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Safe Schools and Thriving Students: Empowering Teachers to Make it a Reality
The statistics are relentless: early pregnancies, gender-based violence, HIV/AIDS, malnutrition—these are just some of the challenges that hinder the education and well-being of millions of children and adolescents every year. Schools, which should be safe havens, sometimes become arenas where inequalities and violence unfold. But schools can also be where change begins.
Training Trainers: A Catalyst for Transformative Education in West and Central Africa
From November 25 to 28, 2024, educators from 16 countries in West and Central Africa gathered in Dakar for a groundbreaking workshop. This was not just a technical training; it was an opportunity for these key actors in the education system to become agents of social transformation.
For one participant, a pedagogy trainer from Burkina Faso, the Dakar workshop was a turning point. “When we learn how to address topics like sexual and reproductive health, emotional well-being, or positive discipline, we equip teachers with practical tools to help their students live and learn better,” she said.
She recalled the story of a 15-year-old student who was pregnant and on the verge of dropping out. Thanks to positive discipline tools, the student’s teacher was able to provide tailored support, enabling her to continue her education. “These are the stories that give meaning to our work. We’re not just training teachers—we’re shaping mentors and protectors,” she explained. This is the mission carried by teachers: to transform schools into spaces where learners can thrive.
A Pedagogical Guide to Go Further
At the heart of this workshop was a pedagogical guide under development, the result of years of collaboration between UNESCO Dakar, the International Bureau of Education, and regional ministries of education. With practical sheets tailored to different age groups, the guide offers teachers active and participatory methods to address crucial topics.
Abdoulaye, an education inspector, emphasized the importance of this tool: “This guide is a lifeline. It enables teachers to approach sensitive topics like sexual violence or HIV with confidence and sensitivity.”
The impact of this workshop extends far beyond the days spent in Dakar. Each participant left with the mission of training other teachers in their home countries. The goal is clear: to transform schools into spaces of well-being and resilience where every student can not only learn but also flourish.
For Dimitri Sanga, Director of UNESCO’s Regional Office for West Africa, this systemic approach is essential: “By empowering teachers to care for their students, we contribute to building more inclusive and resilient societies.”
The Senegalese Minister of Education also highlighted the importance of this initiative: “Education systems aim to offer learners a variety of enriching and rewarding learning experiences that equip them with the knowledge, abilities, attitudes, skills, competencies, and values needed to lead meaningful and fulfilling lives.”
This workshop, rich in exchanges and learning, marks another step forward on the long road toward a future where education and health go hand in hand, for the well-being of all children and youth in West and Central Africa.
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More information on:
The International Bureau of Education