Recent events in Palestine have raised concerns and sparked outrage as Israel demolishes EU-funded schools, drawing widespread criticism from international bodies. These demolitions have intensified regional tensions and highlighted the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
This article aims to provide an overview of the situation, exploring the reasons behind the demolitions, the reactions from various stakeholders, and the implications for education in Palestine.
A Palestinian school demolished by Israeli Occupation Forces in Hebron, occupied Palestine. Photo by Falastin-48.
On May 7, 2023, Israel demolished a Palestinian school funded by the European Union, prompting condemnation from the international community and eliciting strong criticism from the global community. The school, located in a Palestinian village in the West Bank, was part of a broader initiative to support and bolster educational opportunities in the region. This demolition has emerged as a pivotal moment within the highly volatile context, exacerbating the anger and frustration among Palestinians and their supporters. This incident has intensified the already heightened emotions surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, adding to the grievances and discontent within the affected communities.
The Israeli authorities have put forth several justifications for the destruction. They have highlighted the lack of proper permits and non-compliance with building regulations as primary reasons for their actions. Israeli officials argue these structures were erected without authorization and pose potential security risks. However, critics of these demolitions raise significant concerns about the complexity and restrictiveness of the Israeli permit process. They argue that Palestinians face numerous obstacles in obtaining the necessary permits, creating a cycle wherein unauthorized construction becomes the only viable option. Consequently, the demolitions become an unfortunate consequence of the limitations imposed by the Israeli permit system, perpetuating a cycle of illegal construction and subsequent destruction of vital educational infrastructure in Palestinian communities. This cycle disrupts Palestinian students’ lives and undermines the prospects of stability and development in the region.
Israel’s demolition of EU-funded schools in Palestine has ignited significant international condemnation, with the European Union emerging as a prominent voice of criticism. The EU has vehemently expressed its profound apprehension regarding destroying educational infrastructure, considering it a clear violation of international law. The incident has strained the relationship between Israel and the European Union, leading to deliberations on potential ramifications and diplomatic consequences.
The condemnation from the EU underscores the gravity of the situation and emphasizes the urgency for a resolution to address the demolition of these vital educational facilities. School demolitions have far-reaching implications for education in the region. Beyond the immediate destruction of physical infrastructure, these demolitions infringe upon Palestinian children’s fundamental right to education. Access to quality education is vital for the holistic development of children, encompassing their social, intellectual, and emotional growth. By demolishing schools, the academic progress of Palestinian students is disrupted, depriving them of a fundamental human right.
Moreover, the demolitions undermine international efforts to improve educational opportunities in Palestine. The European Union and other international entities have been actively supporting and funding initiatives to enhance education in the region. These efforts aim to provide Palestinian children with quality education, equipping them with the knowledge and skills necessary for their future. However, the destruction of EU-funded schools undermines these collective endeavours, hindering progress towards achieving educational development goals. The denial of education impacts individual students and has broader consequences for the entire Palestinian society. Education plays a crucial role in shaping the future of communities, fostering social cohesion, and empowering individuals to contribute positively to their institutions. The demolition of schools obstructs these transformative processes, perpetuating a cycle of inequality and limited opportunities for Palestinian children. Addressing the implications of the destruction of education in Palestine requires collective action and international cooperation. Efforts must be made to rebuild and rehabilitate educational infrastructure, ensuring Palestinian children access safe and conducive learning environments. Additionally, advocacy for protecting the right to education, as enshrined in international human rights instruments, is crucial.
Human rights organizations and proponents of Palestinian rights have strongly emphasized the need for accountability and cessation of the demolitions of EU-funded schools in Palestine. These advocates assert that Israel must be held responsible for destroying educational infrastructure, considering it a violation of the right to education enshrined in international human rights frameworks. The call for accountability resonates with the broader aim of ensuring that all parties involved in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict are held to the standards of international law. It emphasizes the significance of safeguarding the right to education as a fundamental human right, especially for vulnerable populations such as Palestinian children.
Additionally, these organizations and advocates urge international bodies to take tangible and proactive measures to protect and promote the right to education in Palestine, including monitoring and reporting on violations, engaging in diplomatic efforts to halt the demolitions, and supporting the reconstruction and rehabilitation of educational infrastructure.
The involvement of international entities in safeguarding the right to education is essential to create a conducive and secure environment for Palestinian students to access quality education. By advocating for accountability and appealing to international bodies, human rights organizations and advocates for Palestinian rights aim to bring attention to the violations of educational rights in Palestine. Their efforts seek to ensure that all children in the region have equal opportunities for education and the chance to develop their potential, contributing to a more just and equitable future.
The demolition has unleashed a powerful surge of criticism and alarm, casting a glaring spotlight on the enduring Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The obliteration of educational infrastructure stands as a formidable barrier to the aspirations of Palestinian children, impeding their path to quality education and hindering their overall development. In response, the international community, including influential players such as the European Union, has united in a resounding call for accountability and a relentless pursuit of resolution. These collective efforts aim to prevent further human rights violations, particularly the right to education, and ensure that every child in Palestine has an unimpeded opportunity to flourish academically, fostering a future of dignity and equality.
After enduring the hardships of the Covid-19 pandemic, which implied a range of socioeconomic challenges, including educational impoverishment due to the closure of schools, the Tigray territory in northwestern Ethiopia suffered yet another blow in November of 2020, when civil war struck the region. The consequences of the conflict between the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) and Ethiopia’s National Defence Forces (ENDF), aided by the Eritrean military, represent one of the most devastating humanitarian crises in the world, piling on top of several longstanding crises in Ethiopia such as severe drought and acute famine. The consequences of this conflict are broad, including a critical situation regarding education.
According to the latest UN OCHA (United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs) report on the matter, around 85% of the schools in Tigray have been partially or entirely damaged by the conflict, and some 411.000 school-age children are in dire need of essential services, which profoundly affects their educational development. The UN plans to cover the needs of 3.6 million affected children and almost 190.000 teachers by providing accelerated learning activities for those who have been out of school for more than three years and providing psychosocial and mental health support services and learning packages.[1]
The current conflict was prompted by a power struggle between the TPLF and the current Ethiopian president Abiy Ahmed. The TPLF ruled the country for over thirty years until Ahmed came to power in 2018 to dismantle the TPLF’s regime. As Ahmed became the president of the country, he managed to rearrange the political power while ostracizing the TPLF. Parallelly, Ahmed also managed to end the longstanding war with neighbouring Eritrea.
On the 4th of November 2020, the government accused the TPLF of attacking a military base near Mekelle and ordered a military intervention to address the situation while calling for the aid of Eritrean forces and Tigray’s neighbouring region’s militias. Since then, the scale of the conflict has grown exponentially, with both sides committing mass killings and other atrocities that have called the attention of the international community. Ethnic discrimination against Tigrayans has been speculated to be entangled with the motivations of this war. It should be considered that while the focus of the conflict was on Tigray, conflict consequences eventually extended to the neighbouring regions of Amhara and Afar.
In March 2022, the government agreed to an indefinite ceasefire, but the conflict resumed in August. Nevertheless, a permanent cessation of hostilities was agreed upon in November 2022. While at this moment, the situation seems to have calmed down, Ethiopia now faces the aftermath of a devastating conflict, which calls for accountability on both sides as well as amending the several crises stemming from the war, among them the educational crisis.
One of the main reasons why the war on Tigray provoked an educational crisis was the military occupation of schools to use them as bases, accompanied by the plundering, pillaging, and looting of academic centres and the extensive structural damage suffered by the buildings.
IDP families and children at Primaray School in Mekelle IDP center April 15, 2021. Photo by UNICEF Ethiopia.
There have been many examples of this on both sides of the conflict. For instance, the historical school of Atse Yohannes in Mekelle was used by the ENDF for half a year, Eritrean forces used a primary school in Basen, and the TPLF used an elementary school in Bissober. This, of course, prompted the closure of schools, impeding the attendance of teachers and students, and resulted in extensive damage to infrastructure and school material since the use of the school would make the school a likely confrontation scenario. In some cases, it even resulted in derogatory messages towards locals being painted on the school walls.
According to several sources, around 2.8 million children missed out on education because of the war, and more than 2000 causalities have been reported regarding students and teachers.
The death of teachers and principals also represents a problem since it has generated a shortage of school staff, especially in areas where access to such qualifications is reduced. Due to this shortage, teachers are now forced to have many students in each class, making monitoring students’ progress closely difficult.
Beyond the military use of schools, a range of problems regarding quality and access to education emerged from the war. Trauma and psychological duress have been rampant among students and teachers, negatively impacting their capacity to attain their learning objectives.
Families’ financial losses provoked by the conflict, combined with extreme drought, famine, and health insecurity, have prompted students to stop learning activities to contribute to their family’s economy. Poverty has also hampered the recovery of damaged schools and the capacity to provide a salary for school staff. Teachers have also been more unable to perform their duties since they had to focus on surviving the situation.
The war on Tigray has generated an estimated 3.5 million internally displaced people, mostly women and children. Internally displaced students often found themselves in precarious situations and could not attend school. Students who moved to regions with different indigenous languages also found a barrier to school integration. In many cases, even to this day, internally displaced people and refugees from the war have sheltered themselves inside schools, the occupation of the space being an obstacle to resuming regular school activity.
According to research on the impact of armed violence on students’ educational attainment in Tigray, the school enrollment rates dropped dramatically due to conflict (almost a 10% decline in the studied areas), and educational wastage overall increased, with dropout and repetition rates at risk of rising. Moreover, the long-term impact of the educational crises is the potential lack of social capital and skills of future generations, rendering the communities of Tigray even more vulnerable.
While humanitarian aid is currently reaching the affected areas in northwestern Ethiopia, it should be noted that the mere reopening of schools without further consideration won’t be a fully effective solution. Facilities will need to be safely rebuilt, and students and teachers will have to deal with the traumatic experience of war and loss in the coming years. Tigray’s educational system was not built overnight, and recovery will not be quick either. Aid and resources such as school materials or teacher training will be crucial to restore the system.
Finally, it should be noted that this educational crisis was not entirely unavoidable. The occupation and looting of schools for military purposes are rarely justified under Ethiopian law. They can constitute a war crime and a human rights violation since it deprives children of access to education. More than that, the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child has urged African countries to ban the use of schools for military purposes or to enact specific measures to discourage it. The African Union Peace and Security Council has also called upon African countries to endorse the Safe Schools Declaration, which contains concrete protection measures. In this sense, Broken Chalk encourages the Ethiopian authorities to support such mandates, to strengthen the law and its application to protect the educational system, as well as to provide the necessary aid sociopsychological and material to affected students and school staff during the coming years to ensure they can recover and strive for the development they deserve.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Assefa, Y., Tilwani, S. A., Moges, B. T., & Shah, M. A. (2022). The impact of armed violence on students’ educational attainment and the role of parents in resilience schooling and the education process. Heliyon, 8(12), e12192. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e12192
Yemen has ancient roots at the Middle East, Asia, and Africa crossroads, and the Republic of Yemen is a relatively new established state. It was created in 1990 following the unification of communist South Yemen with North Yemen.
The wave of protests in Yemen in 2011 was affected by the Arab Spring, Yemen has been suffering civil wars, jihadist violence, tribalism, and extreme poverty since then.
Furthermore, the suffering brought on by the current war since 2015 between a coalition led by Saudi Arabia and the Houthis, a Shia militia supported by Iran (World Bank, 2019). The Saudi-led coalition was provided logistical and intelligence support from the US, UK, and France. According to the UN, both sides in the war have committed war crimes. However, both sides refused the allegations (World Bank, 2023).
Long before the current crisis began, the politicization of education in Yemen was an issue. To begin with, neither a license nor any type of supervision was required for religious schools, which predate government-run public schools and higher education institutions (Nagi, 2021). Yet, the conflict exacerbated the collapse of education in the country which was already weak in its educational system.
In general, the North and the South each have their independent educational system (Taher et al., 2022). Each of the parties engaged prioritizes military development while ignoring every aspect of progress, such as education. To serve their own ideological and political objectives, each of these systems is making considerable changes to education, yet the quality of education is declining in both places. Children are unable to attend schools due to conflict, displacement, the spreading of diseases, lack of infrastructure, and gender discrimination.
A group of children, displaced by fighting in the Yemeni city of Hodediah, participate in catch-up classes in the Rabat camp near the Yemeni city of Aden. Photo by Peter Biro
Conflict-related Education Difficulties
Attacks against schoolchildren, teachers, and educational infrastructure, since the conflict started, have affected the educational system and millions of children’s access to learning opportunities. Yemen is experiencing a serious education crisis, which will have devastating long-term effects on children (Education in Yemen, UNICEF, 2023).
Around 11 million Yemeni children require humanitarian aid, and more than 2.4 million school-age boys and girls are not attending school (UNICEF, 2023). Many families are unable to bring their children to school because of the cost of food and other school-related expenses (Battling Hunger and Ensuring Yemeni Children Can Get Back to School, 2023).
According to UNICEF statistics, more than two million children are not enrolled in school, and many millions require assistance to enrol, and more than 20% of all primary and secondary schools are closed (ICRC, 2022). Students and teachers have been killed or injured on their way to school. Numerous families are no longer sending their children to school, especially girls, due to the danger and financial effects of the conflict. The psychological effects of violence mitigate the educational performance of the children since many children have only ever known life in conflict.
At least one out of every four educational facilities has been destroyed, damaged, or put to other uses over the past eight years. 58% of these schools are damaged by conflict and 30% are used as quarantine centres or occupied by armed groups (Save the Children International, Save the Children Yemen, 2021).
Under international humanitarian law, war parties are required to take all necessary precautions to safeguard civilians and civilian infrastructure. Long-lasting harm results from violence against students, educators, and institutions of higher learning. It also makes the education system harder to recover after the conflict.
Displacement Problem
Ongoing conflict forces people to move to other areas of the country. Displaced people have had their access to education cut off suddenly because of their displacements. The 1.5 million school-aged internally displaced children, the 870,495 girls and boys with disabilities, and the more than 2 million kids who are not in school are the most at risk (OCHA, 2023). Between September and October 2022, UNHCR and Deem for Development Organization renovated the classrooms at the schools with funding from a Quick Impact Project (QIP) (OCHA, 2023).
International organizations and communities are on a mission to reach children who need health and education assistance in the displaced and hard-to-reach places. OCHA, UNICEF, UNHCR, UNFPA, and others participated in the mission.
Lack of Access to Healthcare and WASH Facilities
Many people in Yemen also lack access to healthcare and nutrition services. 540,000 children live in a condition with acute malnutrition and insufficient health services. Water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) need for children are more common in the areas of new displacement and rural areas. Shelter and WASH assistance is the most important factor for children to pursue their education. In 2023, more than 8.6 million school-children will need assistance according to UNOCHA (OCHA, Issue 1, 2023).
The result of the war is damage to infrastructure and import disruption of fuel causing 61% of the Yemeni’s lack of access to water and 42% of the population to have not enough sanitation (OCHA, Issue 1, 2023). The sheer amount of time spent delivering water also harms the educational opportunities for children. With no choice but to go to the water points twice a day and carry plastic water containers on their heads, many children have been forced to quit school (OCHA, Issue 1, 2023).
The events to improve access to safe water were officially launched on February 2022 by IOM and YHF (OCHA, Issue 1, 2023). Many kids can go back to school and finish their education, particularly girls. The project also unlocks the ability of the people to engage in agriculture and other livelihood activities.
Spreading Diseases and Urgent Immunization of the Children
“The prolonged crisis and the lack of funding for the HRP threaten food insecurity, which could result in famine, disease outbreaks, and epidemics,” said Na’aem Al Khulaidi, program coordinator for the Tamdeen Youth Foundation (OCHA, Issue 2, 2023). For instance, polio has frighteningly returned to Yemen years after the country was declared free of the deadly illness.
Significant infectious disease outbreaks, including some that could have been prevented by vaccination, such as cholera, diphtheria, dengue, measles, and the reappearance of vaccine-derived polioviruses, were influenced by the conflict. Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic has made the health condition even worse.
A new level of complication was introduced for the millions of school children in Yemen with the Covid-19 pandemic. For the millions of boys and girls in Yemen, After many cases of illness were reported in March 2020, schools closed and stayed closed for six months. Although the reopening the schools, many children had not gone back to classes (ECW in Yemen, 2023).
Having suffered from the Covid-19 pandemic, Yemen is dealing with rising cases of poliovirus. 228 children have been paralyzed due to poliovirus in 2021 in Yemen. In Yemen, there were about 22,000 cases of measles in 2022, with 161 casualties. There have been 9,418 cases reported in 2023, and 77 children have died (OCHA, Issue 1, 2023).
Low immunization rates of vaccine-preventable diseases among children are a very dangerous situation for them to attend school. Many children’s families are not able to afford hospitalization costs (OCHA, Issue 3, 2023). While there have been numerous polio and measles vaccination campaigns over the past two years in the southern regions, children in the northern regions are particularly in danger due to the ongoing deadlock over additional immunization efforts there (OCHA, Issue 3, 2023).
A group of children, displaced by fighting in the Yemeni city of Hodediah. Photo by Peter Biro
Gender Inequality
The patriarchally-oriented cultural and religious institutions continue to be the principal opponent of female education. The government and international organizations strive to alter the mindset of the current families to forbid their daughters from pursuing education by launching various campaigns in rural areas, reinforcing the social norms that they have built (Ballout, 2023). Nevertheless, dropouts of the school-girls are at risk of child marriage, while boys are recruited by armed groups.
The most affected gender by the displacement is females. Bureaucratic obstacles prohibit women to travel without a company of a close family member. This has created a great impact on women to access and pursue education (OCHA, Issue 1, 2023). The increase in mahram requirements and mostly AA-controlled areas worsened the gender gap in education, resulting in a wide gender gap in literacy and basic education.
The country’s economic struggle plays a part in gender inequality too. Getting a very minimum income affects Yemeni households’ purchasing power. Weak economical conditions affect women’s conditions and children’s education. It will have a domino effect and raise the danger of gender-based violence and other abuses among women and girls. Children will have less access to school and more cases of family dissolution, child labour, child marriage, and child trafficking (OCHA, 2022).
Insufficient Incentives to the Teachers
Yemen’s education system is in danger of collapsing, which will have an impact on both school-age males and females. The conflict that has lasted for years, the economy’s downfall, and the COVID-19 pandemic have all restricted access to schooling. Structured learning is still impacted by the insufficient payment of teachers’ salaries.
Since 2016, the majority of teachers in governorates (or 61% of the teaching staff) have received poor allowances. When teachers are paid, the amounts are little and paid slowly, which disincentivizes them for work and forces them to look for side jobs to support their income (Education in Yemen, 2023). Also, most teachers lead to quitting their jobs which risks nearly four million children losing access to education (Nagi, 2021). Every year, a number of teachers and students flee from the country, and a large portion of these individuals are the most qualified ones.
Another important problem is that there are not sufficient teacher training programs, causing qualified teachers to remain very less. The gender gap between the teachers is also very wide. Teachers are mainly male with 80%, which creates a lack of female teachers.
Teachers as well as students have suffered from this constant struggle and even exploited it against one another. Teachers and students were recruited to collaborate with the tribes that were engaged in this conflict. Peace and education are being replaced by conflict and political beliefs that serve the interests of parties and tribes. The students quit school and decide to ally themselves with the tribes that will pay for their families basic needs. This includes teachers who have gone for years without receiving payment (Taher et al., 2022).
References
Ballout, A. (2023). Female Education in Yemen. Available at SSRN 4318578.
Battling Hunger and Ensuring Yemeni Children Can Get Back to School. (2023, February 1). World Bank. Retrieved May 26, 2023, from https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2023/02/01/battling-hunger-and-ensuring-yemeni-children-can-get-back-to-school
ECW in Yemen. (n.d.). Education Cannot Wait. Retrieved May 26, 2023, from https://www.educationcannotwait.org/our-investments/where-we-work/yemen
Education in Yemen. (n.d.). UNICEF. Retrieved May 26, 2023, from https://www.unicef.org/yemen/education
8 years of crushing conflict in Yemen. (2023, March 24). UNICEF. Retrieved May 26, 2023, from https://www.unicef.org/press-releases/8-years-crushing-conflict-yemen-leave-more-11-million-children-need-humanitarian
How and why to end the war in Yemen. (2019, May 7). Economist. Retrieved May 26, 2023, from https://www.economist.com/leaders/2017/11/30/how-and-why-to-end-the-war-in-yemen?utm_medium=cpc.adword.pd&utm_source=google&ppccampaignID=18151738051&ppcadID=&utm_campaign=a.22brand_pmax&utm_content=conversion.direct-response.anonymous&gclid=CjwKCAjwge2iBh
ICRC. (2022, October 13). Yemen: Conflict leaves millions of children without proper education. In News and Press Release. https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/yemen-conflict-leaves-millions-children-without-proper-education-enar
Nagi, A. (2021). Education in Yemen: Turning Pens into Bullets.
OCHA. (2022, April 30). Yemen Humanitarian Response Plan 2022. https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/yemen-humanitarian-response-plan-2022-april-2022
Save the Children International, Save the Children Yemen. (2021, June). Report: Education in Crisis in Yemen.
Taher, A., Khan, Z., Alduais, A., & Muthanna, A. (2022). Intertribal conflict, educational development and education crisis in Yemen: A call for saving education. Review of Education, 10(3)(e3376).
Yemen: Why is the war there getting more violent? (2023, April 14). BBC. Retrieved May 26, 2023, from https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-29319423
Featured image: Yemeni children play in the rubble of buildings destroyed in an air raid, Photo by Biro
After the 2016 failed coup attack in Turkey, the Turkish government accused Fethullah Gülen and Gülen’s “Hizmet” movement as the masterminds of the failed coup attack. Then, many teachers, professors, government officials, prosecutors, army members, police officers and human rights activists were detained, persecuted, and oppressed for their alleged link to the Hizmet movement. But what is the Hizmet Movement? Who is Fethullah Gülen? In addition, why is the current Turkish regime accusing Gülen of plotting the failed coup attack in 2016?
Broken Chalk is a non-profit organisation that fights against all types of discrimination, particularly human rights violations in education. As a fast-growing organisation, Broken Chalk strives to remove existing barriers in the educational sphere worldwide, collaborating with communities and organisations that share a similar mission and becoming a leading organisation that sustainably addresses human rights violations.
As part of Broken Chalk’s mission to defend human rights in the field of education, the “Broken Chalk Talks” program, launched on Monday, is a mini-seminar series for a 3-week period, whereby Dr Ismail M. Sezgin gives a lecture. As the Executive Director and Co-Founder of the Center for Hizmet Studies and research assistant at Regent’s Park College, his purposes with this initiative are to educate people about Fethullah Gülen – a Turkish Islamic scholar who self-exiled in the USA since 1999 -, about Hizmet Movement, and on the oppression of Hizmet Movement members, for many of them have been detained and stripped away from their jobs and positions.
In the first week of the seminar, Dr Ismail briefly introduced Fethullah Gülen’s life and activism since an early age, the atmosphere in Turkey during the 1990s, and how he was forced to emigrate to the United States to protect himself from his potential assassination. Dr Ismail provided a brief history of the Hizmet movement and its activism and dedication to human rights and charity works to improve marginalised people’s education, health, and living conditions. For the next two weeks, the seminar will discuss the Hizmet Movement and the ‘AKP’ – the current ruling party in Turkey and explain the reason for the AKP’s accusations towards Gulen and the Hizmet Movement on the grounds of ‘terrorism’. He will additionally dive into the reason for the Hizmet Movement’s support for AKP and Erdogan from 2002 until 2013, why the Hizmet movement stopped supporting the AKP, as well as the persecution of the Hizmet Movement in Turkey after the failed coup attack in 2016.
Broken Chalk proudly presents the fourth edition of “Education Monitor: Around the Globe” between 1st and 15th May 2023. Broken Chalk aims with this letter to increase public awareness of Educational problems, challenges, and violations in the scope of the world. This newsletter is unique. This is a weekly newsletter in which we attempt to monitor and convey educational news from around the world in a concise manner. This monitor will be published biweekly with the effort of our young and enthusiastic team.
You can contribute to our work if you like. If you witness any violations in the scope of education, you can write the comment part of this post. Broken Chalk will try to address the issue in its next monitor edition.
To Download it as pdf : EducationMonitor: Around the Globe Week_15_16_2023
Broken Chalk Platform, in March 2019, was founded by a group of educators abroad who experienced and have been experiencing severe human rights violations in Turkey and had to ask for asylum currently in several countries.
These education volunteers also suffered greatly and started their new lives in their new countries without human rights violations. They gained respect just because they were considered human beings in those countries. However, they left one part of their minds and hearts in their homeland. They assigned themselves a new duty, and the human rights violations they left behind had to be announced to the World. A group of education volunteers who came together for this purpose started their activities under the Broken Chalk platform’s umbrella. However, the Broken Chalk platform was not enough to serve their aims. Therefore, they completed their official establishment as a Human Rights Foundation in October 2020.
Broken Chalk is now much more than a platform, and we have reviewed and enlarged our vision and mission within this framework. Violations of rights would be the first in our agenda in the field of Education all over the World. At the point we reached today, Broken Chalk opened its door to all individuals from all across the globe, from all professions, and to all individuals who say or can say ‘I also want to stand against violations of human rights in Education for our future and whole humanity, where our generations grow up together.’
Education is essential because it can help us eliminate the evils from society, introduce, and increase the good. We want to draw the public’s and stakeholders’ attention to the fact that Education is in danger in several different parts of the World. The attacks are wide-reaching, from the bombing of schools to the murder of students and teachers. Raping and sexual violence, arbitrary arrests, and forced recruitment also occurred, instigated by armed groups. Attacks on Education harm the students and teachers but also affect the communities in the short and long term.
We invite all individuals who want to stop human rights violations in Education to become Volunteers at Broken Chalk.
Education is a fundamental human right. It allows people to ensure their survival, enhance their skills and grow their passion. Unfortunately, not everyone has an equal chance of accessing educational facilities. There is a noticeable discrepancy between the educational rights of women and men. Despite the existence of the Convention against Discrimination in Education, ratified by 109 states and recognized by international law, empirical evidence illustrates that boys are more likely to be enrolled in schools. The convention states, amongst other things, that primary school should be free and compulsory and secondary education in different forms accessible to all. Furthermore, it emphasizes the importance of prohibiting gender inequality. Unfortunately, girls suffer from systematic setbacks, whether we talk about being discouraged from choosing careers in stereotypically masculine domains such as STEM, or issues such as child marriage. UNESCO tries to promote this through various projects and movements. One of its latest releases is Her Atlas, an interactive meant to spread awareness on access to education for girls in various states of the world. It is part of the strategy for Gender Equality in and through Education, and it has as its primary goal monitoring and increasing public understanding of the hardships women face in various countries.
Her Atlas is a database of all countries in the world. It follows 12 indicators based on which each state receives a score. While some parts might seem technical, anyone can understand the main points. You can either download the databases on an Excel sheet or pick a specific state you are interested in and you will see graphs on the item of interest. With a very easy to get around interface, it can be a great tool for academics and curious minds alike. Some of you might wonder: “Why should I care about Her atlas?”. The answer to this question is relatively complex. If you work in the field of human rights, having a place where all the needed information on the status of access to education for girls is centralized is particularly convenient. If your work does not require the use of such knowledge, this tool remains relevant. Despite education being a central part of our development, girls are deprived throughout the world of it. Taking a look at Her Atlas can give any individual a better comprehension of the state of the world and dismantle urban myths, such as the fact that our world reached complete gender equality. The reality is that girls and women are a vulnerable category, facing discrimination due to an inherently patriarchal society, that has preconceived ideas about girls embedded.
Her Atlas analyses 12 indicators to rate states on a scale from 1 to 5. They are all relevant for offering a relatively comprehensive analysis of the inclusion of girls and women in education. [i]The rest of this article will briefly summarize these indicators.
Party to UNESCO Convention against Discrimination in Education
This convention is relevant since it is the first legally binding international document related to the right to education. All signatories have the obligation under international law to respect the provisions of it.
Party to UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against women
Unlike the previous convention, the UN Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women primarily offers recommendations to signatory countries, instead of imposing implementation. However, it is considered one of the most comprehensive documents on the topic, summarizing the fundamental principles of overcoming discriminatory practices against women.
Constitution enshrines the right to education for all girls and women
Besides international documents, constitutional rights play a crucial role in ensuring that girls have proper access to education. The constitution is the fundamental law of every state, meaning that the existence of protective measures for girls contributes to the proliferation of further such legislation.
Legislation enshrines the right to education for all girls and women
Through legislation, the Constitution is implemented at the practical level. This indicator ensures that the data collected in Her Atlas includes the real-life implementation of the indicators.
The legal framework guarantees compulsory education (9+ years)
Compulsory education ensures that everyone regardless of gender, social status, ethnicity, race, or sexual orientation can complete their studies. Therefore, such an implementation decreases the chances of discrimination against girls and women when trying to attend school.
The legal framework guarantees free education (12+ years)
Free education ensures that school does not become a luxury that only a few can attend. If given the option, impoverished families might be inclined to choose to educate the boys, leaving the girls at home. If classes are free and compulsory, families would be encouraged and more willing to send their girls to school.
The legal framework guarantees free and compulsory pre-primary education
Pre-primary education could play a role in the future development of children. Ensuring that every girl can attend would relatively level the playing field between boys and girls, giving them the same preparation from their early beginnings.
The legal framework guarantees equal access to post-secondary education
Post-secondary education, whether vocational or academic, increases the chances of employment of an individual. Unfortunately, especially in developing countries, a gap is identified between the number of women and men attending post-secondary schools.
The legislation sets the minimum age of marriage for girls at 18 years
Child marriage is one of the biggest threats to a girl’s education and development. This discriminatory practice usually leads to girls dropping out of school to raise children. Prohibiting child marriage can decrease the percentage of girls forced to put a stop to their educational preparation.
The minimum age of employment is aligned with the end of compulsory education
The minimum employment age ensures children are not forced into choosing to work instead of finishing their studies. This happens primarily in impoverished areas, where children become a means of supporting the family. Girls are particularly vulnerable to child labor, given the embedded idea that a girl`s education is not as worthy of an investment as the education of a boy.
The legal framework protects from violence within educational institutions
Violence affects children regardless of gender, but it is used as a form of gender discrimination. It is paramount to ensure a safe environment for children for proper development.
The legal framework protects the right to education of pregnant and parenting girls
Pregnancy and raising a child are one of the causes of school drop-out among girls and women. Offering specific rights to people in such instances, the chances of finishing their education increases.
As seen previously, Her Atlas analyses various factors in its database. Regardless of your profession, it is worth checking out the website. It could answer some questions about the state of women`s rights and maybe even give a broader perspective on how countries situate themselves in the fight for gender equality.
Cape Verde is an insular country located approximately 500 km off the African west coast. This archipelago, formed by 10 main islands and several smaller ones, is home to approximately 550,000 people, of which more than one-fifth are children between the ages of 6 and 14 and therefore obligated to attend school for a minimum of nine years, according to the Education Law of Cape Verde.
After Cape Verde gained independence from Portugal in 1975, the country set out to establish an educational system that would better serve Cape Verdeans. The early years were marked by significant challenges as the legacy of colonialism left the nation with limited means and structure to create access to universal education.
During the 80s and 90s, regular reforms were undertaken by the government to gradually improve the functioning of the education system and the quality of services provided to its people.
One of the most significant developments has been expanding access to education, particularly at the primary and secondary levels. Today, more than 80% of the population is literate, and most children in Cape Verde attend school, bringing the country close to achieving the Millennium Development Goals concerning universal basic education.
However, an in-depth analysis of the educational system reveals that there are still significant challenges to overcome, such as disparities in the quality of education experience between central and more rural areas, lack of qualified personnel for specialized and crucial areas like sciences and technologies and a defaulted articulation between the curricular program and the needs of the national economy.
The kindergarten graduation in Santiago island. Photo by Duncan CV
Insularity as a barrier to standardize education across the country.
Although, in general, there’s a relatively even distribution of population across the nation, Santiago is home to nearly 35% of its total population and, therefore, the most populous island.
Despite the decentralization policies implemented in the last years to empower local governments and address the unique needs of their communities, historically, there has been criticism about the unequal distribution of resources and investment funnelled to Praia (the country’s capital) and other regions.
Alongside other spheres of the national economy like trading, commerce, medical care and other specialized services, the quality of education experienced in the capital and urban centres is different to what is the reality in more remote areas of the country. Schools in Praia tend to have better resources and infrastructures, more qualified teachers, and higher educational standards. In contrast, some schools in remote areas often lack essential resources like textbooks, electricity, and running water.
While there is a significant concentration of schools in urban areas, students in rural regions and less central islands like Brava, Santo Antao, and Sao Nicolau see themselves forced to travel further distances to attend school but unable to rely on a public transportation system to cover regular allocation. Because many families cannot afford the transportation cost, in this scenario, the distance to schools can be a significant barrier for children to access and complete their education. For many communities in the more interior regions of these islands, roads and infrastructures are debilitated. During the rainy season, travelling can be dangerous, leaving them temporarily isolated and students unable to travel safely to school.
The inequality in the level of education experienced across different regions of the cape-Verdean territory can have a considerable impact on the academic prospect and life opportunities of the youngsters. If those living in remote locations have limited access to quality education and training, their ability to secure employment in areas that require higher qualifications is being hindered and limits the extension of their contribution to the country’s development.
Neglected, with fewer resources and qualified teachers, schools in rural areas experience higher dropout rates, and illiteracy rates are twice more elevated than observed in the capital.
One way to balance the plate and pave a path towards a more standardized education across the country could be by redirecting social funds. Social action and funding are crucial to universal access to education in Cape Verde. Still, the internal sectoral analysis revealed that the education system consumes most of this resource with personnel and social support in primary education. Distribution of these funds that prioritized more impoverished groups could be a way to close the existing gap.
The modernization of the curricular programversus the needs ofthe economy
Since 2017, cape-verdean schools embraced a new curricular matrix to adapt to the country’s and the world’s modern challenges.
In an interview for a national newspaper, the cape-verdean National Director of Education detailed that the reform was designed to approximate the ones followed by foreign and modern countries so that cape-verdean students can respond to the challenges of the country but also prepare them to be capable of integrating foreign markets. Although around 40% of the population lives in rural areas, food production has a low weight in the country’s GDP (4.9% in 2020), which sentences the country to bare crushing importation rates to sustain its internal food necessities. On the other hand, significant but more labour areas of the national economy like agriculture, fisheries, and livestock are poorly supported by the curricular program leaving those who live from it stuck with precious but outdated knowledge and techniques passed down through generations.
In resemblance to what is currently being made around tourism, tailoring the national program to provide students with the knowledge on how to leverage technology to enhance local food production, improve the quality and quantity of livestock and expand their resources to take better advantage of their vast and rich maritime territory, Cape-Verd stands an excellent chance to enhance productivity, sustainability, and efficiency in the food production reducing its reliance on imported goods and bring primary products at a more accessible price to its people.
In the context of scarce natural resources and recurrent cyclical periods of drought, Cape-verd could resort to education to empower the next generation of farmers, fishermen, and agricultural professionals with skills to employ cutting-edge technologies like precision agriculture, aquaculture systems, and intelligent livestock management practices. Modernizing their curricular programs centred on the needs of the internal economy and forming qualified people with skills to suppress those needs can ultimately lead Cape-Verd to achieve self-sufficiency and security at all levels.
Teachers – The vehicle to modernization
In Cape Verde, one of the challenges faced by the educational system is the limited number of teachers with qualifications and specialization. Although this “lack” constitutes a more significant issue in rural areas, it’s a problem that touches the whole educational system, particularly in specialized areas such as science and technology. Although there has been considerable growth in the percentage of active teachers with higher education due to governmental programs, this number still needs to be increased across the primary and secondary levels of education, which can hinder their ability to effectively teach subjects requiring specialized knowledge and expertise. Areas like science and technology play crucial roles in today’s rapidly evolving world, and students need competent and knowledgeable teachers to guide them in these fields. Furthermore, as the ultimate facilitator of implementing curricular reforms, the teacher must be able to follow and absorb information to educate the students properly.
Continuous training for teachers and access to the latest research and pedagogical approaches empowers teachers to provide accurate and up-to-date information, cultivating an intellectually stimulating environment that nurtures students’ curiosity and prepares them to thrive in an ever-evolving world. Ultimately, investing in teachers’ professional growth and development is an investment in the quality of education and students’ future success.
To address this challenge, efforts should be made to enhance teacher training programs, provide professional development opportunities, and encourage teachers to specialize in specific subjects. By investing in the professional development of teachers and promoting specialization, Cape Verde can improve the quality of education in science and technology, equipping students with the necessary skills for a rapidly advancing future.
Turkish President Erdoğan has been targeting followers of the Gülen movement since the corruption investigations of December 2013. According to data from January 2023, around 520 children under six are in prison with their mothers in Turkey. Around 14.000 women are in Turkish prisons; children accompany 470. The facilities and conditions in which these babies and children live are deplorable. No child should have to go through that.
After the aftermath of a coup attempt in July 2016, thousands of women were unlawfully jailed in Turkish prisons. The number of children accompanying their mothers in prison skyrocketed in Turkey after the coup attempt. Children and their mothers are being illegally held in prisons in poor conditions. The actual problem is not the conditions of the prisons, but the problem is that the babies are in prison. Prisons are not a place for babies and small children to grow up. These are the most fundamental years for children to grow up and enjoy life. Being held in prison and not exposed to real life can lead to traumas in later life. Children should be free and explore the world, not be stored in a place lacking the facilities to host these babies and children.
Turkey’s penal code states that mothers with children younger than six months should have their prison sentences suspended. This rule, however, doesn’t apply when individuals are convicted of having links to a terrorist organization. Many of these women are often being accused of being “FETO” members, which, most of the time, are baseless accusations. If the father is at home, the children are still forced to grow up in prison instead of with the child’s father.
Inmates are suffering from freezing temperatures, foul drinking water and poor treatment. The adverse effects were even worse during the Covid Pandemic, which lowered the already low prison standards. The research by the Rights of Life Association (published in September 2021) made several recommendations, including deferred sentences for women who have a child younger than six-years-old and access to gynecologists for pregnant women and pediatricians for infants and children constantly.
These babies and children have done nothing wrong and should not be punished for something their parents might have done. Children should not have to grow up behind bars.
Children are being cut off from the outside world and cannot participate in social and cultural activities. That harms physical and mental well-being and will cause problems connecting with society later in life. Turkey should consider how this impacts the child’s and the parent’s lives.
On March 28, 2023, the police arrested Thanalop “Yok” Phalanchai, a 15-year-old student activist, for allegedly defaming the monarchy. Yok is detained in pretrial custody at the Justice Ministry’s Ban Pranee Juvenile Vocational Training Center for Girls in Nakhon Pathom province, west of Bangkok. She is facing up to 15 years in prison.
Yok is accused of violating article 112 of Thailand’s criminal code -defaming and insulting the monarchy- during a demonstration in October 2022 in front of the Bangkok City Hall.
Photo by @Leticia Cox
Why does Thailand have this law?
The monarch has an exalted status in Thai society. The late King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who died in October 2016, was accorded an almost divine reverence, sometimes treated as god-like.
Adulyadej’s son, King Maha Vajiralongkorn, does not relish the same popularity and has reigned since his father’s death, exercising limited rule since December 2016. He is the head of state, assisted in his duties by the Privy Council of Thailand, but still holds a sacred status in the country.
Today, Thailand is a constitutional monarchy with a democratic form of government. The monarch reigns but does not rule.
In May 2014, the military – greatly royalist- overthrew the civilian government. Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha has highlighted that the lese-majeste law is needed to protect the royals.
In November 2020, Prime Minister Prayut instructed authorities to use all laws against democracy protesters, bringing back lèse-majesté prosecution under Article 112 of the penal code after a three-year pause.
According to Thai Lawyers for Human Rights, at least 1,895 individuals have been subject to various criminal charges for their involvement in rallies since 2020. Among these individuals, at least 237 have been charged with lèse-majesté for actions at pro-democracy demonstrations or comments on social media, including 18 children.
In addition, making critical or offensive comments about the monarchy is a serious criminal offence under the Computer-Related Crime Act. 2560. Authorities have since charged some political activists with treason under Article 116 of the penal code.
Judicial interpretation of lèse-majesté offences seems to vary according to interpretations by different courts, making convictions arbitrary and sometimes going beyond what is stipulated in the law. In September 2022, the Bangkok South Criminal Court sentenced Jatuporn Sae-Ung to three years on lèse-majesté charges for wearing a Thai national dress at a democracy protest in a context that authorities claimed was done to mock Queen Suthida.
Democratic Labor Organization Asking the government to help bail political prisoners. Photo by Prachatai
Holding Yok charged with lèse-majesté in pretrial detention violates her rights under international human rights law.
Under Article 2.2 of the Convention on the Human Rights of the Child, State Parties shall take all appropriate measures to ensure a child -every human under 18 years of age- is protected against all punishments based on their express opinion.
In addition, The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which Thailand has ratified, also encourages bail for criminal suspects. Article 9 states: “It shall not be the general rule that persons awaiting trial shall be detained in custody, but release may be subject to guarantees to appear for trial.”
Those whose charges have not been dropped should be tried without undue delay.
“The Thai government should permit peaceful expression of political views, including questions about the monarchy,” said the director of Human Rights Watch. “Thai authorities should engage with United Nations specialists and others about amending the lèse-majesté law to comply with international human rights standards.”
Yok’s case is not an isolated incident. In 2020, a 16-year-old boy was criminally charged under the same law after he was accused of dressing similarly to King Maha Vajiralongkorn and displaying offensive words on his body.
In January 2021, the Bangkok Criminal Court sentenced a 65-year-old former civil servant to a jail term of 43 years and six months—the country’s harshest ever sentence for insulting the monarchy.
On June 2022, three Thai influencers were arrested for insulting the royal family in a video campaign posted on TikTok.
On March 2023, a man was sentenced to three years imprisonment for selling calendars via a Facebook page that the authorities considered violating the lèse-majesté law. The calendar featured cartoon illustrations of a yellow duck, symbolising Thailand’s protest movement.
Thailand’s lese-majeste law, which prohibits any offence against the dignity of the monarchy, is among the most draconian in the world.
Amnesty International’s recent report “We Are Reclaiming Our Future” reported how children in Thailand face a wide range of severe repercussions for participating in mass demonstrations, including illegalising their activities and intimidation by the police.
The report calls for the Thai authorities to withdraw all charges against peaceful child protesters, end all forms of intimidation and surveillance and amend laws to deny children’s right to protest to ensure they align with international human rights law and standards.
Thai lèse-majesté law
— A Constitutional Court decision in 2012. Section 112 of Thai Criminal Code currently reads as follows: “Whoever defames, insults or threatens the King, the Queen, the Heir-apparent or the Regent, shall be punished with imprisonment of three to fifteen years.”
**Lèse-majesté or lese-majesty is an offence against the dignity of a ruling head of state or the state itself. The English name for this crime is a borrowing from the French, where it means “a crime against The Crown.”
Libya is a North African country with a turbulent history of political instability and armed conflicts. Education is a fundamental pillar of any nation’s development, and overcoming these challenges is crucial for fostering a brighter future for Libya’s citizens.
To understand the current state of education in Libya, it is essential to consider its historical context. During the rule of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, the education system primarily focused on ideological indoctrination rather than academic excellence. This approach neglected critical thinking and innovation, resulting in an education system that failed to equip students with the necessary skills for personal and professional growth.
Historical Context of Libya’s Education System
Under Colonel Muammar Gaddafi’s rule, the curriculum promoted the regime’s propaganda and political agenda, neglecting critical thinking, innovation, and academic rigour. As a result, students lacked the necessary skills to thrive in a rapidly changing world and contribute to the nation’s development.
Impact of Political Instability and Armed Conflicts
The political instability and armed conflicts that ensued after the Arab Spring in 2011 severely impacted Libya’s education system. Educational institutions became targets of violence, leading to damaged infrastructure and disrupted learning environments. Many schools and universities were forced to close, and students and teachers were displaced. Consequently, educational progress was hindered, resulting in high dropout rates and limited access to education, particularly for vulnerable populations.
Inadequate Infrastructure and Resources
Decades of neglect and underinvestment have left Libya’s educational infrastructure in dire conditions. Many schools lack sufficient classrooms, face overcrowding, and lack basic amenities like electricity, water, and sanitation facilities. Dilapidated buildings and insufficient resources create an unsuitable learning environment for students. Furthermore, there is a shortage of educational resources, including textbooks, teaching materials, and modern technology, limiting students’ access to quality education.
Teacher Shortage
Libya’s ongoing turmoil and economic challenges have triggered a significant brain drain, with highly educated professionals and skilled teachers leaving the country in search of better opportunities and security. This exodus has resulted in a severe shortage of qualified teachers, with many classrooms staffed by inexperienced or underqualified individuals. The lack of well-trained and experienced educators compromises the quality of education and impedes the development of students’ intellectual capacities.
Gender Inequality in Education
Gender inequality remains a persistent challenge in Libya’s education system. Although efforts have been made to promote gender parity, cultural and societal norms continue to pose obstacles. Girls face multiple barriers to accessing education, including early marriage, gender-based violence, and conservative attitudes towards women’s education. Many families prioritize boys’ education over girls’, perpetuating gender disparities. Addressing these challenges requires targeted interventions, such as awareness campaigns, community engagement, and policies that promote and protect girls’ right to education. Empowering girls through education enhances their prospects and contributes to societal development and gender equality.
Challenges faced by Children with Disability in Libya
Disabled children in Libya face significant challenges in accessing quality education and experiencing inclusive learning environments. This section will explore the educational challenges specific to disabled children in Libya and discuss potential strategies to address these issues.
Limited Access to Inclusive Education:
One of the primary challenges for disabled children in Libya is the limited access to inclusive education. Many schools lack the necessary infrastructure, resources, and trained personnel to accommodate students with disabilities. As a result, disabled children often face barriers to entry, preventing them from accessing education on an equal basis with their non-disabled peers.
Discrimination and Stigma:
Discrimination and stigma against disabled individuals persist in Libyan society, leading to exclusion and marginalization. Negative attitudes and misconceptions about disabilities contribute to a lack of acceptance and understanding within educational settings. Disabled children may face social barriers, prejudice, and bullying, further hindering their educational experiences and well-being.
Inadequate Teacher Training:
The lack of specialized training for teachers to cater to the diverse needs of disabled students is a significant challenge. Teachers often lack the knowledge and skills to adapt teaching methodologies, provide appropriate accommodations, and employ assistive technologies to facilitate inclusive learning. Consequently, disabled children may not receive the individualized support and reasonable adjustments necessary for their educational success.
Limited Availability of Support Services:
Support services, such as speech therapy, occupational therapy, and psychological support, are limited in Libya. Disabled children require these services to enhance their communication skills, motor development, and emotional well-being. The scarcity of these services hampers the holistic development of disabled students and impedes their educational progress.
Inaccessible Physical Infrastructure:
Many educational institutions in Libya lack accessible physical infrastructure, making it difficult for disabled children to navigate school premises independently. The absence of ramps, elevators, accessible toilets, and sensory-friendly classrooms creates barriers to mobility, participation, and overall engagement in the learning process.
Limited Availability of Assistive Technologies:
The availability of assistive technologies, such as hearing aids, Braille devices, and screen readers, is limited in Libya. These technologies are crucial in enabling disabled children to access information, communicate effectively, and participate fully in educational activities. The lack of access to these technologies significantly hinders the educational opportunities of disabled students.
Inadequate Policy Framework:
The absence of a comprehensive policy framework addressing the educational needs of disabled children contributes to the challenges they face. Clear policies and guidelines are essential to ensure inclusive education, promote anti-discrimination measures, allocate resources, and enforce accountability at all levels of the education system.
Educational workshop. Photo by Saleh Deryag
Strategies to Address the Challenges:
Curriculum Reforms and Quality Assurance
Revitalizing the curriculum is vital for modernizing Libya’s education system and equipping students with the skills needed for the 21st century. Curriculum reforms should emphasize practical and vocational training, fostering creativity, critical thinking, problem-solving, and digital literacy. Updating the curriculum to align with global educational standards and labour market demands can enhance students’ employability and entrepreneurial skills. Additionally, establishing a robust quality assurance framework to monitor and evaluate educational institutions will ensure that students receive a high standard of education. Regular assessments, teacher training, and accreditation mechanisms can promote accountability and quality in the education system.
Promoting Access to Education
Expanding access to education is crucial for addressing disparities in educational opportunities. Particular attention should be given to marginalized and remote areas with limited access to quality education. Investing in developing educational infrastructure in these regions, including schools, libraries, and educational centres, is essential. Additionally, providing financial assistance, scholarships, and grants to students from disadvantaged backgrounds can help mitigate financial barriers that hinder access to education. Promoting inclusive policies that ensure access for children with disabilities and those from displaced or refugee backgrounds is also crucial in fostering a more equitable education system.
Strengthening Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET)
Promoting technical and vocational education and training (TVET) is essential for equipping students with practical skills aligned with the job market’s needs. Collaboration between educational institutions, private sector industries, and government entities can help design and implement relevant TVET programs. Providing students with opportunities for internships, apprenticeships, and hands-on training can bridge the gap between education and employment. Moreover, promoting entrepreneurship and innovation within the TVET framework can foster economic growth and self-employment opportunities.
Enhancing Teacher Training and Professional Development
Addressing the teacher shortage and improving the quality of education requires a focus on teacher training and professional development. Providing pre-service and in-service training programs can enhance teachers’ pedagogical skills, content knowledge, and classroom management abilities. Additionally, mentoring programs, peer-to-peer learning, and continuous professional development opportunities can support teachers’ growth and keep them updated with modern teaching methodologies and technology. Recognizing and incentivizing the teaching profession through competitive salaries and career advancement opportunities can also attract and retain qualified educators.
Addressing Socio-Economic Disparities in Education
Socio-economic disparities significantly impact access to quality education in Libya. Children from disadvantaged backgrounds face numerous challenges, including poverty, limited resources, and lack of educational support. To address these disparities, targeted interventions are necessary, including implementing inclusive education policies, providing comprehensive support services, offering school feeding programs, and investing in early childhood education. Collaboration with local communities, NGOs, and international organizations can contribute to creating a more equitable educational landscape.
Leveraging Technology for Educational Advancement
Integrating technology in education can overcome geographical barriers, enhance learning outcomes, and provide access to various educational resources. Investing in digital infrastructure, such as internet connectivity and computer labs, can enable the integration of e-learning initiatives through digital tools and platforms in classrooms.
Developing Inclusive Education Policies: Libya should develop and implement inclusive education policies that emphasize the rights of disabled children to access quality education on an equal basis with their peers. These policies should promote inclusive practices, reasonable accommodations, and the integration of disabled students into mainstream schools.
Providing Teacher Training and Professional Development: Invest in specialized training programs to enhance teachers’ knowledge and skills in catering to the needs of disabled students. Training should focus on inclusive teaching methodologies, assessment techniques, and assistive technologies.
Improving Infrastructure and Accessibility: Upgrade existing educational facilities to ensure accessibility for disabled children. This includes providing ramps, elevators, accessible toilets, and sensory-friendly learning spaces. New constructions should follow universal design principles to ensure inclusivity from the outset.
Strengthening Support Services: Increase the availability of support services such as speech therapy, occupational therapy, and psychological support within educational institutions. This includes training and employing specialists to provide individualized support to disabled students.
Promoting Awareness and Sensitization:
Conduct awareness campaigns to challenge societal stereotypes, reduce discrimination, and promote inclusivity. These campaigns can target schools, communities, and the media, raising awareness about the rights and abilities of disabled children and fostering a more inclusive mindset.
Enhancing Collaboration and Partnerships:
Promote collaboration between government bodies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and disability rights organizations to address the educational challenges faced by disabled children. This collaboration can help in resource mobilization, sharing best practices, and advocating for the rights of disabled children within the education sector.
Integrating Assistive Technologies:
Invest in the procurement and distribution of assistive technologies to enable disabled children to access educational materials and participate fully in learning activities. Collaborate with technology providers and organizations to ensure assistive devices and software availability and affordability.
Monitoring and Evaluation:
Establish mechanisms for monitoring and evaluating the progress of inclusive education initiatives for disabled children. Regular assessments can help identify gaps, measure the effectiveness of interventions, and inform policy development and implementation.
International Support and Cooperation:
Seek international support and cooperation to address the educational challenges faced by disabled children in Libya. Collaborate with international organizations and donor agencies to access funding, expertise, and resources for implementing inclusive education programs.
Conclusion:
Addressing the educational challenges faced by both the non-disabled and disabled children in Libya requires a comprehensive approach that encompasses policy reforms, teacher training, infrastructure improvements, support services, awareness campaigns, and collaboration among stakeholders. Efforts towards inclusive education not only benefit disabled children but also contribute to the overall development and inclusivity of Libyan society as a whole. By prioritizing inclusive education and fostering an enabling environment, Libya can ensure disabled children have equal opportunities to access quality education, realize their potential, and actively participate in society.
References
Elzawi, A., & Fadel, K. (2020). Challenges facing education in Libya: An analysis of the educational system during and after the revolution. Journal of Education and Practice, 11(6), 1-9.
UNICEF. (2019). Education in Libya: Situation analysis and strategic framework. Retrieved from https://www.unicef.org/libya/reports/education-libya-situation-analysis-and-strategic-framework
Alaedeen, E. (2017). Education for children with disabilities in Libya: Policy, legislation, and challenges. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 21(4), 392-404.
Mundy, K., & Sharpe, A. (2016). Education and state-building in Libya: Between restoration and revolution. Compare: A Journal of Comparative and International Education, 46(6), 868-891.
European Union External Action. (2019). Education in Libya. Retrieved from https://eeas.europa.eu/sites/default/files/education_in_libya_final.pdf
Abdelsalam, R., & Keshavarz, M. (2021). Educational development in post-revolution Libya: A critical analysis of challenges and prospects. Journal of Education and Training Studies, 9(2), 11-26.
Save the Children. (2018). Barriers to education for children in Libya. Retrieved from https://www.savethechildren.org.uk/content/dam/gb/reports/emergency-education/barriers-to-education-in-libya.pdf
Human Rights Watch. (2019). Libya: Armed groups target civilians. Retrieved from https://www.hrw.org/news/2019/09/17/libya-armed-groups-target-civilians
United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL). (2017). UNSMIL Human Rights Report on Civilian Casualties – January to June 2017. Retrieved from https://unsmil.unmissions.org/sites/default/files/human_rights_report_on_civilian_casualties_january-june_2017_-_en.pdf
Disability Rights International (DRI). (2018). Making education a reality for children with disabilities in Libya. Retrieved from https://www.disabilityrightsintl.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/DRI-Report-Libya-FINAL.pdf
UNESCO. (2019). Education for people with disabilities in the Arab region: A regional overview. Retrieved from https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000370379
Human Rights Watch. (2016). Education barriers for children with disabilities in Lebanon. Retrieved from https://www.hrw.org/report/2016/11/15/i-just-want-be-able-learn/barriers-education-children-disabilities-lebanon
World Health Organization (WHO). (2020). Assistive technology. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/assistive-technology
United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD). (2006). Retrieved from https://www.un.org/development/desa/disabilities/convention-on-the-rights-of-persons-with-disabilities.html
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