School children discuss violence in schools

A group of children in the Syrian capital, Damascus, recently took part in a website discussion on violence in schools. Their contributions were presented during the closing session of an international forum entitled: “Towards a School of Dialogue and Respect”, held in Tunisia on 14-16 April. “It was an opportunity to express myself and the problems I am facing. Such an experience has made me more confident in myself and has enhanced my personality,” Raghad al-Firdos al-Azem, 11, told IRIN in Damascus. Al-Azem was among 10 Syrian children, the only participants from Arab countries, who contributed to the forum by speaking about their own experiences and those of relatives on school violence. The children also made suggestions on how this issue could be addressed. The website forums were conducted in English, French and Arabic under the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Voices of Youths interactive website. “My cousin, who is only 11 years old, came home crying, telling us that his friend at school had lost his eye because the teacher beat up the student so badly for making trouble in class,” al-Azem told IRIN. The child was rushed to hospital and the teacher was sentenced to three years in prison. “Following this incident, my cousin was afraid of going to school. I think a teacher can punish a child without resorting to violence,” the youngster added. “The forum demolished the barrier of fear, where we are able to talk about the problem of violence in schools and find people listening to them,” 14-year-old student, Abdullah al-Sayyed, pointed out. “Our teacher used to beat children with a heavy stick, claiming that they were making trouble. My parents complained to the Ministry of Education (MoE), and the teacher started to mistreat me when she found out about the complaint,” Butoul Habanka al-Midani, 10, told IRIN. My friends in the class asked me to apologise to the teacher but I refused because I did nothing wrong and as I was going to face more mistreatment and insulting remarks, so my parents moved me to another school,” al-Midani added. UNICEF carried out a survey on the issue of violence in schools, in cooperation with the MoE and Damascus University, and presented the results at the forum in Tunisia. The study conducted in November 2003 on a sample of 290 schools across the country revealed that 38 percent of respondents reported verbal abuse from teachers, with 35 percent reporting physical abuse (beating with a stick) as well. “We are supporting the government's efforts in raising awareness and monitoring the implementation of already existing Syrian legislation which bans all forms of violence in schools in view of ensuring quality education and a protective environment for children,” UNICEF communications officer Tamara Saeb told IRIN in Damascus. “The particular initiative established through the Voices for Youth [website] is also an important part of that process which aims at supporting the adoption of the child friendly schools initiative, which encourages the empowerment and participation of children,” Saeb added. “The ministry is very serious about addressing the problem of violence in schools,” deputy director of basic education at the MoE, Khayriyeh Mahmoud, told IRIN. A notice is issued every year that prohibits violence in schools, Khayriyeh explained. Last year the ministry issued a warning stating that teachers who practiced violence against children would be moved to another school. If the behaviour persisted, 5 percent would be deducted from the teacher’s salary for six months and there would be a delay in promotion and that he/she would face legal action. “The Ministry of Education prohibits violence in schools because it adversely affects a school’s ability to educate children and help them develop the skills they need to reach their full potential in a safe environment,” IT teacher, Itizar, told IRIN. A good relationship between teaching staff and students must be built, the teacher said, adding that pupils’ positive behaviour should be acknowledged and rewarded and counselling should be offered where needed. “Violence creates hatred and we want to develop a dialogue between parents, teachers and school children,” student, Ahmad Habanka al-Midani, told IRIN.