Responding to Violence in and Around Schools in Uganda

Responding to Violence in and Around Schools in Uganda

By Angella Nakafero

Teacher Education Department

A Violence Free Learning Environment is one of the fundamental human rights of every child. The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) in several Articles requires the Governments to ensure that children grow up, learn and develop in a violent free environment. Specifically Article 19 mandates the Governments to ensure that children are protected from all forms of violence. Article 34 requires States Parties to protect the children from all forms of sexual exploitation and sexual abuse while Article 37 mandates the Governments to ensure that no child is subjected to torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

The Constitution of Uganda (1995) in Articles 24 and 44 protects the dignity and safety of every Uganda including the children. The Education Act 13 (2008) reinforces education as a right by all persons and gives effect to the Universal Primary Education Policy and to Universal Post Primary Education and Training Policy of Government.

With the introduction of Universal Primary Education (UPE) and of recent the Universal Secondary Education (USE), the Government of Uganda has greatly improved primary and secondary school enrolment for both girls and boys. Although defilement is among the worst forms of violence with far reaching implications including: teenage and complicated pregnancies; contraction of sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV. In most cases young mothers are forced into early marriages thus denying them the right to education the population in schools in Uganda is growing steadily, available research shows that children are exposed to different forms of violence and may learn new forms of violence while in schools. Violence against children in schools is perpetrated by teachers, other school staff while others by fellow children.

In a study conducted by the Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES), 74.3% of the children interviewed had experienced caning by an adult in school; 43% of children had experienced bullying; 46.7% of children surveyed experienced emotional abuse perpetrated by teachers; 77.7% of the primary school children and 82% of the secondary school students had experienced sexual abuse at school while 5.9% of children were subjected to defilement.

The above data and statistics point to the fact the violence against children in and around schools is a serious challenge with far reaching effects including:

·         Undermining the security and safety of children in and around schools as well as inflicts pain and suffering. 

·         It is a threat to children retention and performance; in worst cases may end the child’s right to education.

·         Undermines the psychological and emotional wellbeing of the child

·         Inflicts serious physical injuries including permanent disabilities, and mental damage. In worst cases violence against children has resulted into death.

Muhusini Bifemengo, a secondary student in Bugembe died in 2011. He succumbed to illness, having been bedridden for two years. On one fateful day in 2009, a mathematics teacher caned him for failing examinations. Muhusini returned home with severe back pain and collapsed on his tiny bed. He developed severe back pain and could neither walk nor sit. Doctors discovered that his spinal cord had been damaged. He was bedridden for two years till he died. Source: New Vision, May 9, 2013.

13-year –old pupil gets baby A 13-year –old girl gave birth in Soroti Hospital. The girl got pregnant after she was sexually abused by Jonathan Ejau, a Senior One Student at Orungo High School, who was arrested and released on Police bond amidst allegations that the parents of the boy bribed the Police Officers. Source: New Vision, November 8, 2013

 

However, most of the cases of violence against children go unreported and therefore children continue to suffer the consequences.  This is due to several factors including:

·         Limited awareness and understanding of children’s rights among parents, children, teachers and support staff in schools;

·         Lack information regarding procedures for reporting child abuse;

·         Fear of being further victimized among children;

·         Parents opt for settling capital offences such as defilement out of the formal processes and procedures for fear of being humiliated;

·         The mechanism for reporting, tracking, referral and response to violence against children is not well defined and characterized by poor coordination of the lead agencies. 

·         Societal acceptance of violence is also an important factor: both children and parent have generally accepted physical and psychological violence as part of the learning process. Disciplinary measures through physical and humiliating punishment is at times perceived as normal even when there are legal provisions against such practices.

Cases of violence against children that are reported are well managed due to several factors including lack of adequate data or evidence collected by the officials investigating such cases, mishandling of cases by those investigating such cases, limited coordination and follow up of cases of violence in schools by duty holders such as Local Government Probation Officers, District Inspectors of Schools, Police, School Management Committees (SMCs) and local leaders.

·         Limited implementation of child laws, including bye-laws and ordinances prepared in local governments.

·         There are also cultural practices such as early and forced marriages, female genital mutilation (FGM) among some communities (Karamojong, Sabiny) which do not necessarily take place in schools but have a lot of impact to the child’s attendance and performance at schools.

·         Child labour also continues to weigh down government efforts to curb violence against children in Uganda. 

Establishment of the Inter-Sectoral Committee on VACiS

It is against the above background that the Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES) and the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development (MGLSD) established an inter-sectoral committee to address VAC in and around schools (ISC VACiS). The ISC is intended to galvanize support and provide a multi-sectoral approach to tackling violence against children in and around schools in Uganda.

The Completion Pact

The Completion Pact

Gender Unit

Pallisa district is a rice growing district and thus have had several children dropping out of school to work on the rice farms. The girls are married off by their parents or even taken away as house helps for the rich farmers. This has led to the decline in enrollment and completion rates in this district especially at Primary level. As a result of the above factors the schools have come up with an initiative to keep all children in school. This is the COMPLETION PACT/ AGREEMENT.

The completion pact is an agreement signed by the head teacher, parents, local council, members of the school management committee and the pupil. This agreement binds all the parties to ensure that the children are kept in school and complete school. The school keeps a copy of the pact and it’s used as a reference point for all parties.

In Pallisa one of the districts supported by the UN Joint Programme on Gender Equality (UNJPGE), Lamolit Primary school has used this pact to keep girls in school and thus increased on the completion rate. The children sign the agreement in lue of accepting to stay in school and the parents also agree not to take their children out of school for early marriage and child labor. The local council, community and the teachers ensure safety of children to and from school. In 2011 net intake in primary school was 84% for boys and 87% for girls. The completion rate for boys was 75% and girls 69%.

In 2012, 3 girls and 1 boy were brought back to school in Lamolit Primary School. This was as a result of the completion pact signed. “Several parents have been held liable by schools and police for breaking this agreement and taken to prison for violating the signed agreement /pact,” says the senior woman teacher Lamolit Primary School.

To avoid any other criminal ocurancies the parents have been in position to live by the agreement signed with the school to keep the girls and boys in school. The community with the help of the local council has also ensured that children go to school and that they move safely to and from school.

The pact is in line with the education act2008 part 111 on provision of education and training 4(1) which reads in part (1) Provision of education and training to the child shall be in joint responsibility of the state, parents or guardian and other stakeholders.

The completion pact is an innovation that districts and schools are encouraged to borrow in order to promote enrolment and retention of our children.

Makapads an innovation that has kept girls in school.

Makapads an innovation that has kept girls in school.

By Angella Nansubuga.

Gender Unit

Makapads are sanitary pads, which were innovated by Dr. Moses Musaazi of the College of Engineering, Design, Art and Technology (CEDAT). They are produced from papyrus and paper, making them affordable (Cost about 50% of imported types), >95% biodegradable & chemical free.

The Makapads project in Uganda conducted research through Makerere Institute of Social Research (MISR), supported by the Rockefeller Foundation (RF) aimed at creating a leaner-friendly environment in schools which revealed that many girls (who had reached puberty) had a higher absenteeism of  24 days per year which translates to 11%of the time a girl pupil misses learning due to menstrual period  and the academic performance for girls dropped at puberty level. The research also showed that school girls (in puberty) didn’t have access to affordable sanitary towels during menstruation and as such, would skip school. Those who dared go to school used unhygienic provisions & faced humiliation from boys; this meant that girls feared stigmatization due to soiling themselves while in school.

Further research during field trials revealed that about 90% of the girls did not use (off-the-shelf) sanitary pads because they were expensive but improvised with unhealthy materials such as banana fibers, grass, leaves, old newspapers, and pieces of cloth.

In response to this, the project at Makerere University's Faculty of Technology started the manufacture of sanitary pads which are 75% cheaper and thus more affordable to the rural primary school girls who have started their menstruation. The sanitary pads (trademarked Makapads) are the first to be made from 99% local materials with the main raw material being papyrus reeds, cut from the vast, abundant swamps and riverbanks all over the country. After the papyrus is cut, the green cover is peeled off and the white stem what is used in the making of the pads.

The local material used for making the Makapads

The name Maka Pads is an acronym for:

• M= menstruation
• A= administration
• K=knowledge
• A=affordability

The making of the papyrus sanitary pads is Increasing Retention through Improved Literacy and Learner Friendly Schools in Uganda.

Makerere University is very proud of this innovation as a research project that turned into a product. During several exhibitions Makapads have generated great interest. Makapads are also internationally acclaimed and won an international innovation award on 31^st October 2013 for keeping girls in school.

While there are over 32 brands of sanitary pads currently sold in Uganda, Makapads are the only ones manufactured in Uganda from local materials and are chemical free.

Community Participation for Gender and Girl friendly Schools

Community Participation for Gender and Girl friendly Schools

 By ELECU

In Uganda, the collaboration of schools with their surrounding communities is becoming very important because these communities are increasingly being called upon to support and complement the efforts of governments in the provision of education, particularly basic education. Communities are key actors in enrolment campaigns, assessing and monitoring schools, organizing school feeding programmes and in building school infrastructure, while functional adult literacy linked to children’s literacy development may also become an instrument of community participation and change. To facilitate community-school ownership, schools and communities need to listen to and collaboratively address each other’s needs.

Community involvement includes participation in school programmes; being role models or trainers; encouraging, supporting and enforcing discipline at school, at home and in the community; and contributing resources to improve the social welfare and academic performance of students, and teachers. Parents and community members can participate in the process of school-based curriculum development and implementation through the provision of teaching/learning materials and facilities like gardens and workshops for teaching and demonstration purposes. As Mulemwa (2001) pointed out; “The involvement of communities in school curricula in this particular way is extremely desirable and stops the alienation of the school and learners, from the community. The learner, particularly the girl child is assisted to access, enjoy and participate more actively in the learning of science, mathematics and technological subjects”.

To achieve these benefits, systematic and regular sensitization of the communities about the importance of education and special needs of the girl child is vital. Empowered school communities are involved in supporting basic education and demonstrate this through adequate monitoring of education quality contributions to meet identified needs of schools. Thus, a good relationship between schools and community cause schools to prosper academically and otherwise.

Strategies from ELECU on Community participation for gender and girl friendly schools

The Education Local Expertise Center(ELECU) together with its grassroots partner organizations has implemented several interventions to make schools girl friendly. We see the teachers, the pupils, the school management representatives and the community members as actors in realizing a positive change in school environment for girls. We involve local government structures from the initiation of programmes to close-out phases; and build capacity of selected community members (School Management Committees and Parents Teachers Associations) to ensure appropriate functional systems are in place. We have found the following to be very instrumental:

1.      Sensitization and training of PTAs, SMCs and local leaders on their roles and responsibilities according to the Education Act, 2008. The output of this training includes selection of able community members as local school monitoring teams with clear monitoring rosters.

2.      Training of teachers, members of School Management Committees (SMC), and Parents Teachers Association (PTA) on psychosocial support, child protection and teachers code of conduct.

3.      Training of senior women teachers in guidance and counseling; participants then develop action plans for implementation in the schools

4.      Training of senior women teachers, girls and their mothers in making local sanitary towels.

5.                  Holding dialogue meetings with members of schools SMCs and PTA to address specific issues and obtain commitment and action.

1.      Holding community dialogues on how best education of children, especially girls can be improved.

2.      Orientation of teachers and school administration to the teachers’ code of conduct.

3.      Engaging district stakeholders in advocacy meetings for improving school environment for girls.

4.      Facilitating training for head teachers and deputy head teachers in leadership, management and supervisory skills.

5.      Involvement all the Head teachers, members of SMCs, PTAs, LC III Chair persons and Secretaries for education other stakeholders in an annual District Education Conference.

As a result of sensitization and training of PTAs, SMCs and local leaders on their roles and responsibilities according to the Education Act, 2008, sub county leadership and some districts (Tororo, Lira) have made bye-laws requiring that parents contribute maize and 1000 shillings for the children’s meal. In Kwapa Sub County in Tororo District, children in all 13 schools now have lunch at school. In Totokidwe Primary School in Tororo, in Term I only 89 pupils received lunch at school but by third Term, the number had increased to 234.

The training of members of SMC/PTA and teachers also helped in defining roles of the SMCs and PTAs and parents in Ateri and Awiodyek primary schools (Lira District). Parents are more willing to contribute towards the development fund and also provide scholastic materials for the pupils. For example, in Ateri primary school parents agreed to contribute UGX 5000 for incentives to teachers; and in Awiodyek primary school parents have agreed to contribute bricks and sand for the construction of teachers’ houses and increase the development fee from UGX 2,000 to UGX 5,000.

One Resident District Commissioner who previously barred schools from charging parents for any item had a change of heart due to sensitization. He demonstrated this by contributing 5 bags of cement at Kidokolo P.S and 4 trips of sand at Bugaba Primary School; and encouraging parents to support schools in all ways. Parents in these 2 schools are making building blocks for building a classroom block, have roofed a 4 classroom block and in Kidokolo, contribute a sum of 90,000 per teacher for the 3 teachers who are not on the government payroll. As a result, teachers report early for classes, children do not sit under trees or shacks during lessons and there is reduced absenteeism.

Forum for African Women Educationalists Uganda (FAWEU)

Forum for African Women Educationalists Uganda (FAWEU)

 Innovations and good practices and key strategies for mentoring and packages for                 children with special needs

Mentoring

A mentor is a trusted adviser of somebody with little experience (Oxford Advanced Learners’ Dictionary. A.S. Hornsby, 1995). A mentor is a more experienced person, (in relation to the person being mentored), looked up to for inspiration and encouragement; committed to the achievement and excellence of another. A mentor is willing to share experiences, skills and knowledge with someone who needs to develop theirs. The mentor is a friend, confidant, a guide, a teacher, parent figure and adviser willing to empower and develop another person. Usually, a mentor is older and more experienced than the mentee. However it’s important to note that the mentor too often learns from the mentee especially when they are in the same age group. Mentees can also provide valuable guidance and encouragement.

Mentoring is a conscious and deliberate effort by an older (normally), mature and more experienced person, to guide and model  a younger  inexperienced person so as to bring them to a higher level of maturity in either all or selected aspects of life.

2.1       The FAWEU Mentoring Programme

FAWEU is committed to ensuring that women are an integral part of the intellectual and technical resource base of the country. In order to achieve this; the gender gap in the education sector must be eliminated at all levels.

Girls are often not encouraged to achieve in school or to pursue their dreams. In many cultures, girls learn from an early age that their needs and wants are second to those of parents, brothers, and husbands. Instead of hearing positive messages, they are often discouraged against setting high goals. FAWEU is thus committed to develop such meaningful relationships between girls and mentors that have already been or will be identified to enable the girls aspire for bigger dreams.

Levels of Mentoring

·         One to one; this involves allocating a girl to a mentor for a given period of time. These include FAWEU models of excellence, FAWEU members or upcoming young professionals.

·         Peer mentoring; allocating girls to former FAWEU scholarship beneficiaries at tertiary level, or older girls in the same school.

·         Group mentoring by models of excellence, and women achievers at national, district, school and community levels.

Mentoring can be through periodic meetings between mentor and the selected girl, letter writing, talks, discussions and lectures, workshops, electronic mentoring, use of documented materials, exposure visits and exchanges.

2.3       The role of a Mentor

The role of a mentor is to be a friend who builds a mutually caring, loving and supportive relationship with the girl. The mentor’s roles therefore are;

·         Act as role models

·         Help girls cope with changes at school, at home or with their personal or physical development.

·         Serve as liaisons between mentees teachers, parents or caregivers.

·         Assist girls in dealing with problems (academic, with friends, family etc.)

·         Promote girls’ confidence and self-esteem.

·         Provide resources for girls.

·         Provide advice in making decisions.

·         Organize activities for girls, such as career day or an HIV/AIDS discussion

·         Expose girls to new ideas, places, or people

·         Advocate for girls’ education and girls’ rights; encourage the girls, their parents, and community members to promote girls’ education.

2.4       Objectives of Mentoring

Ø  Positive impact in the mentee’s life.

Ø  Enable and empower the mentee to accomplish their goals and dreams.

Ø  Foster long lasting friendship between the mentor and the mentee. Both parties usually agree on certain guidelines for their relationship which can last for several years.

Ø  Provide the mentee with information and guidance that allows him/her to make good decisions.

2.5       Anticipated benefits of Mentoring

When mentors empower their mentees, they instill self-esteem and self-confidence in them. The mentee becomes empowered and motivated to do well and accomplish his/her goals. In other words, the mentee begins to believe in his or her abilities and isn’t afraid to meet new people and try new things or ask for help when she needs it. Mentors play an important role in encouraging girls to have goals and helping them achieve them.

A good mentor advocates for the mentee at school, at home and in the community, shares experience with the mentee, talks on a level that can be understood by the mentee, shows interest in mentee’s life, activities and thoughts, respects the mentee’s ethnic and religious background, acts a positive role model, refers mentee to other people or resources when necessary, helps develop mentee’s strengths and skills, respects the mentee’s decisions, helps mentee find solutions to her problems, empowers mentees to make good decisions and supports her, encourages her in her school work and goals, respects mentee’s confidentiality, doesn’t judge, asks questions and listens.

The above statement describes what every girls needs because as girls grow, they go through many trials, challenges and confusing moments. They get to an exciting stage that demands so much in all aspects of life that in most cases they may lose focus of what they want in life. At this still all they need is a mature and older person who will be objective and guide them through this experience.

Every girl needs a “good mentor” for a caring, loving and supportive relationship and to keep her focused on her goals and dreams in life.

Note: FAWEU has resource training guidelines/handbooks for mentoring.

3.0       Introduction to innovations and strategies for children with special needs

The subject of special needs education is highly charged both emotionally and politically with no perfect answers and no simple solutions. It must be understood that no two children with special needs are alike although even well intentioned professionals seem to have a one-size-fits-all mentality when it comes to educational strategies for children with special needs.  In discussing educational strategies and innovations for children with special needs we look at approaches that would ultimately benefit the child and would enable him/ her to seamlessly integrate into society and be accepted and respected as a productive citizen.  Some of the special needs that UNGEI partners may encounter include; hearing impairment, visual impairment, physical disability, deaf-blindness, albinism, mental challenges among others.

3.1       The Special Needs/Disability legal and policy framework

In drawing up strategies and developing innovative approaches for children with special needs, it is always important to have some background knowledge of the legal policy framework in which we operate both internationally and nationally.  It is also important to look at your own institutional or organizational policies and examine how special needs friendly they are.  All organization or institutions working with children with special needs under UNGEI should ensure that they consciously include special needs in their planning and policies, especially the child protection policy. Some key legal and policy documents that one needs to have and read  include;

1)      The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

2)      Uganda Disability Policy

3)      Equal Opportunity Commissions Act 2007

4)      National Council for Disability Act

5)      Persons with Disabilities Act 2006

3.2       Some examples of strategies and innovation for children with Special Needs

·         Deaf Silent Theatre

Uganda Deaf Silent Theatre was founded by Uganda National Association of the Deaf and the Silent Theatre Sweden/Swedish Deaf Association in 2004. What started as an 11-member group consisting of eight actors who are deaf, two interpreters, and one project leader trained in theatrical skills, has grown over the years.  Today, the project continues with its objectives to raise awareness about the creative abilities of people who are deaf, to publicize sign language, and to sensitize people who are deaf about pertinent issues like HIV/AIDS and human rights.  Silent Theatre has had many outreach projects in districts all over Uganda and because of having interpreters; it can be used to reach both the hearing and the Deaf.

·         Ugandan Sign Language

Ugandan Sign Language (USL) is the Deaf Sign Language of Uganda. Uganda was the second country in the world to recognize sign language in its constitution, in 1995. A Ugandan Sign Language Dictionary has been published. However, knowledge of USL is primarily urban, as access to education for the rural deaf remains poor. Nonetheless, USL is a highly valued element of group identity among the deaf community.

Further information on both Silent Theatre and USL can be obtained from the Uganda National Association of the Deaf (UNAD) at:

Plot 1601/2, Kiwanga, Namanve - Mukono. 

P. o. Box 7339, Kampala. 

Tel: 0414532875

Email: unad@infocom.co.ug

Info@unadeaf.org

Website: www.unadeaf.org 

·            The Right to Play

Research on the play of young children shows that it is practice for life. Children learn about living life in safe, pretend situations so that they are ready and able to deal with reality when they need to. Playing up and down the steps unassisted at home gets the child ready for all the steps out there in the world. For instance, hunting for a lost ball/toy lets her practice information-gathering and problem-solving, perseverance and courage, all of which she will need later on. Her sense of accomplishment when she achieves her goals in play situations teaches her what to expect when s/he sets goals at school and beyond. Movement in play situations readies children for movement in the real world. Play can be as useful to children with special needs as it is to those who do not have them.

As partners, we need to think of innovative ways of getting children with special needs to play.  This may require us to get advice from specialists in the area of special needs.  The National Union of Disabled Person of Uganda (NUDIPU) would be great starting point in terms of asking about organizations which can help with ideas.  NUDIPU had district branches all over the country, which is an added advantage.

NUDIP’s contact details are:

P. O Box 8567, Kampala,
Plot no. 530, Bukoto-Kisasi Road,
Kampala

Email:info@nudipu.org
Tel: +256 414540179

On top of some of these ideas,  it is important for all actors on girls’ education to always mainstream disability in all their planning and reporting given that globally, issues of disability are not just development issues, they are also human right concerns.