UN EDUCATION SUB-WORKING GROUP MEETING

MINUTES

Wednesday, 28 October 2020 11:00 – 12:15

VENUE: Yerevan, ARMENIA (via Zoom)

Participating organizations:

18 participants from UN agencies, international organizations and international/local NGOs (see – attached Participants list) attended the Activation meeting of the Education Sub-Working Group.

Meeting agenda:

• Introduction of 4 thematic working groups (Health Working Group, Food, Security and Nutrition Working group, Non-food and Shelter Working Group, Protection working group); • Updates from Protection Working Groups’ activities; • Initial findings of UN Rapid Needs Assessment in ten municipalities (Ejmiadzin, Martuni, Jermuk, Yeghegnadzor, Sisian, Kapan, Goris, Ranchpar,Dilijan, Hrazdan); • Updates from the participants on the key education issues; • Discussion on future joint actions.

Initial findings and main observations of UN Rapid Needs Assessment in 10 municipalities:

• UNICEF (Avlard Poghosyan) o Lack of statistics, especially lack of disaggregated data on vulnerabilities, unaccompanied/separated children; o Registration is conducted by municipalities; not clear though what information is being collected specifically; o School items (including equipment and Internet access to be able to attend remote classes); o Reluctance of parents to send their children to school for various reasons (fear to separate from children, or they believe in soon return to their homes). o Tools for distance learning are needed; o Dialect barriers between spontaneously arrived students and locals o Phyco-social assistance was identified as priority needs․ o Cases with missing identity document were revealed; o Parenting support is also identified as priority. o Local authorities adhere state regulations on reopening of kindergartens during COVID-19. As the epidemiological situation is worsening KG/PS will remain closed. Thus, not only arriving children but also locals do not have any opportunity to participate in any kind of ECD activities. o Nevertheless in the temporary shelters with big number of spontaneously arrived children and women UN assessment mission documented a need to organize ECD activities.

Brief update on key issues and steps taken from the participating organizations:

• Open Society Foundation (Larisa Minasyan) - Reluctance to integrate to local communities; - Sanitation issues are reported in the schools; - Reluctance of the Ministry to the idea of using arrived teacher assistance to overcome dialect barriers

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- Reluctance of schools to provide access for NGOs to conduct observations.

• International Red Cross Community (Grigori)

- Updates on their activities in ensuring access to education in Goris (Syunik region). - Rapid Needs assessment in Syunik region (especially in Goris) in the stage of finalization and the data collection is ongoing; - IT equipment will be provided to children in Syunik region; - Clothing and stationary items is also planned to be delivered.

• The Armenian Red Cross Society (Nazeni Kirakosyan) - The main directions for provision of assistance is identified o Phyco-social assistance is provided through informal education in Kotayk (Tsakhkadzor), Vaots Dzor, Gegharkunik,Syunik, Tavush marzes; o Supporting nutrition for about 500 children; - Resilience program is launched for children, a playground is created and equipped; - Stationery packs, recreation materials are also delivered; - Parenting support and psychological first aid sessions with mothers are organized, particularly working with them to motivate them to send children to school.

• UN (Arevik Anaposyan) - Differences between school curriculum in Armenia and Artsakh is an issue; - Arrived kids are not formally registered, so formally are not enrolled in schools. - Government policy is not fully supportive to formal registration of spontaneously arrived kids in the local schools; - Limitation of space and limited school classroom capacity to keep anti-sanitary and hygienic norms and necessary measures to prevent the spread of the infection; - Equipment and Internet access should be provided to kids in order to be able to attend remote classes; - Non formal education activities are provided for arrived children in shelters by volunteers; - Psychosocial support is largely needed both for children/adolescents and adults.

What was agreed:

➢ To strengthen coordination of planned activities and locations among working group members to equally support spontaneously arrived people from the conflict zone; ➢ To share available information on organizations, which are actively engaged in ensuring access to continuing education and integration; ➢ To share with working group members the results of conducted Rapid Needs Assessments; ➢ Frequency of meetings: To meet every Wednesday, at 11:00-12:00 am.

UNICEF Armenia 29 October 2020

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Participants list

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Alvard Poghosyan Education specialist (UNICEF)

Larisa Manukyan Executive director (OSF),

Anahit Galikyan Education program coordinator (OSF),

Davit Manukyan Deputy director for programs (OSF),

Anna Barfyan Youth program coordinator (UNFPA),

Anush Shahverdyan Education programs (World bank),

Anoush Davtyan Consultant (UNICEF),

Maya Simonyan Education officer (UNICEF),

Arevik Anaposyan Development finance and partnership adviser (UN),

Anmari Swi Regional Emergancy adviser (UNICEF),

Darwish Zeitek Team Leader at Save the Children

Gohar Musayelyan Urban development and education programs (ADB),

Grigori Hovhannisyan Education programs manager (International committee of Red cross),

Karen Khachatryan Senior community protection officer (UNHSR)

Marina Mkhitaryan Head of innovation lab (UNDP)

Nazeli Kirakosyan Head of organizational development (The Armenian red cross society),

Hermine Katvalyan Program assistant (UNICEF)

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