Education Group Discussion Notes

Project (Categorizer)

1. Im
2. went over our two issues each
3. cultural honoring
4. replicable hard tools
5. community positioning of the school itself
6. soft tools for learning
7. education on security
8. structured curriculum and textbooks
9. upgrading actual school buildings and facilities
10. what is education
11. formal vs informal learning
12. incorporate technical learning into the curriculum
13. world views - the four quadrants
14. participatory methodology
15. reconstructing archives
16. recording oral history
17. whole systems thinking\
18. education for childeren
19. what are we starting with at SpinBoldok - most have received little education
20. what is the goal here - to educate, improve diginity, or camp needs- health, training, if people are going to be there for six months or so, that is quite different from imparting life skills
21. are there different scenarios for learning - sustainability/repatriation/illiteracy
22. should be a model that can be transported back to where they return - so that that group can take it back - transferrable skills
23. a plug and play type scenario, whereby we build library
24. use the capable teachers probably already available in the camp, these resources are the stepping stones to bringing these skills back to their home country
25. need to be quite specific on what is available there
26. healthiest schools are the ones whose pupils come up and say they want to be teachers - empowering children is very important
27. what were ERic's goals for this charette
28. situation here as a hypothetical is a site four miles inside the border - 5,000 displaced persons, mostly women and children
29. what about language- pashtu or persian?
30. how do you get the information to teach with
31. illiteracy is already on the UNHCR agenda
32. education of women is the a very pressing issue - does this fly in the face of the politico-cultural environment
33. education of women does not need to be tackled directly - educate everyone - including women, and children
34. SB is largely Pashtun, and a large indigenous population, and others in transit - very illiterate
35. Pashtu is the lingua franca in the camp
36. if illiterate - then we need symbols and stories instead of letters
37. concern with the healing process - how can education help with the healing process
38. lots of time in the camps
39. we need a forward thinking process
40. stories based on Afghan culture
41. show from Afghan culture that women have been and can be leaders
42. almost every child learns English even under the Taliban
43. John Gage - use appropriate institutions to translate appropriate curriculum into the right language and medium
44. rights is the civic area of learning
45. are there open spaces in the refugee camp - depends on the camps
46. onsite training, expand the definition of training, get whole community involved - every piece of development work done in the camp can be a learning experience for children and adults
47. concern with the madrassas which are still in place
48. plastic cards with safety tips on
49. using other agencies to educate the camp on issues such as mines,
50. use the imams or not use the imams? - run things by local religious leaders, develop with the local scholars
51. a school uniform brings a lot of pride to children
52. how can we involve food in eductiona
53. building a record as a tool for learning, a record of innoculationm and other things that have happened
54. using a local problem as an educational topic, and how to transfer that to the repatriation stage
55. how to make the record permanent
56. basic literacy schools are often not set up until well beyond the emergency phase
57. how much initiative is there in a muslim society - how much is left to inshallah, how much will the refugees start their own schools etc
58. continuity in school administration, how do we ensure handover between education of pupils, and between schools which move with the moving refugees
59. how can we bring in a basic computing system to help with continuity
60. John Gage follow up on techno fixes for computing prospects
61. education needs to be introduced very early in order to play a part in, usually it does not come in until 3 or 6 months after the setting up of the camps
62. drop the school in the box early on to highlight the need for school
63. vocational training is very important to bring employable skills back in repatriation - carpentry, masonry, micocredit,
64. vocational training is not high up on UNHCR list
65. all training should aim at their return
66. landmine awareness programme highlighted in the 90's by UNHCR, but a lot less now
67. community gardens surrounding any education centers
68. UNHCR has started to fund some environmental learning programs around planting and fuel use, but integration of environmental eduction into every subject is too time consuming and complex, so it is being kept as a separate subject
69. teachers are paid about $80.00 by UNHCR, and they may recieve maybe only $20 or nothing when they return home
70. a school based around a service center
71. maybe the school in a box can also include the basics on how to set up a school, including the assessment, monitoring and evaluation phases,
72. "marketing" vocational/life skills as "repatriation" skills may make them more acceptable to the host nation and to the refugees themselves
73. There is a methodology of getting the refugees to ask for the educational systems we are putting together. We can't just force it on them.
Until they want it, it won't be successful. Empowerment building and trust building need to be included.
74. Training for vocational skills could be called "empowerment of refugees" in their language, as a way to sell them on it.
75. create the vision
76. followed by three pillers of training the trainer, school in a box, vocational life skills
77. all underscored by sensitivity and inclusiveness, surrounded by assessment, monitoring, and evaluation, and underscored by support both financial and technology
78. develop the three pillars of 1)teacher/stakeholder training, 2) school in a box 3)vocational life skills
79. all pillars include aspects of the vision, sensitivity and inclusiveness, monitoring and evaluation, and finally support
80. creating host nations
81. creating good neighbours
82. let's not reinvent the wheel - propose an idea that is able to help make people learn, and make links to ideas in sustainability issues
83. sometimes radios are strictly forbidden
84. most children work, or are sent out to beg
85. need a plan that can be transported back to the home country
86. teaching teachers to teach differently
87. update the teachers in the tools of education
88. use low resource tols, games and bookds
89. stuff often doesn't get out to teachers, doesn't even get out of UNHCR offices
90. what orgs are there that can help deliver educational training1- assessment, monitoring, and evaluation

1. first - so a needs assessment

2. what is available to the camp in terms of resources

2 - school in a box1. modular - is there a possiblity for a school in a box that can be dropped in and provides all the boxes

3 - training the trainer

1. train the trainers
2. Include the stakeholders and the community in who needs to be trained.

4 - techniques and methodology

1. modular system, as it is dificult to assess exactly what the conditions are in SB now, and we need to be able to transfer these mmodules to other camps - need a toolkit, e.g maybe some conditions have PHD resources, others do not.
2. don't bring in western techniques
3. maybe teaching English is a good thing and not necessarily a bad thing
4. radios - they do have them, small personal, shortwave, and a radio station approved by the USA - radio is a tool for decentralised education
5. teaching the different world views - humanising the other - aids security training, by taking down barriers
6. teaching in the native language
7. teach men, women, and children, what their rights are in Islam, as well as in the Geneva conventions
8. problem solving as a means of eduction, and involve the whole community
9. fun and games - helps to bring back self esteem and community building
10. seesaw effect - using kids to help
11. teaching through games
12. Rishi valley example
13. life-skills - tools for learning - analyse
14. simple winning solutions in basic passive designs - solar, adobe, composting
15. concern with the madrassas which are still in place
16. teaching safety - mines

5 - vocational training

1. life skills might be more important - health, hygiene, how to be a good human being, commerce, how to handle money, interpersonal relationships, good morals,
2. life-skills - not american life skills, but maybe what Gunther was talking about - lifecycle ideas
3. skill building - how to use machines and technology
support from other orgs for education
sensitivity
new box

Project Template (Group Outliner)

1. School In A Box

1.1 Purpose of project
provide basic material/support/information both how-to information, physical capacities, and curriculum content to establish a basic school in a physical box. The contents of the box will emphasise whole-systems living. {#72}
address issues in the camp, such as food, shelter, energy, water, fuel {#78}
1.2 Description
tools that might be in the box, include:
gardening tools, including seeds, instructions {#73}
curriculum:
"project life lab"
how to form a club - such as a farm club, 4H club, eco-club, making your own clothes - provide material,
solar toys, and a PV panel to teach how solar works {#74}
other areas that can be learnt from other aspects of the camp
eg. water purification
energy {#75}
kits of know-how and kits of actual stuff {#85}
address issues in the camp, such as food, shelter, energy, water, fuel {#101}
1.3 In which of the three "stages of encampment" will this project take place: From UNHCR Manual - Emergency, Care & maintenance, Durable solution
as early as possible, but at the latest in the C & M stage {#76}
1.4 How will this idea be integrated into life in the camp(s)?
deleted {#77}
each idea can work independently, but is reinforced by the other two ideas. The school itself should be centrally located at each block or sector in the camp, and used for both primary, secondary, and vocational training. The school may also serve as a communications link for phone and internet if such facilities are available, and as such will ensure cross pollination of ideas from children and community builders. {#103}
1.5 How does this idea relate to other project ideas?
each idea can work independently, but is reinforced by the other two ideas. The school itself should be central to each block or sector in the camp and be used for both primary/secondary education, and adult/community leader education. If the school also serves as a basic communication center for internet and phone, then this would ensure cross polination of ideas between the children, adult population, and community leaders. {#104}
1.6 Who knows how to develop and implement this project?
Once the box is made up (see description) distribution of the boxes and ensuring their good use must be implemented by local NGOs. This idea is a great start up project for a new dedicated organization on a "Schools without Borders" type of set-up. {#109}
UNICEF, UNESCO, EU, UNDP, and their implementing partners such as,
OXFAM, CARE, etc {#118}
1.7 Is this project applicable to displaced populations in other climates and cultures?
YES - although contents of the box may need to be country specific. {#110}
1.8 What organizations must be involved, in order for this project to succeed?
a sponsorship organization and a distribution organization (which may be one
and the same organization) are necessary. If these orgs are foreign to the
native country then the work will also need to be done in conjunction with a
local NGO, or preferably distributed by a local NGO. Examples of suitable
organizations might be UNHCR, ICRC, American Federation of Teachers,
Village Earth, private corporations undertaking cause marketing, individual
schools wishing to partner up with "refugee" schools, Joanie Klar list of willing students, etc. {#96}
1.9 When can this project be ready for use?
with enough money and or man-power, this project could easily be ready for
implementation within six months {#100}
1.10 Rough cost in people and materials:
1.11 Sources of support-who can provide: Advice, Technical assistance, money or in-kind contributions?
see 1.5. Teaching associations and local NGOs can help with advice and technical assistance. Foundations and private corporations doing cause marketing can help with funding and in-kind contributions, especially contents of the box. {#111}
1.12 Next steps: Who will do what next, and by when.
Each idea needs to be fleshed out for actual box and manual contents by
country or region or climate. Maybe this will be done by an implementation
group which comes out of this charette or by an organisation dedicated
purely to these ideas ("Schools without Borders"). The contents of the box should be fleshed out in the next month according to low, medium, and higher budget availabilities. The next 3-4 months needs to focus on looking for the contents of the box, and hopefully, securing in-kind contribution for the box. Again the box should be tested, preferably in an actual refugee camp, or at least with a local country NGO, in the month prior to implementation, time permitting. {#120}
1.13 Time required for project experiment (or first application).
1.14 How and by whom will first implementers be trained?
1.15 Method for educating teachers whom will propagate this project in other circumstances?
1.16 By what measures will we know it works and is replicable?
1.17 Barriers to implementation: financial, technical, legal, political, cultural, institutional, geographic, ethical, medical, and philosophical.
Funding is the main barrier to implementation. Presuming funding, the need to work with local NGO's is the next big barrier - without local NGO participation the projects will likely not be taken on by the refugees. Participation by refugees in the project is finally also fundamentally essential. {#102}
1.18 How to overcome barriers?
1.19 List activities that must take place for this project to succeed. Include who will or should do each.
1.20 Successes with similar projects.
1.21 Sources of reference material for this idea

2. Training the Trainers

2.1 Purpose of project
To prepare the community and especialy its school teachers inside the refugee camps in the skills of leading and teaching self-sufficiency, sustainability, problem solving, and conflict resolution. The aim of teaching all these skills to the community is help them repatriate. {#70}
2.2 Description
Optimize the natural resources/assets within a refugee camp (such as previous teachers, educated populace, techniques which incorporate children and adults teaching each other. {#71}
a manual of ideas on how teachers can get across ideas in a national curriculum, an international curriculum, or extra-curricular ideas, which incorporate teaching sustainability, literacy, analytical skills {#87}
2.3 In which of the three "stages of encampment" will this project take place: From UNHCR Manual - Emergency, Care & maintenance, Durable solution
as soon as possible, at the latest at the onset of the C&M stage {#88}
2.4 How will this idea be integrated into life in the camp(s)?
find and "employ" existing teachers, {#89}
make use of local education groups/authorities (either host or refugees nation) to give training updates to teacers and help out with curriculum {#90}
teacher training is also part of the overall vocational training, and business/career skills training {#91}
2.5 How does this idea relate to other project ideas?
each idea can work independently, but is reinforced by the other two ideas. Teaching in and of itself is a vocational skill transferable back to the home country. {#92}
2.6 Who knows how to develop and implement this project?
teacher training colleges in and out of the home country {#93}
This idea will therefore need close work with home country NGOs and training authorities. {#107}
Village Earth does a lot of work on teacher training for sustainable settlements. {#108}
UNICEF, UNESCO, EU, UNDP, and their implementing partners such as,
OXFAM, CARE, etc {#117}
2.7 Is this project applicable to displaced populations in other climates and cultures?
YES - the teacher manual should be country specific however {#94}
2.8 What organizations must be involved, in order for this project to succeed?
a sponsorship organization and a distribution organization (which may be one and the same organization) are necessary. If these orgs are foreign to the native country then the work will also need to be done in conjunction with a local NGO, or preferably distributed by a local NGO. Examples of suitable organizations might be UNHCR, ICRC, American Federation of Teachers, Village Earth, private corporations undertaking cause marketing, individual schools wishing to partner up with "refugee" schools, open universities, distance learning institutions etc. {#95}
2.9 When can this project be ready for use?
with enough money and or man-power, this project could easily be ready for implementation within six months {#98}
2.10 Rough cost in people and materials:
2.11 Sources of support-who can provide: Advice, Technical assistance, money or in-kind contributions?
see 2.5. Teaching associations and local NGOs can help with advice and
technical assistance. Foundations and private corporations doing cause
marketing can help with funding and in-kind contributions {#112}
2.12 Next steps: Who will do what next, and by when.
Each idea needs to be fleshed out for actual box and manual contents by
country or region or climate. Maybe this will be done by an implementation
group which comes out of this charette or by an organisation dedicated
purely to these ideas ("Schools without Borders"). The manuals can be
fleshed out over the next 3-4 months, then tested in home countries, before
being "marketed" to the distribution agencies and local NGOs. {#121}
2.13 Time required for project experiment (or first application).
2.14 How and by whom will first implementers be trained?
2.15 Method for educating teachers whom will propagate this project in other circumstances?
2.16 By what measures will we know it works and is replicable?
2.17 Barriers to implementation: financial, technical, legal, political, cultural, institutional, geographic, ethical, medical, and philosophical.
Funding is the main barrier to implementation. Presuming funding, the
need to work with local NGO's is the next big barrier - without local NGO
participation the projects will likely not be taken on by the refugees.
Participation by refugees in the project is finally also fundamentally
essential. {#114}
2.18 How to overcome barriers?
2.19 List activities that must take place for this project to succeed. Include who will or should do each.
2.20 Successes with similar projects.
2.21 Sources of reference material for this idea

3. Repatriation and Community Building Skills

3.1 Purpose of project
to empower the refugees to become self sufficient, independent, and able to lead and rebuild their community on their return to their home village. {#79}
identify and develop the skills to do this {#81}
3.2 Description
includes a number of community and vocational skills {#80}
community building skills
recording the culture, such as how does the community carries out justice and give disincentives to crime {#84}
3.3 In which of the three "stages of encampment" will this project take place: From UNHCR Manual - Emergency, Care & maintenance, Durable solution
as early as possible, or by the onset of C&M at the latest {#82}
3.4 How will this idea be integrated into life in the camp(s)?
school should be the center of camp life, both for children and adults {#83}
an integral part of their life {#86}
3.5 How does this idea relate to other project ideas?
each idea can work independently, but is reinforced by the other two ideas. This idea is linked to the other two ideas by being the community manifestation of many of the "how-to" kits found in the school in a box, and of the examples found in the teacher training manual. {#105}
3.6 Who knows how to develop and implement this project?
Many of the skills taught here will be dependent on what else is being implemented on the sustainability front within the camps, as well as on how the community is traditionally made up in that area of the world. This idea will therefore need close work with home country NGOs. {#106}
UNICEF, UNESCO, EU, UNDP, and their implementing partners such as, OXFAM, CARE, etc {#116}
3.7 Is this project applicable to displaced populations in other climates and cultures?
3.8 What organizations must be involved, in order for this project to succeed?
a sponsorship organization and a distribution organization (which may be one
and the same organization) are necessary. If these orgs are foreign to the
native country then the work will also need to be done in conjunction with a
local NGO, or preferably distributed by a local NGO. Examples of suitable
organizations might be UNHCR, ICRC, American Federation of Teachers,
Village Earth, private corporations undertaking cause marketing, individual
schools wishing to partner up with "refugee" schools, vocational or evening schools, etc. {#97}
3.9 When can this project be ready for use?
with enough money and or man-power, this project could easily be ready for
implementation within six months {#99}
3.10 Rough cost in people and materials:
3.11 Sources of support-who can provide: Advice, Technical assistance, money or in-kind contributions?
see 3.5. Teaching associations and local NGOs can help with advice and
technical assistance. Foundations and private corporations doing cause
marketing can help with funding and in-kind contributions {#113}
3.12 Next steps: Who will do what next, and by when.
Each idea needs to be fleshed out for actual box and manual contents by country or region or climate. Maybe this will be done by an implementation group which comes out of this charette or by an organisation dedicated purely to these ideas ("Schools without Borders"). The manuals can be fleshed out over the next 3-4 months, then tested in home countries, before being "marketed" to the distribution agencies and local NGOs. {#119}
3.13 Time required for project experiment (or first application).
3.14 How and by whom will first implementers be trained?
3.15 Method for educating teachers whom will propagate this project in other circumstances?
3.16 By what measures will we know it works and is replicable?
3.17 Barriers to implementation: financial, technical, legal, political, cultural, institutional, geographic, ethical, medical, and philosophical.
Funding is the main barrier to implementation. Presuming funding, the
need to work with local NGO's is the next big barrier - without local NGO
participation the projects will likely not be taken on by the refugees.
Participation by refugees in the project is finally also fundamentally
essential. {#115}
3.18 How to overcome barriers?
3.19 List activities that must take place for this project to succeed. Include who will or should do each.
3.20 Successes with similar projects.
3.21 Sources of reference material for this idea