In a follow-up to a 2007 analysis, the United Nations Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) released its report on school violence, Education under Attack, 2010. It describes an ever deteriorating situation for many students, teachers, and administrators in thirty-one countries. The report examines patterns of violence, motives, and monitoring. And while attacks on schools have increased dramatically, involving the community in the educational process may help stem those attacks.
Americans often associate school violence with Columbine or Virginia Tech where one or two individuals are motivated to turn a gun on their fellow students. The cause of such violence, while hotly debated, often centers on bullying or psychological disorders. And yet around the world there is a much more common type of violence, far removed from our relatively safe academic institutions. UNESCO’s report focuses on targeted acts of violence “carried out for political, military, ideological, sectarian, ethnic, religious or criminal reasons, against students, teachers, academics and all other education personnel”. Schools are closed, set on fire, or bombed. Students and administrators are the victims of assassination, torture, acid attacks, and kidnappings; even forcing children into military or militia service.
Tactics vary across region and country. In Pakistan the Taliban has targeted educational facilities; often firebombing schools. However, the number of deaths remains relatively low. In contrast, schools in Afghanistan have been repeatedly attacked resulting in numerous casualties with one in five educational personnel reportedly receiving threats. Suicide attacks are also much more common in Afghanistan, whereas in Africa, sexual abuse of schoolgirls is a more common weapon against the right to an education.
The stories are frightening. The effect of each attack ripples across the nation’s society. One attack can shut down a school for months. Where schools remain open, intimidation can keep attendance low. Recruitment of teachers and administrators becomes increasingly hard. Limited or no access to an education threatens to stall the community’s advancement. Considering the importance of an education, the 2010 report makes several recommendations:
- Increase reporting of incidents, as well as increase analysis (particularly where motives are concerned).
- Increase international support in rebuilding schools, safe transport provisions, military awareness, and in strengthening international laws.
- Increase pressure to change norms. For instance, schools should be designated zones of peace.
- Capacity building for local negotiations allowing for input and private security.
The last recommendation is particularly interesting. The UNESCO report, in several instances, supports the idea that local level negotiations can and have already helped decrease instances of violence on education. The reason may be two fold. The first is that community engagement can often directly address the reason or motives for attacks against education. Secondly, community involvement creates a sense of responsibility for that education.
The idea that negotiations can be made at the micro level is not a new proposal. Many have argued for “bottom up” activism in concert with more well known “top down” peace agreements. John Prendergast wrote that local communities are much more apt at responding to local issues due to their “resources, perspectives, knowledge, and commitment that are unavailable to outsiders.” Therefore, peace will be more likely to last given the added support from below.
A study by CARE, an international humanitarian organization, sites polling data that suggests in areas where there is strong community involvement, schools are less likely to be attacked. They suggest measures such as hiring private armed guards (this helps de-link the school from either the national government or from an outside military) or increasing information regarding the curriculum (many attacks appear to stem from the belief that children are being taught an anti-Islamic message).
In places like Afghanistan, this approach appears to be showing some signs of success. The study cites Afghanistan’s new Minister of Education, Farooq Wardak, effort to increase community engagement. As of March 2009, “161 schools re-opened compared to 35 in 2007-2008; and in the crucial first month of term, when schools are particularly vulnerable to attack, no violent incidents were reported.”
UNESCO’s report is a starting point in bringing awareness to an increasingly important situation facing many. As the United States increases its engagement in Afghanistan, top-down political and military strategies will only be part of winning the war. However, it will be important for local communities to step up and take responsibility, where they can, to protect their schools.
Read the full report:
http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0018/001868/186809e.pdf
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