Interview with Melek Kaymaz

Melek Kaymaz is a refugee from Turkey and currently works as a math teacher in an international high school in Amsterdam.  At the school she teaches math in Dutch to mavo, havo and vwo students.

 

How did you end up in the Netherlands?

Melek fled Turkey with her husband. Before coming to the Netherlands, they lived in Iraq for three years, where Melek worked as a math teacher. When Melek became pregnant, they knew that returning to Turkey and staying in Iraq were no longer options. They wanted to do something for their daughter, for a better future. At first, they had no idea where they could go, as Melek explained, “We didn’t have a visa for a European country, nor a ‘green card’ to move to the United States.” After spending some time researching their possibilities on the Internet, they found out that the Netherlands is a country where refugees are welcome, where they can receive help and where they are free. “Freedom, that is very important to me, that is why we came to the Netherlands”. Now Melek and her husband have been living in the Netherlands for five years.

“This step was huge, and, in the beginning, I had a very hard time adjusting, I had no idea what it meant to live in the Netherlands. I did not know the language yet and did not know anything about the Dutch culture.” Her husband and Melek also came to the Netherlands on their own, as they have no relatives or acquaintances living in the Netherlands.

 

Why did you become a math teacher?

“When I was little, it was not my dream to become a math teacher. Later in life I had to make a choice, which direction I wanted to go in. I knew I love math. I see math as a kind of game or a puzzle that I want to solve. In addition, I also knew that I like to teach math to other people. Often, I had to explain things to my brothers or my family and I actually liked doing this. Therefore, the choice to become a math teacher was a very good choice”.

 

What challenges have you encountered?

When Melek and her husband came to the Netherlands, they had to start from scratch. They had no idea about the Dutch language or culture. In an AZC in Amsterdam, Melek taught herself the basics of the Dutch language using a book she could get there. She ended up living for 10 months in the AZC with her husband and her just-born daughter. Now she lives in a house with her family in Southeast Amsterdam. To improve her Dutch, she took a free course offered by the municipality of Amsterdam. She also completed the “Orientation Track Status holders for the Classroom” (Oriëntatietraject Statushouders voor de Klas) at the Hogeschool van Amsterdam. This track not only helped her master the Dutch language, but also taught her about the Dutch education system and enabled her to get an internship at a secondary school.

 

Now she is still working at the same school as a math teacher. This process sounds easier than it was. Melek told us that she found it incredibly difficult to find a teaching job. For example, she applied for more than 40 schools of which only 5 schools responded. In the end, she could choose between two schools. She was very sad that some schools had not responded at all. “I’m different, I get that, but I do expect a response, especially since the Netherlands has a teacher shortage.”

 

Melek felt that Dutch people did not trust her at first. “They are afraid of other people, they do not believe you at first, but once you gain their trust, then it is good and they are very nice and sweet.”

 

What differences are there between the Turkish and Dutch education systems?

“Dutch education is a little different than the Turkish one.” For example, Melek explained to us that schools in Turkey also have different levels. But the difference is the ages at which the children change levels. For example, elementary school in Turkey is also eight years, but children in the Netherlands go to high school at an earlier age. Because of this, Melek got the feeling that Dutch children that are just starting high school are a bit childish. What Melek did notice is that Dutch children are much more independent. ‘The kids here are much more active. In Turkey, the teacher has to be 100 percent active, and students only follow what is said. “In the Netherlands, children work independently on assignments without the teacher having to explain everything.” Another difference is that in the Netherlands there are many more different types of schools, such as public, private or Christian schools. In Turkey, there is only one type of school.

 

Looking at the future

Even though Melek misses her family and friends in Turkey and her culture, she is still happy with her choice to come to the Netherlands. Her family and friends fortunately visit her from time to time but she herself cannot go back to Turkey. The most important thing for her is the freedom she has in the Netherlands. Melek would like to communicate to other refugees that in the beginning it is a very difficult step to come to the Netherlands and become a teacher here, but you should never give up and always do your best. It gets easier and easier with time.

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Written by Georgette Schönberger

In Turkey: 47 people detained for helping the families of under arrest.

Humanitarian protection given to the families of prisoners, accused of anti-terrorism, should not be seen as a form of support for terrorism.

According to the Turkish Media outlets; 47 people were detained because they provided financial aid to the relatives of those imprisoned in Izmir and distributed aid sent from abroad to families in need. The money and jewellery in the houses of these people and 2 F series American dollars were also seized on the grounds that they were evidence of ‘organization’.

Within the scope of the investigation carried out by the İzmir Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, 40 houses were raided in İzmir, İstanbul, Ankara, Samsun and Muğla and 47 of the 54 people for whom arrest warrants were issued were detained.

During the searches conducted at the addresses, 180 thousand 305 Turkish liras ( around 8 thousand 900 Euros), 400 euros, 4 thousand 900 dollars, 47 jewellery items, numerous documents containing information on organizational activities and financial distribution within the organization, and two “F” series 1 US dollars were seized.

It was stated that those detained were people who provided financial assistance to members of the Gülen community and that they handed over the money sent from abroad to families in need of help.

In the statement made by the İzmir Police, it was announced that the aid was provided in three ways: cardless transactions from ATMs, cargo and hand.

Humanitarian protection should be given to the prisoner of anti-terrorism and the prisoner’s family members during these difficult times.  Humanitarian protection given to the families of prisoners, accused of anti-terrorism, should not be seen as a form of support for terrorism. Awareness among society and the decision makers within the country that even prisoners are entitled to “rights” despite the crimes that they are accused of having committed.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights clearly states under Article 3 that individuals have a right to life, liberty and security. Under Article 9 no one shall be subject to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile. In Turkey, individuals’ rights are being restricted under the veil of anti-terrorism laws. This escalating repression of rights and political agenda that is taking over has sustained heavy blows on Turkish society.

 

What happened after 15th July 2016 in Turkey?(1)

Turkey has a broad definition of terrorism includes crimes against the constitutional order and allows the criminalization of expressions that justify, praise or incite people to use coercion or violent methods employed by a terrorist organization.

While the number of investigations on terrorism-related allegations was 55,058 in 2014 and 36,425 in 2015, they continually rose following a failed coup on July 15, 2016, when 155.014 investigations were launched that year alone. In 2017 the number of investigations launched on terrorism-related allegations rose to a record number of 457,423, to 444,342 in 2018, to 310,954 in 2019, 208,833 in 2020 and 191,964 in 2021, totalling 1,768,530 in the 2016-2021 period. (

Following the coup attempt, the Turkish government launched a massive crackdown on non-loyalist citizens, particularly members of the faith-based Gülen movement, under the pretext of an anti-coup fight.

The Turkish government accuses the Gülen movement of masterminding the failed coup, yet the movement strongly denies any involvement in the failed putsch.

 

1 https://stockholmcf.org/more-than-2-million-terrorism-investigations-launched-in-turkey-following-failed-coup-official-data/

Impact of anti-terrorism laws on sick children – A Turkish perspective

Turkey is bound by several regional and international declarations which require the State to ensure and protect human rights and fundamental rights. However, in practice, there is a serious deficit of the same. This can especially be seen through the draconian measures implemented through the counter-terrorism measures, also known as the anti-terrorism laws in Turkey. While in theory, these laws seem to meet human rights standards, a closer look at their implementation shows an undue curtailment of human rights by these Turkish laws.

 

According to the Turkish constitution, any prisoner who has a child with severe illness has a right to take care of the kids. But the prisoners accused under anti-terrorism law cannot care for their children.[1] This especially poses a problem since it can be seen as a violation of the rights of the children guaranteed under the Constitution of Turkey[2] nor does it ensure that equality is guaranteed[3] as measures taken for the sake of children are not seen as a violation of equality.

 

Multiple cases have indicated that the rights of children have been violated such as the case of Nurefsan Ketenci a differently abled girl who was pressured to leave her school due to her father being accused under the anti-terrorism laws. The family were living as refugees in Germany due to the lack of support received from the government, especially in the case of the sick girl.[4]

 

 

 

 

 

Selman Çalışkan was denied proper and timely treatment abroad due to the travel ban issued to his mother by the Turkish authorities and his father who was a prisoner accused of anti-terrorism.[5]

 

 

Similarly the case of Ahmet Burhan Atac where his father too was a prisoner accused under the anti-terrorism law. The arbitrary detention of the father denying him to be with his son at least during the treatment process coupled with the travel ban issued to his mother as well as arbitrary detention, made him receive treatment in the absence of both his parents and there was a delay in the treatment due to the abuse in the judicial systems.[6]

 

 

 

 

Kübra Kuzan was diagnosed with a brain stem tumour at the age of four. The only wish of the family was for their daughter to overcome this severe illness with their father. The prosecutor did not even allow father Ertuğrul Kuzan to see his painful daughter. After a long time, when a short leave came, it was too late. The innocent girl could not recognize her father.

 

 

 

Mehmet Erdoğan, the 6-year-old son of Rasih Erdoğan, an English teacher with a statutory decree, who has been imprisoned for 2.5 years in Kahramanmaraş, could not be awakened after an operation due to a cyst on his arm and passed away longing for his father in the hospital in Ankara, where he was being treated.

 

 

 

 

İbrahim Kılcan was a child with muscle disease and a heart transplant. It was her only wish to see her teacher father, İrfan Oğuz Kılcan, who was arrested after he was expelled by statutory decree. After receiving treatment, İbrahim passed away longing for his father, whom he could not see after he was arrested.

 

 

 

Hamza Travac, 27 months old, was a 98% disabled baby. He died in Trabzon due to a lung infection. His father, Hasan Travac, who has been imprisoned in Giresun for 28 months, could not attend the funeral of Hamza, whom he could not be with when he was born.

 

 

 

Hakan Dağdeviren is an 11-year-old boy diagnosed with leukaemia whose parents are imprisoned as part of a crackdown in Turkey targeting followers of the faith-based Gülen movement. Hakan needs his parents to be able to battle his disease.

 

 

 

Berk Görmez, a 14-year-old disabled son of a Turkish couple, who was dismissed by a government decree under the rule of emergency, lost his life. Berk’s father Bekir Görmez has not been permitted to visit him for the last 17 months despite his and his mother’s severe health problems.

 

 

 

 

Bilal Burak, his 17-year-old congenitally disabled son, whose father was imprisoned, passed away. The arrested father was able to attend the funeral of his son Bilal Burak, who was buried, with his hands cuffed.

 

 

 

The above-mentioned children are some of the many children who had to undergo severe treatment for their illnesses.[7] These children had to do so in the absence of one or both parents since they were prisoners and were not allowed to be with their children during this difficult period. A lot of these children have since passed away without being able to see their parents since the parent(s) were not given any form of release from prison to be with the ailing child.

 

Currently, Gulten Sayin is a prisoner accused of anti-terrorism and her son, Yusuf Kerim Sayın, is currently suffering from cancer. She is only allowed to visit her son at the hospital for half a day since no steps have been taken by the Ministry of Justice for her release or no arrangement has been made where she can spend sufficient time caring for her child during this painful period.[8] This case is currently garnering huge attention not just from the public but also from renowned leaders from within the country and seeks for the government to make a change in the Constitution for such exceptional cases. Her husband has complained against Turkey with the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child with the assistance of international human rights lawyers David Matas and Sarah Teich. The accused in this case was the primary caregiver and has not been provided with the requested compassionate leave to care for her son.

 

 

 

 

RECOMMENDATIONS

There should be an increase in the internal capacity of the country to address such issues and take immediate and effective steps, especially in the case of arbitrary detention or a travel ban which adversely affects a third party particularly vulnerable groups such as a sick child of a prisoner accused of anti-terrorism.

Humanitarian protection should be given to the prisoner of anti-terrorism and the prisoner’s family members during this difficult time of being physically present for the child and not finding ways to further burden the child. Humanitarian protection given to the prisoner accused of anti-terrorism should not be seen as a form of support for terrorism. Awareness among society and the decision makers within the country that even prisoners are entitled to “rights” despite the crimes that they are accused of having committed.

Adequate remedies need to be put in place at all international, regional and local levels to ensure that in future when situations such as these do arise there is a proper plan of action to prevent unnecessary legal issues and hindrances and have a swift movement to ensure that the other stakeholders such as the sick child are not impacted by the gaping human rights shortcomings seen in the anti-terrorism measures implemented by a country.

An emphasis needs to be laid on the right to privacy and family life, health-related rights, especially in the case of sick children who become innocent victims in the abuse of the system that takes place when human rights law needs to be ensured in the case of prisoners. We need to have an effective and transparent mechanism which can be laid out by international organizations and can then be incorporated as a law by concerned countries. This could potentially reduce the State’s inclination to loosely invoke national security or project the prisoner accused of anti-terrorism being there for his or her sick child as an issue that goes against the State’s national interest.

Lastly, access to human rights experts to expedite such cases should be an option given to prisoners accused of anti-terrorism.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights clearly states under Article 3 that individuals have a right to life, liberty and security. Under Article 9 no one shall be subject to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile. In Turkey, individuals’ rights are being restricted under the veil of anti-terrorism laws. This escalating repression of rights and political agenda that is taking over has sustained heavy blows on Turkish society.

Written by

Caren Thomas

The above article is submitted to the United Nations for the Call for inputs: Global Study on the Impact of Counter-Terrorism Measures on Civil Society and Civic Space

Here is the submitted report

The_impacts_of_anti-terror_laws_on_the_sick_children_whose_parents_are_accused_by_the_law_in_Turkey_(1)

Sources

  1. Ahmet Burhan Atac: The Story of the Child Who Got Killed Collectively* – Broken Chalk
  2. Disabled girl forced to leave special needs school due to father’s links to Gülen movement dies – Stockholm Center for Freedom
  3. Jailed mother reunites with a son suffering from cancer for half a day – Stockholm Center for Freedom
  4. Kübra Kuzan
  5. [Update] Mother of young cancer patient about to lose an eye: My child will die without seeing his father – Stockholm Center for Freedom
  6. Mehmet Erdoğan
  7. İbrahim Kılcan
  8. Hamza Travaç
  9. Boy struggling with leukaemia needs jailed parents’ support, grandfather says – Stockholm Center for Freedom
  10. 14-year-old disabled Berk dies in absence of his father who is in prison over alleged Gülen links – Stockholm Center for Freedom
  11. Bilal Burak Bozbay
  12. Uğurcan Gençtürk

[1] Law No. 5275 – 17.4, 17.6

[2] Article  41, Constitution of Turkey

[3] Article 10, Constitution of Turkey

[4] Disabled girl forced to leave special needs school due to father’s links to Gülen movement dies, Stockholm Center for freedom, https://stockholmcf.org/disabled-girl-forced-to-leave-special-needs-school-due-to-fathers-links-to-gulen-movement-dies/ July 26th, 2021.

[5] Mother of young cancer patient about to lose an eye: My child will die without seeing his father, Stockholm Center for freedom, https://stockholmcf.org/paralyzed-6-year-old-fights-brain-cancer-without-his-jailed-fathers-support/ July 8th, 2020.

[6] Ahmet Burhan Atac: The Story of the Child Who Got Killed Collectively, Broken Chalk https://brokenchalk.org/ahmet-burhan-atac-the-story-of-the-child-who-got-killed-collectively/

[7] bitenhayatlar.com, stockholmmcf.org

[8] Jailed mother reunites with son suffering from cancer for half a day, Stockholm Center for freedom, https://stockholmcf.org/jailed-mother-reunites-with-son-suffering-from-cancer-for-half-a-day/ January, 27th 2023.

The Life of Halime Gulsu: The Heavenly Teacher Murdered in Prison

Halime Gülsu – Turkey’s failing prison system led to the tragic death of a unique soul. A book review of The Life of Halime Gülsu: The Heavenly Teacher Murdered in Prison (2022)

by Vivien Kretz

How can prisoners not be sentenced to death but still be murdered?

How do civilians pay for their lives? Questions like this arise when thinking about the fate of Halime Gülsu.

Written by Zeynep Kayadelen and published by the US human rights organization Advocates of Silenced Turkey (AST), the book, titled “Halime Gülsu: The Heavenly Teacher Murdered in Prison,” is based on the accounts of Gülsu’s cellmates who witnessed her final moments as well as friends and family. She died as an inmate in a prison ward in the Mersin province in Turkey due to insufficient access to medical aid.

Halime Gülsu’s story was now reconstructed by Advocates of Silenced Turkey (AST), a Turkish NGO. Author Zeynep Kayadelen incites her work with a preface: “We have died many times” (Kayadelen 2022, 9). The hopelessness peaks through her words. She dedicates this work of literature to those who have died from painful deaths fighting for a cause they cared about.

In her heartfelt novel, Kayadelen touches on the saddening fate of Halime Gülsu, a dedicated teacher who taught in Turkey and was a part of the Hizmet movement. This movement is influenced by the ideas and goals of scholar Fethullah Gulen. The Hizmet movement is dedicated towards a freer, more equal, and more sustainable Turkey.

Gülsu was a highly devoted teacher. She taught her students during her working hours and supported them when many of them were persecuted by the Turkish regime.

Turkey’s regime worked against those affiliated with Hizmet and those who were part of the movement. Gülsu and most of her friends were in a difficult situation. She felt watched for her every step. She knew that the regime was after her and that they did not mean well to her. Kayadelen described it as: “If their oppression was a fire, their animosity was the wind raging it up”. However, Gülsu refused to give in and declined the opportunity to leave the country. Much of her family lived in Canada, so she often could go abroad to see her family. However, she was a very proud Turkish citizen and chose to stay to defend herself against the regime. It is stressed multiple times throughout the book that she saw herself as a citizen of Turkey and decided to fight for a promising future for her country. However, the leaders of the regime disagreed with this.

On February 20th, 2018, Gülsu was arrested for being part of the Hizmet movement. Her arrest caught her by surprise. Gülsu knew she was being watched but did not expect to be arrested and incarcerated.

After Mersin’s Anti-Terror Special Forces team had crammed through her entire apartment and pulled everything apart, they handcuffed her and took her to Tarsus prison.

Gülsu was not healthy. She suffered from chronic lupus erythematosus, an autoimmune disease, and required daily and weekly medication to treat her illness.

 

When the Turkish forces ripped the teacher out of her home, she quickly grabbed her daily medication and medical records to take with her. Unfortunately, Gülsu forgot to take her weekly medicine during her arrest.

Once Gülsu arrived at the prison, she asked for her medical documents, which stated that she was sick and needed her weekly medicine and medical aid, but her medical records were nowhere to be found. Gülsu found herself in a terrifying and life-threatening situation.

She was put in an overcrowded cell with other women. The cell was made for ten people with ten beds, and when she entered it, it was already at double its capacity.

Some of the prisoners had babies but were taken from them. Female prisoners were forced to send their young children home because they could not care for them in prison.

Gülsu experienced everything first-hand: the routines, the uncertainties, and the other prisoners’ stories, but not for long. Three months after her arrest, Gülsu died from medical negligence.

Gülsu did not receive access to her weekly medicine or was ever granted medical treatment for her chronic lupus illness. Her condition worsened, and she developed growths and lumps- she was in terrible agony.

Gülsu got weaker and weaker by the day. When her brother finally was able to deliver the medication to her, it was already too late. Gülsu couldn’t cope with the pain, and the aggressive illness had progressed too far. According to inmates and family accounts, Gülsu became aware of her final days.

After weeks of suffering, Gülsu was finally allowed to go to a hospital, but it was too late. After she returned to the prison, her inmates, who had become caring friends, had to carry her as she was too weak to walk –they looked after, fed Gülsu and prayed for her.

Sadly, on April 2018, at 3:10, she died alone in a prison corridor. “Like an empty cocoon, her dried-up body was left behind, just lying there “, wrote Kayadelenin in her book.

The author Kayadelen narrates the book in a first-person perspective, which makes it easier for the reader to emphasize what the teacher must have gone through during her difficult time in prison.

Kayadelen’s book is a beautiful reading experience with a personal insight into what Gülsu experienced during her final days. Through multiple interviews with people who work at the prison and those affiliated with Gülsu, the organization gathered the tales about her time in prison and created a strong background for a story told with heart.

Kayadelen’s work is a strong voice against all human rights violations in Turkish prisons. Advocates of Silenced Turkey did an excellent job giving a tiny piece of justice to Halime Gülsu, “the heavenly teacher”.

The book can be purchased here: The Life of Halime Gulsu: The Heavenly Teacher Murdered in Prison: Kayadelen, Zeynep, Girdap, Hafza, Korku, Ummu, Nazif, Muhsin, Y., E., W., Barbara, Hur, Hande, Silenced Turkey, Advocates of, Publishing, AST: 9798365685956: Amazon.com: Books

Press Release: International Women’s Day 2023

8th March 2023

Happy International Women’s Day!

A day dedicated to celebrating women’s achievements worldwide, raising awareness of the challenges women face, and determining ways of achieving gender equality. This year the theme is Women in Education, Technology, and innovation, for which the Broken Chalk women’s team manage to make a video to commemorate the day, to raise awareness of the challenges women still face in education, and to identify the gaps and solutions for achieving gender equality. Gender equity is the process of being fair to women and men. Women have continued to pursue professional education and careers, but not without barriers. To ensure fairness, methods and efforts must be available to help women across the globe against any social, political, or cultural disadvantages they might face.

 

Article 28 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child recognizes equal opportunities and compulsory and available primary education for all. To this day, 129 million girls are still not going to school, although more girls have access to education than ever before. The enjoyment of women’s right to quality education is still affected by multiple gender-based barriers, such as wrong stereotypes, child marriage and pregnancy, poverty, or gender-based violence. Although gender-equitable education systems build prosperity for the whole country, poor families often prioritise boys when investing in education. However, education for young girls will also enhance their countries’ social and economic well-being, as they are more likely to invest in and prioritize their children’s education because of the value of schooling.

 

Girls’ education goes beyond entering school: it is necessary to ensure a safe learning environment that enables girls to complete their learning and acquire the knowledge and skills needed to compete in the labour market. However, in some countries, schools still do not meet safety, hygiene and sanitation requirements or the same teaching practices creating gender gaps in learning.

Our team reflected on the ongoing education challenges women still face in their countries of origin and as possible solutions. In the so-called “Global North,” girls’ access to education is not conditioned by gender but stereotypes still play a role in relegating women to the humanities instead of science subjects. In some countries such as Italy injustices and discrimination in access to the labour market still occur. On the other hand, on the African continent, poverty plays a crucial role in access to education. One of the main concerns is the fact that for many girls, education is put on hold: there is no continuity. This is the case in Kenya, where crises caused by drought and famine challenge the durability of girls’ education. Girls also drop out of school due to early pregnancies and marriages. In Uganda and Mozambique, this phenomenon is very much present: society must become more sensitive to the importance of sending girls to school for social development. Also, in some Asian countries like Indonesia child marriage is still a cause for which women are stopping school and focusing on taking care of the children and the household. Although the government is acting to implement policies that improve the quality of Indonesian girls’ education, what needs to be spread is public awareness of the values and importance of education for girls. Investing in girls’ schooling transforms communities, countries, and the world. It strengthens economies and reduces inequality. Another challenge women may face is the case of Turkiye, where female university students still face strip searches by police officers.

 

As always, it is Broken Chalk’s mission to spread knowledge about the importance of education in actualizing human rights. This year Broken Chalk will focus on improving girls’ access to education and raising awareness about the positive impact that female education has on society in general as well as on economic and social well-being. Because women’s rights are human rights, we will continue to support efforts to achieve gender equality across all domains, not just education. Gender equity improves opportunities for all and allows people to pursue their dreams despite gender. Equity leads to equality.

 

Happy International Women’s Day!

Signed by

Broken Chalk

 International_Womens_Day_2023_Press_Release_Eng

EDUCATION DAY RECAP SERIES III

Lastly, there is no better way to end this recap series than with Thunderbird’s school of Global Management’s bold, One Hundred Million Learners  Initiative.

This initiative has a vision to provide education to a hundred million people across the word. Their aim is to offer online, global education from world-class accredited institutions in 40 different languages to learners across the globe, at no cost to the learner.

It is estimated that by 2035, there will be over 470 million people demanding higher education, this is over double the current amount. Thunderbird believes that we have a solution to keep up with the demand for higher education, at our fingertips. Digital education is an accessible way to provide education and the necessary skillset to people around the world.

Source: Thunderbird University

Their online classes have three educational levels:
1) Foundational program: Content for learners with any level of education.
2) Intermediate program: Content at the high school or undergraduate education level.
3) Advanced courses: Content at the graduate education level.
Moreover, their degrees can be applied in the real world professional space. Their classes offer the individual to go though rigorous testing to transform the beginner level diploma, with extra classes, to a professional degree.

It has been a great source of positivity attending this event on Education Week. Accessibility remains one of the main obstacles to education worldwide. This initiative will greatly impact how we view and receive education.

Learn more at: https://thunderbird.asu.edu/alumni/engagement/support-100M-learners

EDUCATION DAY RECAP SERIES II

Moving on to the next theme, Placemaking plays an important part in our society. Placemaking is rooted in community participation. This event discussed the work of Placemaking in Mexico, Brazil and Nepal. On January 26th 2023, several Placemakers shared their work and spoke about the importance of being physically involved and represented in building in our communities.

Placemaking Mexico

Placemaking Mexico introduced the concept of Colour Courts. This projects involved areas in Mexico which could be utilized as a playing court to encourage the community to participate and socialise with one another. The concept was to redesign unused or stagnant spaces to introduce a new lively dynamic to the nearing neighbourhood.

Placemaking is not just about the concept of design, it is about “community” designs of shared spaces. It is about involving people in designing and personalising their community and their public space. In two months, Placemaking Mexico had repainted 9 courts in 7 states in Mexico. In total, over 63 thousand people benefitted from this remodelling. The project design focused on accessibility, community contact and LQC actions which involve the needs of the community.

Source: https://www.theemptysquare.org/stories/basketcolor-project

However, Placemaking is not exactly an easy construction project. Indeed, there were a few challenges that they  faced when designing the courts. Mainly, the biggest challenge was the accessibility of the area that needed to be redesigned. This is because the courts may be in remote, dangerous or swampy areas. In fact, one court was entirely swamped.

Another challenge was the necessity for the designs to reflect the community’s needs. For instance, Placemaking Mexico had to take into account the intentions of designing the courts. Transforming a former parking lot to a play court activates the community and feeds liveliness into the community as the court is not only a physical transformation but also a communal and sentimental transformation.

Placemaking Nepal

Placemaking Nepal is a collective of Placemakers such as architects, artists, planners and researchers. Their goal is to design equitable shared places for the community. Placemaking Nepal stated that we often focus on the hardware parts of the spaces. They are a relatively new branch of Placemaking which tries its best to spread awareness on Placemaking through seminars and activities that involve their communities.

One of their most successful campaigns was the Women in the City Walkshop.

The concept of this Walkshop stems from the fact that men and women share their physical spaces in the community, but each have their unique challenges, intentions and opportunities. This campaign involved women walking in the cities of Nepal, to raise awareness on how their societies utilise their public spaces. Whether it be a bus stop, the cross road or a parking lot, we can see the different perception men and women have in these shared spaces. For example, it was highly reported by women in the Walkshop that the perception of the lack of safety in public spaces and mobilities such as in bus stops heavily impacts women’s perceptions and socioeconomic opportunities as safety is a prerequisite for them when transporting to work.

The campaign was successful in garnering  positive discourse and awareness, from both men and women, on how their communities are affected by accessibility in day to day transportation , whether by foot or a vehicle.

Source: Instagram/PlacemakingNepal

Placemaking Brazil.

Placemaking and tactical urbanism are not largely recognized by the people in Brazil, as people are struggling to be a part of a large country which perpetuates the historical inequality they face. It is important to state that Brazilian people are tactical and pragmatic in facing their harsh reality. The culture of governing their space faces may issues such as the climate and the housing crisis. One goal of Placemaking Brazil is to mobilize tactical urbanism and to popularize engaging the community in designing their communal space. Another goal is to bring back the dialogue of urbanism and space designing in governing and the Brazilian culture.

Source: https://somoscidade.com.br/2022/10/placemaking-lugares-vibrantes-sao-feitos-com-e-para-as-pessoas/

In one of their projects, Placemaking Brazil proposed to local governments to occupy and host activities in abandoned public spaces in Brazil. The aim was to engage and activate the community around these abandoned spaces. It was essential to be creative in the activities that they hosted to involve as many people as they could, and equally as important was inviting the local community, universities and the Placemakers to share their thoughts and express their needs and wants of their community. Placemaking Brazil firmly believes that hosting these communal activities which encourage people to share their ideas had aided in starting a larger conversation with different governments to activate other abandoned places such as historical sites and old train terminals.

In the humanitarian spirit of Placemaking and community building, as issue Placemaking Brazil is tackling is the homeless’ accessibility to water. With the full support of local governments, they were able to provide drinking water in neighborhoods where homelessness is prevalent. As many people still live in the slums of Brazil, access to clean water is crucial to their livelihoods. Placemaking Brazil sought the opportunity to provide a clear flow of water in some neighborhoods and other larger cities.

It must be said that our human rights are very tangible when we examine our day to day lives. Our need for a healthy, lively and growing communities is essential for our development as human beings.

 

EDUCATION DAY RECAP SERIES I

On the week of 24th of January 2023, the Learning Planet Alliance celebrated Education Day where organizations came together and presented different informative topics that celebrated education in their own way. The themes ranged from education and youth leaning, the environment and green learning to human rights concerns and accessibility.
Broken Chalk has chosen a few events to attend, and report on some important themes that are necessary to in today’s society and dialogue. This month, we wanted to bring back the spirit of learning and education. This series celebrates relevant themes that Broken Chalk deem valuable and essential to discuss.
The best way to start off is with the event held by Salzburg Global Seminar. This event was titled: The power of peer learning and exchange. It relays the significance of organizations and individuals learning from each other, the event was organized in an anecdotal way where each participant discussed their experience networking as an educational policymaker.

                                                                        Education Policymakers Network: The power of peer learning and exchange

                                                                                                            Source: Salzburg Global Seminar
Salzburg Global Seminar, supported by the LEGO Foundation, has developed a network for policymakers, appropriately named Education Policymakers Network. The event was primarily instigated by the necessity of networking in today’s economy and environment. The idea was to bring together policymakers to understand the influence of our environment and communal policy in schools and education.
The Network’s primary target is school children aged 3-12, the aim is to understand their cognitive and behavioral needs and how best to provide for them in the school system. The network meets every 6 weeks to discuses their agenda. There are between 30 to 35 policymakers that exchange their views on the existing discourse in education. The event was anecdotal as three policymakers shared their experiences being part of the Network.
Starting in Brazil, Renan Ferreirinha , the Secretary of education of Rio de Janeiro introduced himself and his work. He is part of the largest public education department in charge of 700 thousand students and 50 thousand teaching professionals. He stated that Brazil had worked and succeeded to enhance the accessibility of education however, the main issue of quality persists. Quality will be a constant aspect of education that requires work and dedication to improve.
Ferreirinha adds that the 2020 pandemic detrimentally affected the access of education and the mental heath of students. Which is why they have been working with UNICEF for the upcoming school year to better the facilities given to students. The work with UNICEF includes discussions and studies with an emphasis on tutoring as it focusses on school students of all ages who struggle with education.
When asked about his thoughts about the Network, he described his enthusiasm for the opportunity to exchange ideas, and develop leadership and social skills. Two skills which continue to develop as being part of the network. Moreover, one perk of this network is that peer to peer exchange allows the flow of cross border ideas which helped him understand the need for practical ideas in solving issues related to the social decline in Rio.
Moving to Emis Njeru from Kenya who expressed great appreciation for the Network. In her words, it prioritizes empowering policymakers. She sees that the main goal of the network is to learn from peer to peer exchange. The platform facilitates global learning for each of the policymakers. She pointed that being part of the Network broadened her implementation knowledge of educational policies and included reviewing, group working and sector planning.
Civil Society Organizations in Kenya are nowadays also flaunting a community of practice as cross border learning is implemented. This means that the ability to provide education in harsh conditions and community building are now becoming a pillar for CSOs, something that was only possible because of peer to peer exchange. Innovation is also necessary as Information Technology is being introduced as part of teaching. The use of IT and electronic caravans ensures the provision and continuity of education in Kenya.
Njeru also touches on the aspect of breadth of skills and critical thinking, as well as social and emotional learning. Those are some skills which encouraged her to be a part of a life long learning network in Kenya and to promulgate the exchange of ideas and hold conferences. She is also participating in other networks that discuss accessibility of education for the disabled, as well as the Consortium of Research network in Kenya which can carry out research to improve evidence based policies in Kenya.
Lastly, in Scotland, Ollie Bray is the strategic director of Education Scotland. He works mainly around curriculum and school improvement. His responsibility is to mobilize teams to work on curriculum reform and leadership, and to focus on national development programs.
Bray elaborates that the career and education he has, had always been part of a network and that is where he learns practical skills the most. He was always looking for a network to join in Scotland. During his educational career, he observed that it was difficult to find local networks thus, joining an international one was the best course he could take. He valued the ability to look outwards in different communities and countries. Then taking good and practical ideas that were unbiased in practice and create a local recipe for Scotland.
Bray, much like Ferreirinha and Njeu, maintained the importance of revisiting social and emotional skills. He added that creative skills and studying how other leaders practice and solve the problems is part of the peer to peer exchange learning process. Bray mentioned quite an interesting point as well, and that is learning from others essentially builds the confidence to be creative in solving local issues.
He then goes on to say that Scotland has a good relationship with Wales and that they meet regularly in order to share ideas on the curriculum and to enhance their team skills during inspection times. One of the main strengths of this network is its even distribution in its global aspect that brings different ideas to the table, he added.

It is such a pleasure to see that our community continues to expand beyond our borders to produce a network that aims in closing the educational gaps we have in our modern society. These efforts show that education remains an essential component to human development.

Montenegro Report Summary 2022

Paul Schamp

10.11.2022

  • Education system faces multiple challenges over chronic shortage in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM fields) graduates.
  • While there is an increase in the coverage of Roma children in primary and secondary education, a drop in preschool and university education is apparent.
  • Quality of Roma education remains of great concern
    • Roma registered with the National Employment Bureau, 96% have the lowest level of education and less than 1% are educated to secondary level. This limits the range of employment opportunities.
  • Little improvement post-COVID to advance reforms on quality of education
    • Quality and relevance of education system, including lack of practical experience of graduates from vocational and higher education, remain key challenges
    • Occupational mismatch is high in tertiary education graduates
    • Montenegro must adopt a costed plan for wide ranging education reforms including inclusive education and improving access to quality education at all education levels
    • Implement the new strategy on early and preschool education 2021-2025 to improve preschool enrolment for all children
    • Finalize then initiate the national vocational education and training (VET) implementation plan 2022-2023 of the VET strategy 2020-2024, as well as putting in place the evaluation mechanism of practical learning at VET and higher education levels.
  • Preschool enrolment rate stood at 48.71% in 2020-2021, still well below the EU 95% target
    • Effected by the COVID-context
  • Number of children with disabilities in both preschool and primary education increased by 21% and 7%.
  • Government approved in December 2021 the strategy for digitalization for education (2022-2027), which is fully aligned with the EU digital education action plan
  • Montenegro still does not have a qualitative, budgeted, multi-annual education strategy and plan for sustainable reforms.
  • Free transport was provided for 600 primary school students
  • Montenegro must align more with the Poznan Declaration on Roma integration in order to fully implement the strategy for inclusive education 2019-2025.
  • New strategy on early and preschool education was adopted in Q4 2021 and its implementation started including support to all preschool institutions for conducting campaign on enrolment, capacity building of staff to implement the parenting program, a workshop on partnerships with Roma and Egyptian families.
  • Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports revised strategy for higher education to cover the period 2022-2026 and draft a new law on higher education. However, their adoption is pending and tangible results are not yet in place
  • Developing a structured monitoring and evaluation of practical education in higher education programs remains to be an area that requires specific attention.

The testimony of  Marcel Voorhoeve, an inspiring man operating in the education field in the Netherlands

Interview with Marcel Voorhoeve and the qualification for refugee teachers to teach in the Netherlands.

After spending most of his life as a teacher of mathematics and physics and deputy headmaster of a secondary school, Marcel Voorhoeve founded the organization DVDK (Docentvluchteling voor de Klas) or “Teacher refugee for the Classroom”.

In collaboration with the Dutch Association of Mathematics Teacher and VluchtelingenWerk Nederland (the Dutch Council for Refugees), the volunteers of DVDK are working to ensure that refugee teachers are able to carry out their profession also in the Netherlands.

On the occasion of the Education Day 2023, Broken Chalk decided to talk with Marcel Voorhoeve about his experience, the creation of DVDK and the suggestions he would give to others who might want to get involved in the promotion of the “teaching of refugee teachers”.

 

Can you tell me about your background?

“I was born in the South, in Maastricht, my age is 67 at this moment, I have been studying in the Utrecht University mathematics and physics. It was a five years study and after that it was possible to get the license in order to be a teacher. Then I started to look for a job in education, which was not quite easy at that time… Finally I got one in Utrecht, I became a teacher at a Roman Catholic school and I started teaching physics”.

After that, Marcel became a math teacher and in the middle of the 1980s, with the development of computers, he also started to give informatic classes. According to him, it was a quite interesting time for the educational system, as new ideas about how to teach mathematics were emerging.

“At Utrecht university the department was developing new ideas about mathematics education. For several projects our school was an “experimental school” and it was very interesting also for me because it allowed me to develop as a good teacher”.

“In a lot of countries mathematics is something you have to learn and to do, but doing is the most important thing… This approach doesn’t help very much in developing your own thinking, which is only possible when you have time to try things by yourself, obviously with the help of a good teacher.”

 

After being a teacher for the majority of his life, the last 15 years of his career Marcel was a member of the board of the school. Finally, the last four years before stopping to work, he was teaching at the University of Applied Sciences in Amsterdam at the teacher training department. He found himself back teaching mathematical subjects, in particular statistics, and the didactics of mathematics to young students who wanted to become math teachers.

 

How did you come up with the idea of DVDK?

“I stopped working three years ago, around the beginning of Corona time, but I liked my work very much. My partner and I started to travel for a moment…. In the month of January, after Christmas, I was thinking about what I could be doing. Waiting for the next trip was not satisfying to me”.

 

One day, Marcel decided to go to Plan Einstein, a place developed by the municipality of Utrecht and VluchtelingenWerk Nederland, an organization which is helping refugees for the reception and integration in the city. By talking with an employee, Marcel was introduced to a Turkish refugee who was a math teacher in his country and really wanted to be teaching again. The only problem was that he knew nothing about the Dutch language and about mathematics teaching and the school system in Holland.

“We became friends, I helped him with language, to understand the educational system. Then he told me that he was a member of a Whatsapp group of about 100 math teachers from Turkey that fled from their country because they had a problem with the political developments in Turkey and they had no possibility anymore to be teaching there.”

At the same time, Marcel explained,  Holland is affected by a highly problematic  shortage of math teachers.

This creates a paradoxical situation: in a country with fewer and fewer teachers, there are competent refugee teachers who may be able to help the host community and at the same time exercise the profession they love and have chosen.

The idea of DVDK came from this paradox. With the help of the Foundation of Maths Teachers in Holland and the organization VluchtelingenWerk Nederland, Marcel started a project with the aim of helping teachers from abroad become teachers in the Netherlands.

 

“In theory all those refugees from Turkey are allowed to teach in our schools as they have a license compatible with the Dutch education system. However, of course the language is problematic, also the Dutch educational system and even the way mathematics is taught in Holland differs enormously from Turkey, Iran or Syria… We heard a lot from these math teachers, who were not happy with the existing projects at other universities, and we thought that we could think about a good idea to make it better.”

“We made a plan, that we sent it to the ministry of education, about a good structured way of helping refugees from abroad starting at the moment they arrive in Holland, helping them to value their certifications and licenses in Holland, and preparing them to become a teacher in a fast and enduring way.”

In February 2022, a  group of 15 teachers, 13 math teachers and two IT teachers started a course at University of Applied Sciences in Utrecht, based on the ideas of DVDK.

(Picture: Two IT  teachers are instructed by their teacher in didactics of the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam)

 

How does DVDK work practically?

According to DVDK trainings about the language, didactics and the school system in Holland are only one part of what DVDK is doing, called “Period Two”.

In fact, he stressed how these refugees coming to the Netherlands have an urgent need for a phase that must precede this type of training.

“These refugees when they come to Holland should know the language before they can start this Period Two. We want to start immediately after they have their status or sometimes even before they are getting the status. In the asylum centers they are not allowed to do a course or to practice the Dutch language… This is terrible and demotivating. Of course there are of course and actions volunteers organize but at this moment no structured help for asylum teachers. A fast start will help these refugee teachers to make a motivating beginning with investigating and developing things for their new future.”

“Our idea, and we call it Period One, is that when a teacher from abroad is coming to Holland, it is necessary to offer something to this person. We think that it is very important to do it from the beginning because this gives the possibility that refugees can be motivated to do good things for their own lives.”

(Picture: In June 2022 the team of Hogeschool Utrecht and members of the projectgroup DVDK (Docentvluchteling voor de Klas) congratulated the participants with their first part of the course)

In addition, according to Marcel, it is also necessary to provide an orientation about what education in Holland concretely means, because refugees may have little or no idea of what it means to be a teacher in the Netherlands.

“We also think that it is really important to begin practicing the language a little bit. We developed a kind of website where we offer Dutch lessons. In addition, the tasks, exercises and content in these lessons are profession orientated, so the context and tasks are linked to the profession of the teacher. This design highly motivates the refugees. A lot of teachers are really teachers by heart and giving them the possibility to attend these lessons is also a way of saying to them that they are welcome in our country and math community and that we want to help them.”

In this sense DVDK is the only organization of the country having developed ideas and materials in this first period.

Finally, Marcel told me about the Third Period of the training. This final part has to be put into practice  when math teachers start to have their first job as a lot of coaching is still needed.

“Even when the language is quite ok, and even when the didactics is fine, the teacher will have to develop him or herself in the new school context and needs a lot of help. In particular for the language, for instance when feedback on writing emails or letters to parents or on designing a good task or test for students…”

 

If you had to give advice to other people in the field of education, which are the main difficulties that need to be overcome and how to do it?

“Several things… First of all, the participants should spend a lot of time, which is possible when you truly believe in the idea and when you have a group of persons and organizations who also believe in the idea. It is also important to have good cooperation. I can say that with the people that are now involved in the project, we actually became some kind of friends. This also helps to deal with the ups and downs which a project always meets.

Secondly, DVDK investigated whether the structure of the project is also applicable for other subjects. We discovered that also teachers of physics, chemistry, technics and informatics because of the lack of teachers also need creative ideas to  recruit new teachers. They intend to connect and this means that DVDK will expand and really contribute to providing an increasing number of good teachers. This is an example of our policy: involve as much as organizations and participants with the goal to make as much expertise available as possible. And, thirdly, there is a lot of expertise and ‘power of people’ available. Expertise in language didactics (CLIL), in math didactics especially for  teachers, in coaching of teachers from abroad, etc. DVDK is happy with the contribution of universities and especially the Hogeschool Utrecht who educated our first group. And now we are waiting for our Ministry of Education. Our efforts resulted in the commitment of our new minister to a structured   approach and the financial needs. Our voluntary work will go on!”

(Picture: Group of 15 teacher-asylants who started a course at Hogeschool Utrecht in February 2022)