student or every member of the school or wider community pledges (promises) to make a change, then improvement is more likely to happen.
ACTIVITY SHEET 09
Communications plan Complete the sections below to create your communications campaign.
Section 1: What topic are you working on? E.g. school environment, student welfare.
Section 2: What changes are you proposing? Use the criteria shared by your teacher to help select these. The following information will be included in the Slideshow 04:
Universal - Is your model school appropriate for every child, everywhere?
Achievable - Is your model school achievable or will it need a lot of resources?
Scalable - Can the ideas behind your model school be adopted by other schools quickly without the need many additional resources?
Effective - Has your research shown that this can be effective and improving education?
Inclusive - Can you show from your research that your model school includes the views of others in your school and wider community?
Section 3: What evidence have you gathered from research, group discussions and surveys to jus- tify your choice?
Section 4: How will you share your message? Use the ideas below and any more you may have.
Write a press release and share with UNRWA
Prepare further background information, e.g. analysis of your surveys
Create or collect photos and video to bring your proposal to life
Remember to include #myvoicemyschool
ACTIVITY SHEET 10
SMART targets List your teams actions and make sure that they are SMART.
Specific Measurable Achievable Relevant Time-bound
What exactly are How many? How How are you go- How does it help Who is going to you going to do? will you know if ing to do this? to meet your do this and by you’ve done it? goals? when? Write a press release Press release completed During next lesson Press release will lay out Identify group members our proposed changes next lesson for education with evidence and reasons
ACTIVITY SHEET 11
Press release example
UNRWA SUPPORTS STUDENTS’ RIGHT TO AN EDUCATION IN GAZA, Use a strong title that will catch DESPITE ONGOING CONFLICT the attention of news organisa- tions UNRWA (the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine refugees) will commence a three-phase back-to-school plan in war torn Gaza this week, to help students and teachers start to transition into a new school year. This three phase plan is being coordinated with Introduce the main facts and the UNRWA HQ, the Ministry of Education and in close collaboration with other partners who are working to support the children of Gaza. ideas in your first paragraph It includes psychosocial interventions, the use of new technology, UNRWA’s satellite TV education programs and self-learning material for all children.
“The ringing of the school bell across Gaza is an expression of our determination that children will not be deprived of all that education Use quotes from the main people can bring,” said Caroline Pontefract, UNRWA’s Director of Education. involved and give their names and a description The education sector in Gaza was at a crisis point even prior to the current emergency. According to UN information, Gaza was suffer- ing from a shortage of almost 200 schools, with many running in dou- ble shifts. The pressure on Gaza’s education system has only been Use facts and numbers to intensified by the loss of additional educational infrastructure during reinforce the points that you are the war, and the continued presence of hundreds of thousands of displaced persons seeking refuge in school buildings. making
BACKGROUND INFORMATION UNRWA is a United Nations agency established by the General As- sembly in 1949 and is mandated to provide assistance and protec- Provide background information tion to a population of some 5 million registered Palestine refugees. about the My Voice-My School Its mission is to help Palestine refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, West Bank and the Gaza Strip to achieve their full potential in human project development, pending a just solution to their plight. UNRWA’s ser- vices encompass education, health care, relief and social services, camp infrastructure and improvement, and microfinance. Include contact details in case the For more information, please contact: journalist wishes to ask any further Christopher Gunness questions UNRWA Spokesperson Office: +972 (0)2 589 0267 [email protected] It is also helpful to include links to websites, and include any photos you might have
——— This is an extract from an UNRWA Press Release http://www.unrwa.org/newsroom/press- releases/unrwa-supports-students%E2%80%99-right-education-gaza-despite-ongoing- conflict Accessed on 25 August 2014
ACTIVITY SHEET 12
Writing frame Title
Something that will attract interest, for example: Students join forces internationally to create a quality education
Introductory paragraph
Introduce the reader to your project, for example: Students and teachers at Haifa School have been working with a class in the UK to explore how ed- ucation can be improved. Over the past six weeks, they have talked via Skype, researched ideas and conducted surveys to develop plans for improving student welfare. Then share an important piece of information that you found, like: 78% of students agreed that school was more than a place of learning, but also a safe place in their community. The classes worked together to come up with proposals to improve the welfare of all students.
Proposal paragraphs
For each proposal that you have, write a paragraph that includes:
A description of the proposal
Evidence that shows it is a good idea (use the information from your Communications plan)
A quote that brings the proposal to life from a personal point of view
Conclusion
Say why it is important that decision makers listen to youth voices on issues like education. You can also mention what you have learnt from being part of the project.
Background information
Include background information about:
the project (your teacher can help with this)
Your school details and your partner school details
Contact details (for the teacher in charge of the project in your school)
Links to websites, further information, photos and video
ACTIVITY SHEET 13
Skype lesson #2 Congratulations! Welcome to your second Skype conversation with your partner school, where you will celebrate the successes of your project. The Skype call will follow a set for- mat, which you can see below. Use the Discussion topic headings to guide the conversa- tion. Your class guidelines will also help to guide the tone and style of the Skype call.
Discussion topic 1 - Sharing success (15 minutes) - each group has the opportunity to share the success from their communications campaign
Discussion topic 2 - Sharing learning (10 minutes) - individuals share points about what they have learnt during the course of the project
Discussion topic 3 – Sharing solidarity (5 minutes)
individuals share how their views of students from different countries have changed as part of the project
Discussion topic 4 - Choosing our communications focus (5 minutes) - individuals share how their views of education have changed during the project
ACTIVITY SHEET 14
Project reflection
Name: School:
Please reflect on the My Voice-My School project and for each of the statements circle one of the choices: ‘Strongly Agree’, ‘Agree’, etc. and add any additional comments. General Strongly Agree Not sure Disagree Strongly agree disagree
My Voice-My School has improved my motivation at school. I would like more school activity to be like My Voice -My School. It is important to me that projects like My Voice-My School have real world rel- evance. Comments
Skills My Voice-My School helped me develop the following skills on a scale of 1 (not much) to 10 (really helped). Communications Research Literacy ICT
Comments
About UNRWA UNRWA provides assistance and protection for some 5 Where do Palestine refugees live? million registered Palestine refugees to help them achieve their full potential in human development. Nearly one-third of the registered Palestine refugees, The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Pales- more than 1.5 million individuals, live in 58 recognized tine Refugees (UNRWA) is funded almost entirely by vol- Palestine refugee camps in Jordan, Lebanon, the Syrian untary contributions from UN Member States. UNRWA Arab Republic, the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, includ- also receives some funding from the Regular Budget of ing East Jerusalem. the United Nations, which is used mostly for international A Palestine refugee camp is defined as a plot of land staffing costs. placed at the disposal of UNRWA by the host govern- The Agency’s services encompass education, health ment to accommodate Palestine refugees and set up care, relief and social services, camp infrastructure and facilities to cater to their needs. Areas not designated as improvement, microfinance and emergency assistance, such and are not recognized as camps. However, including in times of armed conflict. UNRWA also maintains schools, health centres and distri- bution centres in areas outside the recognized camps Establishment where Palestine refugees are concentrated, such as Yar- mouk, near Damascus. Following the 1948 Arab-Israeli conflict, UNRWA was es- Socioeconomic conditions in the camps are generally tablished by United Nations General Assembly resolu- poor, with high population density, cramped living con- tion 302 (IV) of 8 December 1949 to carry out direct relief ditions and inadequate basic infrastructure such as roads and works programmes for Palestine refugees. The and sewers. Agency began operations on 1 May 1950. In the absence of a solution to the Palestine refugee UNRWA’s responsibility in camps problem, the General Assembly has repeatedly re- newed UNRWA's mandate, most recently extending it UNRWA's responsibility in the camps is limited to provid- until 30 June 2017. ing services and administering its installations. The Agen- cy does not own, administer or police the camps, as this Palestine refugees is the responsibility of the host authorities. UNRWA has a camp services office in each camp, which Palestine refugees are defined as “persons whose nor- the residents visit to update their records or to raise is- mal place of residence was Palestine during the period 1 sues relating to Agency services with the Camp Services June 1946 to 15 May 1948, and who lost both home and Officer (CSO). The CSO, in turn, refers refugee concerns means of livelihood as a result of the 1948 conflict.” and petitions to the UNRWA administration in the area in UNRWA services are available to all those living in its which the camp is located. area of operations who meet this definition, who are reg- The remaining two thirds of registered Palestine refugees istered with the Agency and who need assistance. The live in and around the cities and towns of the host coun- descendants of Palestine refugee males, including tries, and in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, often in adopted children, are also eligible for registration. When the environs of official camps. While most of UNRWA's the Agency began operations in 1950, it was responding installations such as schools and health centres are locat- to the needs of about 750,000 Palestine refugees. Today, ed in the Palestine refugee camps, a number are outside; some 5 million Palestine refugees are eligible for all of the Agency’s services are available to all registered UNRWA services. Palestine refugees, including those who do not live in the camps.
For more information see www.unrwa.org
UNRWA & education
The right of children to an education is enshrined in the mands of an education system in the twenty-first century. International Bill of Human Rights, including the Universal The reform will also lead to improved services for the Declaration of Human Rights adopted by the United Na- Palestine refugee students in UNRWA schools, vocational tions General Assembly. Recognizing that education is training centres and educational faculties. This will be fundamental to helping each child achieve his or her full achieved through: potential, UNRWA has worked for over 60 years to en- The provision of well-trained and motivated teach- sure that all Palestine refugee children have access to ers within empowered schools quality education. Equal access for all children regardless of gender, One of our main aims, based on our commitment to Pal- ability, health conditions and socioeconomic status estine refugees’ human development, is to help children and youth gain appropriate knowledge and skills by A relevant and accessible curriculum providing universal primary education. High-quality basic education provides young Palestine refugees with an A suitable school and classroom environment understanding of their place in the world and a common Well-developed learning resources, including the set of key values, including dignity, tolerance, cultural use of new technology. identity, gender equality and human rights, and helps them develop the skills to thrive as adults in an evolving, School children in UNRWA schools follow the host au- challenging landscape. thorities’ curricula and textbooks. UNRWA supplements these with its own materials on human rights. With 703 schools, 9 vocational colleges, 2 educational science faculties and 2 teacher-training institutes, we op- erate one of the largest school systems in the Middle East, with some half a million children enrolled. UNRWA students’ literacy and levels of educational attainment are among the highest in the Middle East. Our pro- gramme has also been committed to maintaining gender parity, a benchmark we first achieved in the 1960s.
In 2011, the UNRWA education programme began a ma- jor four-year reform to help us meet the evolving de-
What is a refugee?
According to the 1951 United Nations Convention Relat- violence and human rights violations. Internally Dis- ing to the Status of Refugees, a refugee is someone who placed Persons legally remain under the protection of "owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for their own government – even though that government reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a might be the cause of their flight. As citizens, they retain particular social group or political opinion, is outside the all of their rights and protection under both human rights country of his nationality, and is unable to, or owing to and international humanitarian law. such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country." How many refugees are there? What are the rights of a refugee? At the end of 2013 there were 16.7 million refu- gees worldwide. Of these refugees 50% were under 18 The number of refugees increased significantly as a result years old. People who are refugees may have fled their of World War II (1939-1945) and in July 1951, the United homeland due to war and conflict or because they have Nations Convention relating to the Status of Refugees been persecuted (or lived in fear of persecution) for their was adopted. religion, nationality or political opinion. Essentially refu- gees have no protection from their own state and in The right not to be expelled (except under certain, some cases it is their own government that forces them strictly defined conditions) to leave their homes. Many refugees must leave their The right not to be punished for illegal entry into homes in a hurry taking only what they can carry and the territory of a contracting State therefore rely on other countries to let them in and to The right to work support them. Without that support they are in constant danger and without rights. During 2013, conflict and per- The right to housing secution forced an average of 32,200 persons per day to The right to education flee their homes and seek protection elsewhere. The right to public relief and assistance The right to freedom of religion The Syria crisis and refugees
The right to access the courts In August 2014, Syria’s intensifying refugee crisis today The right to freedom of movement within the terri- passed a disturbing landmark of a record 3 million refu- tory gees. A further 6.5 million have been displaced inside The right to be issued identity and travel docu- Syria. ments Palestine refugees from Syria have been severely affect-
ed by the ongoing armed conflict, with virtually all of Is a refugee the same as a migrant? their residential areas experiencing armed engagements or the use of heavy weapons. Of the total 540,000 Pales- There is a distinction between migrants, internally dis- tine refugees in Syria, almost all require assistance. placed persons and refugees.
Migrants choose to move in order to improve the future prospects of themselves and their families. Refugees have to move if they are to save their lives or preserve their freedom.
Unlike refugees, Internally Displaced Persons have not crossed an international border to find sanctuary but have remained in their homeland often within conflict,
Syria crisis and Palestine refugees
Three years of persistent conflict and deteriorating eco- Those who have reached Lebanon, Jordan and Egypt nomic conditions in Syria have challenged the resilience find themselves in a risky legal limbo and face living con- of Palestine refugees and Syrians alike. Proportionately, ditions so difficult that many decide to return to the dan- displacement among Palestinians – conservatively esti- gers inside Syria. The particular vulnerabilities of Palestine mated to be somewhere over 50 per cent – is significant- refugees and their sensitive status in the region com- ly higher than the proportion of Syrians displaced by the pound the already stark and violent devastation they conflict. share with Syrians.
The vast majority of the population of approximately As of August 2014, out of approximately 540,000 Palestine 540,000 Palestine refugees in Syria is now unable to meet refugees registered with UNRWA in Syria, over 50 per its daily needs. A September 2013 needs assessment cent or 270,000 are estimated to have been displaced found that the most vulnerable – female headed house- within Syria. Sixteen UNRWA installations across Syria holds, the elderly living alone, people with disabilities house 6,437 internally displaced persons (IDPs), of whom and young children – make up about 30 per cent of the nine per cent are Syrians, and a further 4,631 Palestinians total population of Palestine refugees in Syria. are sheltered in other UNRWA-managed installations, a small increase since the previous report. All nine Palestine refugee camps are affected by the con- flict. This has caused not only extreme hardship and Another 70,000 are either in neighboring countries and widespread displacement but also an unravelling of their further afield .In Lebanon, 42,000 PRS have been record- social structure and support networks in Syria. Palestine ed with UNRWA; in Jordan 14,290 and in Gaza 860 Pales- refugees’ coping mechanisms are stretched by unem- tine refugees from Syria have approached UNRWA for ployment, inflation and lack of access to goods and ser- assistance. The Agency also received reports of around vices. This compounding poverty exposes them to new 4,000 Palestine refugees in Egypt and smaller numbers in vulnerabilities. Libya, Turkey and East Asia.
Palestine refugees fleeing Syria encounter discriminatory www.unrwa.org/newsroom/emergency-reports/syria- treatment when trying to cross borders to safety, and regional-crisis-response-update-78 their vulnerability in neighbouring countries is made more acute by their difficulty in acquiring legal status.
Universal quality education
The right of children to an education is enshrined in the International Bill of Human Rights, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted by the United Na- tions General Assembly. The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child furthered this work. Article 28 states:
All children have the right to a primary education, which should be free.
Wealthy countries should help poorer countries achieve this right. Discipline in schools should respect children’s dignity. For children to benefit from education, schools must be run in an orderly way – without the use of vio- lence. Any form of school discipline should take into ac- count the child's human dignity. Therefore, governments must ensure that school administrators review their disci- pline policies and eliminate any discipline practices in- volving physical or mental violence, abuse or neglect. The Convention places a high value on education. Young people should be encouraged to reach the highest level of education of which they are capable.
The Millennium Development Goals Since 2000, great progress has been made in achieving greater access to education for millions of children In 2000 the largest-ever gathering of political leaders across the world. Enrolment has reached 90% in 2010 took place at the United Nations in New York. The result compared to 82% in 1999, and 58 million children remain of that meeting was something called the "Millennium our of school. Declaration", which set out the principles and values that mattered to world leaders at the beginning of the new The importance of quality millennium. It was a commitment to making life better for people around the world. Against the backdrop, world education leaders came together in Muscat, Oman to shape the post-2015 educa- After the Millennium Summit, the UN Secretary General tion agenda. This Global Education for All Meeting host- (the head of the UN) gave a team of people the respon- ed by UNESCO developed a final statement, the Muscat sibility of turning the words of the Millennium Declaration Agreement, that states: into goals for action. The team came up with eight Millen- nium Development Goals (MDGs) to be achieved by the We support “Ensure equitable and inclusive quality edu- year 2015. Each MDG has a set of specific "targets" and cation and lifelong learning for all by 2030” as the over- "indicators" to measure the progress towards their arching goal of the post-2015 education agenda. achievement. Even if 100% school enrolment is met, children should Goal 2 of the MDGs is “Achieve universal primary educa- have access to a quality education. tion”, with a target of: What does quality mean in this context? My Voice My Ensure that, by 2015, children everywhere, boys and girls School puts children at the heart of this debate, asking alike, will be able to complete a full course of primary them for their ideas about how education can be im- schooling proved both locally and globally.
Working with sensitive issues In many UNRWA Fields of operation children are ex- Sensitive & controversial issues posed to violence, conflict, loss and displacement. In these exceptionally difficult circumstances education is of Some of the class discussions may touch on sensitive or great importance as it brings children a sense of normal- controversial issues because of the experience, back- cy, hope for the future and an opportunity for develop- ground or views of the children involved. My Voice My mentally appropriate activities. It is crucial that educators School deliberately focuses on education as a universal understand this, and that schools provide a child-friendly right. During the lesson, you may need to steer the dis- environment that fosters psychosocial well-being, resili- cussion away from any political or religious topics and ence and coping. back to education. How to discuss a crisis with children Alongside the guidance in this booklet and support from senior management, you may also find the following re- Basic principles: sources useful.
Children want and need as much factual infor- Controversial issues: guidance for schools, Citizenship mation as possible. Give simple answers to their Foundation: questions however without scary details. www.citizenshipfoundation.org.uk/main/page.php?92 Tell your students it is ok to feel sad, afraid, con- fused, angry and guilty. These are normal respons- Handling sensitive and controversial issues, Oxfam: es to a very abnormal crisis or tragedy. www.oxfam.org.uk/education/teachersupport/cpd/ Emphasize that they are not responsible for the controversial bad things that happened. Teaching controversial issues in religious education, The Initiate group discussions about distressing events Religious Education CPC Handbook: that many may - or may not - have experienced. www.re-handbook.org.uk/section/approaches/teaching Even those who would not have experienced -controversial-issues-in-religious-education#tab-0 events are likely to have heard of them. This will help affected children feel less alone with their worries. Allow students to share their own ideas about what happened so that they can begin to master the events. Listen carefully to your students’ thoughts and fears without being judgemental. Do not ask students to tell their own individual sto- ries in front of the class - instead you can let stu- dents know that you are there for them and ready to listen any time later if they have worries which they would like to share with you confidentially. Emphasise to students that they are safe at school / that everything possible is done to make sure school is a safe space. Emphasise that you care for your students’ health and wellbeing.
Background information
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the near East www.unrwa.org
UNRWA Education in Emergencies www.unrwa.org/Leading-for-the-Future/unit-3/unit-32- education-in-emergencies
The UN Refugee Agency – The 1951 Refugee Convention www.unhcr.org/pages/49da0e466.html
The United Nations Millennium Development Goals and Beyond 2015 www.un.org/millenniumgoals/
UNICEF No Lost Generation - Protecting the futures of chil- dren affected by the crisis in Syria www.unicef.org/appeals/files/ No_Lost_Generation_Strategic_Overview__January_2014. pdf Education innovation
UNICEF Innovation unicefinnovation.org/projects?focus[0]=188
Hole in the wall project www.hole-in-the-wall.com/index.html
The Khan Academy www.khanacademy.org/
Timayui kindergarten, Colombia www.designboom.com/architecture/giancarlo-mazzanti- timayui-kindergarten/
Maria Grazia Cutuli School, Afghanistan www.abitare.it/en/architecture/half-school-half-fortress/
Education Endowment Foundation Innovation Unit www.educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/projects/ innovation-unit/
Microsoft in Education Innovation Stories www.microsoft.com/education/ww/products/Pages/ Stories.aspx
One Laptop Per Child Project one.laptop.org/
Front cover Digital Explorer
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