Teachers and school management committees trained in Safe School Environment

Teacher, Head Teachers and members of SMC/BOG training in safe school

RIC-NET and KALI organized a three days training for Teachers, Head Teachers and members of school management committee of  Kathembo, Kisolholho, Kyabayenze primary schools , Karambi  and Katwe secondary schools, and   Bwera teachers college which was the host. 
The training was attended by 55 participants and facilitated by Mr.  John Silco (Trainer in SGBV and VAC/W), Ms.  Masika Harriet (Assistant Inspector of Schools) and project staff from KALI and RIC-NET.

The first day focused on:  introduction to  violence against children, different causes and forms of VAC and the effects  violence  to children in Uganda- both boys and girls, and VAC effects to school enrollment in both the secondary and primary schools. 

On the second day the participants reflected on the statistics of violence against children in both rural and urban areas; different stakeholders contribution to corporal punishment; the common areas/ forms of corporal punishments and ways its administered and suggested action to alternative to corporal punishments.

Group discussions on alternative Discipline

 The facilitator gave exposition on legal provisions against corporal punishments such as: the children’s act, penal code act, education act, and teacher’s profession code of conduct, school policies and coordination methods. The schools representative resolved that: they will review the roles and regulations, strengthen the structures for building a safe school environment, clarify the different role of all the stake holders and guide teacher to discipline with sober mind.

specific school Representative planning for their school

The third day was about positive discipline in relation to punishment,  create a violent free and safe school, responsibilities of different stake holders to create a safe and violent free school,  steps to follow in creating a safe and violent free school.  Teachers were guided to reflect on their own experiences  during school as students that they will never forget both bad and good. Some participants narrated  their experiences that was touching  with lessons to learn. Teachers committed to change their ways as punishing students. Participants resolved to:

• Hold a planning meeting throughout
• Engage the good school committee to engage in positive discipline
• Reinforce teachers commitment to its discipline
• Create a school culture that reorganizes students strength
• Involve students in fostering positive class behavior
• Establish a student court for resolving ongoing discipline problems
• Create standards and rules that inspire the whole school.   

As  the followup strategy, the schools promised to implement the following: Data collection on violence and monitor changes over time, Prevent violence through curriculum based activities, Work with teachers on values and belief and train them in positive class management,   Respond to violence when it happens,   Review and adopt school buildings, Involve the parents in violence prevention activities, Evaluate violence prevention activities and the use of evidence.

The inspector of schools in her closing remarks of the three days training thanked the members for attending all the three days and for being active participants. The asked them to encouraged them to stay good and put what they have been taught in action. She then adjourned the workshop.

TRAINING CIVIL SOCIETY IN INSPIRE STRATEGIES - BUNYANGABU DISTRICT.

The thirty 30 targeted actors attended a two days training on INSPIRE strategies promotion. Participants included: Head teachers of secondary schools, heads of SACCOs, in charge of healthy centres, CBOs, religious leaders and cultural leaders.

Facilitated by RIDE AFRICA and RIC-NET, with funding from CRVPF the training focused on creating awareness on the inspire package as well documented and evidenced based strategies for prevention of violence against children. The implementing team shared the seven strategies in detail with their objectives, rationale (response), activities and the out comes when the seven strategies are being well implemented.

The participant picked interest on the seven strategies and promised to use the skills acquired  in their daily works of sensitizing other people especially the perpetrators who commit the crimes  and yet know the laws but ignorant of the  the bad effects of their action to life of the victims

• Bad norms should be eliminated through sensitizing people in the community about their consequences.
•  Translate INSPIRE into indigenous language
• Create coordination and networking system.
•   Create structures to report on VAC at the school levels and safe spaces not dark corners.
• Female parents should sensitize their daughters before menstrual hygiene.

Participants appreciated the police who are in charge of family and child protection unit (FCPU) for being cooperative in handling cases related to violence against children, though there are still some loopholes.

Namboozi Monica from FCPU gave some highlights on how the FCPU operates and encouraged her fellow participants not to be reluctant when it comes to reporting cases to police in order to end VAC. She also emphasized parents to be friendly to their children so that, the children can be open to them whenever they experience cases of violence in their lives.

NGOS, TEACHERS, VSLA, RELIGIOUS AND CULTURAL LEADERS SENSITIZED INSPIRE STRATEGIES

The sensitization meeting was attended by 30 participants from different sectors on introduce contents of inspire package promotion inception on ending violence against children. The team from RIC-NET and RIDE AFRICA facilitated the training and  shared  information on  different types of violence against children (VAC), effects and consequences of VAC, VAC national  surveys report  and INSPIRE packages.

The following are the different causes violence in Buyangabu District  identified  participants:
Forced and early marriage, Taking alcohol by parents, High crime levels, Receiving gifts from strangers, Denial of basic needs to children, Allowing children to go to video halls,Taking children at school early in the morning, Poverty, Hunger/stave, Being mishandled by parents, Lack of parental love, Poor culture and policies used to rise children, Fighting between parents, Decline in religious norms.
 Others are: Law levels of education Divorce, Unemployment, Limited implementation of the laws, Being ignorant about the rights of children , Peer pressure, Environment where the child is living.
Some parents/ guardians are irresponsible some are taken up by economic activities and are greedy to perpetuate child labour e.g. sending a child to work but the money is shared by the guardians or parents, Use of drugs e.g. marijuana opium etc.