TEACHERS REVIEW GOOD SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT

 Following the training of the champion teachers on good school environment in June 2019, recently 16 teachers and 5 partners held a review meeting on of the current good school project activities on 17^th Thursday, October 2019. The Executive Director RIC-NET, the Karambi sub county chief, the head teacher Kisolholho Primary School, Kyabayenze Primary School, Kathembo Primary School and Karambi Secondary School made remarks about creating safe school environment to prevent violence against children.

Sub County Chief Karambi addressing the champion teachers and partners

 Each school champion teacher presented to the team reports on specific activities conducted since June to mid October 2019. Kathembo Primary School reported that:  school rules and regulations had been revised, girls washroom equipped with sanitary towels,  procured more talking  compound signets, conducted in house training of teachers by the champion teachers, conducted sensitization meeting  of children about VAC on assemblies  and during debates about VAC. The female teachers have held meetings with the girls about VAC awareness .teachers now use the logbook to record alternative ways of dealing with cases like late coming, fighting and many more. Karambi secondary school reported that school is in process of revising the school regulations; students have conducted debates and drama on prevention and response to VAC.

John Silco ED RIC-NET sharing with teachers issues of Safe School Environment

Teachers Sharing

 Kyabayenze Primary school reported that the champion teachers have sensitized other teachers about VAC and Alternative punishment, conducted debates and drama about prevention VAC. Kisolholho Primary School reported that in additional to others mentioned above, they held classroom discussions about VAC in all classes, and  among the teachers and with the  parents during the parents general meeting. The school rules and regulations displayed the talking compound signets and conducted pupil’s drama, discussions and debates to raise awareness on VAC.

The schools main challenges were the inadequate size of the school classrooms to enable mass sensitization and joint classes’ debates during the rainy seasons, insufficient latrines where 118 pupils share one latrine, insufficient classrooms and furniture where 106 pupils share one class and inadequate sanitary towels, which leads to low attendance of the girls and so low performance.  

The Executive Director RIC-NET reminded the members about components  good school environment that comprises of activities focusing on prevention of VAC  through child to child activities (Debates, drama and discussions) , improving school structures,  and focusing on alternative methods of discipline from teachers and then bringing in parents through General Parents Teachers Meetings. The  sub county Chief told the teachers about the seven strategies for ending violence in Uganda in a package of INSPIRE which stands for Implementation And Enforcement of Laws, Norms and Values, Safe Environment, Parents and Caregivers Support, Income and Economic Strengthening, Response and Support Services,  and Education.

The teachers decided formulate drama and debate themes around prevention of violence in schools and competitive among pupils through inter-class debates and prizes to be won provided by RIC-NET. RIC-NET will continue facilitating PTA and management meetings by providing lunch, flip charts, mark pens and a facilitator to sensitize parents about preventing VAC in schools and family. The teachers will use second logbooks to schools to record the minutes about the teaching of VAC to other teachers and the children, a box of sanitary towels to each school every term and the pupils will be trained on how to make the sanitary towels at schools.