Sustainability Frontiers team undertaking Safe School Research in Cambodia, China and Indonesia
Fumiyo Kagawa and David Selby are engaged in a Safe School Research consultancy on behalf of the Plan Asia Regional Office from 7 September to 5 November 2012. The overall objective of the research is to examine what taking a child rights approach to school safety means within an overall aim of ensuring children’s access to quality education. The research seeks to understand children’s rights to quality education and school safety from the perspective of children’s experiences and those of their communities. It will focus on experiences and developments in Cambodia, China and Indonesia. Specifically, the following questions are being addressed:
• Why is school safety important to promote child rights to quality education? How can school safety contribute to fulfiling children’s rights to quality education in disaster-prone areas?
• What are the roles of teachers, school directors and administration staff, school management committees and local government disaster management committees in Cambodia, China and Indonesia regarding school safety?
• What are the roles of civil society organizations (CSOs) in supporting school safety? What are the advantages and disadvantages of involving CSOs in implementing school safety? What are the relationships existing and required between CSOs and governments in support of school safety initiatives?
• Why is children’s engagement in school safety important?
• How to engage marginalized children/groups in school safety?
• What policy processes and government arrangements at the national level can ensure that school safety interventions are well adopted and implemented?
• How can school safety interventions add value to Plan’s Child Centred Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) approach?
• What are the best practices and lessons learnt from school-based disaster management interventions in the countries of the Asian region?
The research involves both desk and field research. Interviews will be conducted with national and regional ministry and governmental officials, Plan national and regional staff and those of other civil society organizations, school principals, teachers, school support committees and school disaster management committees, and primary and secondary school children. The research report is to be delivered to Plan Asia by 5 November 2012.
As part of the research, Fumiyo and David are also conducting an overview and analysis of safe school initiatives at the Asian regional and global level, and collecting and editing seven cases studies written by Plan staff that are to be included in the report.