Raising Voices

In October 2006, Raising Voices, in collaboration with The Ford Foundation, hosted a dialogue on what is a safe school and how to create one. This publication presents the discussion and ideas that emerged from that forum. The report is divided into chapters according to the dialogue sessions, and discusses five key topics: what makes a school unsafe; what needs to happen to change that; how organisations, government, and civil society should be responding; developing a vision for safer schools; and next steps. The report found that there are many factors that make schools unsafe, including under-investment in school infrastructure, authoritarian teaching methods, under-valuing of children's voices, corporal punishment, poverty, and a lack of accountability and collective ownership.

The report recommends developing diverse partnerships to create support for the idea of a safer school, and to develop joint ownership of the idea. They suggest using media as a means to influence public discourse on education, and that any strategies developed for safer schools must create collective accountability and an impetus to act.

The report discusses guiding principles behind creating a safer school. Participants at the meeting identified 10 guiding principles that cover a range of activities. These include: consensus building with strategic partners and public discourse to develop a holistic vision of safer schools; working with the entire school to develop a mission and vision of safety, and creating a plan of action that is SMART (Specific, Measurable, Acheivable, Realistic and Time bound); carrying out capacity assessments, skills training where necessary, as well as monitoring, evaluation, reflection, and the incorporation of feedback; reviewing and sharing information at other levels; and informing policy makers and service delivery agents via all forms of media.

The document also provides a precise definition of what is meant by a safer school, in which 6 key categories are identified:

• Clarity of vision and purpose: Participants identified that all parties must realise that the purpose of a safe school is to provide high quality education that is more than simply passing exams. They note that schools should be measured in terms of the capabilities they develop in their students.
• Basic standards: There must be a clear distinction between rules and standards. Basic standards should be set that declare the collective aspirations and inspire people to stretch themselves and grow.
• Voice: Safe schools must embrace the principle of participation and celebrate diversity of views.
• Teacher/student relationship: According to the report, this is the heart of what a safe school is about, and is characterised by mutual respect, utilising teaching methods that allow students to think creatively and ask questions, and instilling pride and a culture of accountability in teachers.
• Accountability and responsiveness: The report states that a safe school provides avenues for seeking justice, actively demonstrates responsiveness, and earns the faith of individuals through their regular experience of accountability.
• School environment: Safe schools should have an environment that is safe and conducive to learning. According to the report, this means meeting basic needs such as adequate sanitation, as well as creating an atmosphere that fosters a positive outlook and pride in the school.

The report includes a chapter on next steps: how to generate public desire and demand for safe schools, what kind of action needs to be taken and how to reach key players. Participants identified 4 key groups - suppliers and creators, users/ participants, influencers, and regulators - and ways each group could be reached. They also identified specific ideas to put into action, most of which involve using various media to raise awareness and generate interest for safe schools:

• Publications: the report suggests submitting articles to various publications, both print and online. Participants also planned the publication of two documents, one being this report, the other a conceptual piece that summarises thinking beyond the key discussions. They also propose the development of a document for teachers that outlines their rights and responsibilities, as well as concepts around standards of education and how to gain the support of parents and communities.
• Film: participants proposed developing a 25-minute film that would visually bring home the point of why unsafe schools are in nobody's interest and how to imagine alternatives.
• Media partnerships: the report also recommends partnering with radio and television in order to raise widespread awareness of the issue, and incorporate the idea of safe schools into the narratives of television and radio programmes.

The report concludes by stressing the importance of finding a way to make safer schools the norm rather than a privilege of the elite.

Raising Voices website on September 8 2008.