The two-day Partners Consultation organized by UNICEF brought together partners to discuss improving education for adolescents and youth in the CEECIS region. The goals were to share research on the topic, explore potential partnerships, and define future priorities. Over the course of sessions on both days, participants presented findings on education quality and barriers to access from UNICEF's study. Other topics included curriculum reform, life skills and vocational training initiatives, preventing dropouts, second chance programs, youth participation, and reducing violence in schools. The desired outcomes were for participants to learn strategies, share experiences, and develop new networks and collaborative opportunities to advance the education of adolescents and youth in the region.

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Partners Consultation: Exploring Collaboration
on Education for Adolescents and Youth
Organized by:
UNICEF Regional Office for CEECIS
19-20 October 2011
Hotel Novotel Genève
Rue de Zurich, 19, Floor -1
Geneva, Switzerland

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Welcome
In the CEECIS region, more than 12 million adolescents and youth remain out of school. In the region, almost
all inequity gaps in enrolment rates and achievement rates widen post primary school, showing that
adolescents and youth often face more barriers to accessing education than younger children, and that quality
and relevance of education declines post-primary school, especially against the backdrop of rapidly
modernizing labour markets. There is a strong call by young people in the region for their right to quality
education to be heard.
The Partners Consultation: Exploring Collaboration on Education for Adolescents and Youth , organised by
the UNICEF Regional Office for CEECIS, will take place in Geneva on the 19-20 October 2011. Its goals are to: a)
Provide a forum to exchange recent research on education for adolescents and youth, including the RO’s study
of adolescents and youth perspectives on education quality; b) explore potential partnerships and future
directions for advocacy and programming towards improved education for adolescents and youth in the
region; and, c) to strengthen collaboration between partners around post-primary education issues, with the
aim of defining future priorities.
The objectives of the consultation are:
1. To share the findings and methodology of the research study Pushing Past Barriers to Post-Primary Education:
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A study of Adolescent and Youth Perspectives on Education Quality in Chechnya, Kosovo , Georgia and
Tajikistan;
2. To provide a forum for partners and young people to exchange research, experiences and ideas for
programmatic directions in improving education for adolescents and youth, with particular emphasis on the
following themes:
o Presentation of research findings: Adolescent and youth perspectives on education quality
o Reducing dropouts by improving quality – Experiences from the region and beyond
o Preventing dropouts and creating second chances
o Youth participation in education processes
o Addressing violence in schools
o Partnerships: Essential for improving education adolescents and youth
3. To identify potential partnerships and opportunities for collaboration; and
4. To establish priorities in moving forward together in the CEECIS region through collaborative brainstorming.
The desired outcomes for this conference are the following:
1. Participants will have learned about on-going strategies and successful practices in improving
education for adolescents and youth in the region;
2. Participants will have shared experiences related to education for adolescents and youth;
3. Participants will have developed new networks and collaborative opportunities within the region,
specifically targeting: Communication, mobilization, public awareness and advocacy strategies and
Partnerships.
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UNSCR 1244

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PREPARATORY SESSION - TUESDAY, 18 OCTOBER 2011
TH
(UNICEF BUILDING, 5 FLOOR CONFERENCE ROOM)
14.00-17.00 Preparatory mini-workshop: Presentation skill building
Facilitator: Matthew Emry
Expected participation from youth researchers and other interested young professionals.
DAY 1 - WEDNESDAY, 19 OCTOBER 2011
(HOTEL NOVOTEL GENEVA, FLOOR -1)
08.30-09.05 Introduction
Chair: Philippe Testot-Ferry, Regional Education Advisor, UNICEF Regional Office for CEECIS
 Kirsi Madi, Regional Deputy Director, UNICEF Regional Office for CEECIS
 Erin Tanner, Education Officer, UNICEF Regional Office for CEECIS
Introductions
09.05-11.00 SESSION 1 - Sharing findings from UNICEF’s regional study of adolescent and youth
perspectives on education quality: ‘Pushing Past Barriers to Post-Primary School
Education’
Chair: Philippe Testot-Ferry, Regional Education Advisor, UNICEF Regional Office for CEECIS
‘Pushing Past Barriers to Post-Primary Education’
 Jane Lowicki-Zucca, Independent Consultant, UNICEF Regional Office for CEECIS
Comments on country reports and follow up activities:
 Aferdita Spahiu, Education Specialist, UNICEF Kosovo
 Barno Mukhamadieva, Education Officer, UNICEF Tajikistan
 Maia Kuparadze, Education Programme Officer, UNICEF Georgia
 Aslan Guluev, Independent Consultant, UNICEF North Caucasus (video)
Questions and Answers
11.00-11.15 Coffee Break
11.15-13.00 SESSION 2 - Sharing reflections on the methodology of UNICEF’s regional study of
adolescent and youth perspectives on education quality: ‘Pushing Past Barriers to Post-
Primary School Education’
Chair: Jane Lowicki-Zucca, Independent Consultant, UNICEF Regional Office for CEECIS
 Matthew Emry, UNICEF Regional Office for CEECIS Consultant
 Bardha Uka, Youth Researcher, Kosovo
 Ranokhon Dzhumaeva, Youth Researcher, Tajikistan
 Ernest Petrosyan, Youth Researcher, Georgia
 Amina Matyeva, Youth Researcher, Russian Federation (video)

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Questions and Answers
13.00-14.00 Lunch (Served in lobby of hotel)
14.00-14.30 SESSION 3 – Quality improvement initiatives post-primary school
Chair: Aferdita Spahiu, Education Specialist, UNICEF Kosovo
Improving learning content: Curriculum framework reform in Kosovo
 Dakmara Georgescu, UNESCO, International Bureau of Education, Geneva
Questions and Answers
14.30-15.45 SESSION 4 – Improving practical learning: Life skills, TVET and youth empowerment
initiatives
Chair: Barno Mukhamadieva, Education Specialist, UNICEF Tajikistan
‘Passport to Success’ Life skills Programme
 Sarabecka Mullen, Director for Life skills Programmes, International Youth
Foundation, USA
Empowering youth in Central Asia through life skills, education loans and a Youthbank
 Tim Jeanneret, Programme Development and Evaluation Director, Eurasia
Foundation for Central Asia, Kyrgyzstan
Vocational training as an alternative learning opportunity for young people in Georgia
 Eka Gvalia, Executive Director, NGO Charity Humanitarian Centre “Abkhazeti”,
Georgia
Questions and Answers
15.45-16.00 Coffee break
16.00-17.00 SESSION 5: The role of non-formal education in improving quality
Chair: Matthew Emry, Independent Consultant, UNICEF Regional Office for CEECIS
The linkages between non-formal education and quality formal education
 Madhu Singh, Senior Programme Specialist, UNESCO Center for Lifelong learning,
Germany
Non-formal education in Georgia: Still untapped potential
 David Gvineria, Child Protection Officer, Adolescent and Youth Development,
UNICEF Georgia
Video Presentation: Learning through Hip Hop and second chance schools in France (8 min)
Questions and Answers

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17.00-17.15 Closing
 Jane Lowicki-Zucca, Independent Consultant, UNICEF Regional Office for CEECIS
 Erin Tanner, Education Officer, UNICEF Regional Office for CEECIS
DAY 2 - THURSDAY, 20 OCTOBER 2011
(NOVOTEL GENEVA, FLOOR -1)
08.45-09.00 Introduction
 Erin Tanner, Education Officer, UNICEF Regional Office for CEECIS
09.00-10.00 SESSION 6 - Preventing School Dropouts
Chair: Matthew Emry, Independent Consultant, UNICEF Regional Office for CEECIS
Supporting parents and schools to identify potential dropouts
 Aferdita Spahiu, Education Specialist, UNICEF Kosovo
The importance of gender barriers: Findings from ‘Pushing Past Barriers to Post-Primary
School Education’
 Jane Lowicki-Zucca, Independent Consultant, UNICEF Regional Office for CEECIS
Video Presentation: 4-H Working to Prevent High School Dropouts, USA (7 minutes)
Video Presentation: Preventing school dropouts PSA, India (1 minute)
Questions and Answers
10.00-11.15 SESSION 7 - Promoting second chances
Chair: Maia Kuparadze, Education Programme Officer, UNICEF Georgia
Second Chance Schools in Europe
 Reinhold Schiffers, Member of E2C-Europe Executive Committee, E2C-Europe, The
Netherlands
Second chance learning opportunities for children in conflict with the law in Georgia
 Tea Kacharava, Children and Youth Protection Program Manager, NGO Charity
Humanitarian Centre “Abkhazeti”, Georgia
Good practices with accelerated learning programmes:
 Marina Lopez-Anselme, Chief, Education Programmes, Refugee Education Trust,
Geneva
Questions and Answers
11.15-11.30 Coffee Break

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11.30-13.00 SESSION 8 - Strengthening youth participation in education processes: From the
classroom to national government
Chair: Jane Lowicki-Zucca, Independent Consultant, UNICEF Regional Office for CEECIS
Mechanisms to engage young people in education policy discussions
 Benjamin Bach, Programme Officer - Education Support Programme, Open Society
Institute, London
Strengthening Student Councils in Kosovo
 Agon Batusha, Representative, Kosovo Student Council, Kosovo
Youth parliament in Tajikistan
 Jafar Usmonov, Coordinator Youth Parliament, Tajikistan
Youth Innovations Lab
 Rron Salaj, Peer Educator Network (PEN), Kosovo
Questions and Answers
13.00-14.00 Lunch
14.00-15.15 SESSION 9 – Reducing violence in schools
Chair: David Gvineria, Child Protection Officer, Adolescent and Youth Development, UNICEF
Georgia
Using communication campaigns to improve quality: ‘Learn without Fear’
 Nadya Kassam, Coordinator Learn Without Fear Campaign, Plan International,
London
 Anja Stuckert, Coordinator Learn Without Fear Campaign, Plan International,
Germany
Violence Free Schools (video)
 Yulia Pererva, Representative of Education Department, Council of Europe, France
Questions and Answers
15.15-15.30 Coffee Break
15.30-17.30 SESSION 10 – Brainstorming on the way forward: Group work on priorities, plans and
partners’ roles
Facilitator: Erin Tanner, Education Officer, UNICEF Regional Office for CEECIS
 Group work
 Reporting

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17.30-17.45 Closing
 Jane Lowicki-Zucca, Independent Consultant, UNICEF Regional Office for CEECIS
 Erin Tanner, Education Officer, UNICEF Regional Office for CEECIS
 Philippe Testot-Ferry. Regional Education Advisor, UNICEF Regional Office for
CEECIS
OPTIONAL – PRESENTATION TO UNICEF STAFF - Friday, 21 October 2011
(UNICEF Building, Ground Floor Conference Room
10.00-11.00 Presentation to UNICEF staff: Youth as Partners in Research on Education
Chair: Kirsi Madi, Deputy Regional Director, UNICEF Regional Office for CEECIS
Presenters:
 Jane Lowicki-Zucca, Independent Consultant, UNICEF Regional Office for CEECIS
 Matthew Emry, Independent Consultant, UNICEF Regional Office for CEECIS
 Youth researchers: Bardha Uka (Kosovo), Ranokhon Dzhumaeva (Tajikistan), and
Ernest Petrosyan (Georgia)