Strengthening Children's Councils to Improve Quality of Education
Introduction
A Project of "Strengthening Children's Councils to Improve Quality Education" derived from" Mainstreaming Child Rights in School project" which was successfully implemented in its targeted provinces in the last 3 years, 2005-2007. The project aims at improving structure of children's councils, and its roles and responsibilities which response to the rights of child participation in schools, families and communities. The capacity building process to the Ministry of Education Youth and Sport (MoEYS) staff at national, provincial, district and community levels is the need for successful implementation of the project. The project will be implemented in line with Child Friendly School Policy of the MoEYS. For the first phase of piloting the project, the periodical extent is from January 2009 to June 2010.
Objective
- Key officials from MoEYS, PoEYS, and DoEYS, school principals, classroom teachers and school-community support committee gained knowledge and experience on topics related to Children's Councils Strengthening and take actions to include and protect children in particular the most disadvantaged, and engage and support them in the activities of the Children's Councils.
- Children, in particular the most disadvantaged, are reached by, engaged in and benefiting from non-violent and safe school with child friendly learning environment.
- A model for strengthening Children's Councils documented and widely shared among government and NGO agencies working in the same area.
How we work
We work in close partnership with the Ministry of Education Youth and Sport to coordinate the project activities run well. To build up more effective collaboration, we have established Project Steering Committees (PSCs) in the Ministry level which made up of key officials from the related departments, Primary and Secondary Education Departments, Teaching Training Department, Youth Department and Research Pedagogy Department.
We provide consultative meetings and training on Children's Councils policy and guideline and other related topics such as children and adult communication, how to organize effective meeting, good planning, to the Ministerial staff from national to provincial and district levels, so that they become the resource trainers to provide ongoing training to Children's Councils in the target schools.
Besides capacity building, the project will produce Children's Council guideline in Child Friendly version to ease children to understand about Children's Council guideline and practice.
A model of Children's Councils strengthening will also be documented to be shared among government and other NGO agencies working in the same area.
Where we work
We work in total of 20 primary targeted schools, including 8 schools of Angkor Chum district, Siem Reap Province, 6 schools of Dambae district, Kampong Cham province, and 6 schools in Ta Khmao district, Kandal province. The project benefits 100 teachers, 10,000 students, 120 officials of District offices of Education (DOE), 70 officials of Ministry of Education Youth and Sport (MoEYS) and 50 community members.
Sixth Grade Students at the School are Eager to Describe What They've Learned from CRF Programs
We've learned about TSEC and abuse prevention, the four baskets of CR and responsibility. We spread that information to friends and family, our parents and community members, they said. " We're cautious about people who may not do good deeds."
Through the CC, the students are cooperating with school and keep it clean. " We take better care of the school environment and we are also have chance to involve in developing school improvement planning with our school directors and key teachers." say the sixth graders.