Workshop Presentation

1. PORTICUS WORKSHOP
APRIL 2016
B A S S E L A K A R ( C A R E / N D U )
E R I K V A N O M M E R I N G ( C A R I T A S A U S T R I A )
Gathering Evidence for
Education in Emergencies and
Supportive Policies

2. Outline
 CARE: innovative approaches to holistic education
 Caritas Austria: field research
 CARE: 2nd shift
 USJ: public schools 2015-2016
 Open Space: key issues
 Further directions for research & development

3. CARE: innovative approaches
November 2014
 Parents as gatekeepers
 Education perceived as low-stakes
 War-related trauma
 Qualified human resources
 Integration into an education system
 Sustainable programming
 Communities in conflict
 Appropriate education
 Legal frameworks
 Safety

4. Caritas Austria: Field Research
Challenges
 Parents/caretakers
 Facing stress and insecurity (documentation, eviction, safety,
work, lack of resources to care for children)
 Capacity to protection and care becomes vulnerable >
prioritise adverse strategies
 Not well-informed about policies
 May choose safe education over certified education
 Afraid to ask about their kids
 Public school environments
 Access, aggression, uniforms, 2nd shift

5. Caritas Austria: Field Research
Challenges
 Education
 Assessment, placement, learning gaps
 Teachers
 Stress, hierarchy, classroom management, materials, little
knowledge of referral pathways
 Hygiene and behavior
 Intercommunal tension
 Religion, public and private memories

6. Caritas Austria: Field Research
Positive impact of holistic education
 Source of structure, security
 Learning as cognitive, emotional, social, and creative
development
 Emotional bond with teachers
 Communication skills
 Tolerant classrooms
 Sports, movement, games, music, arts
 Complementary support
 Humanitarian, heating, referral
 Entire school community benefits

7. Caritas Austria: Field Research
Positive outcomes of holistic education
 Parents/caretakers
 Teachers and parents as learners
 Parents notice non-academic development
 Parents approach teachers
 Summer school/ALP
 Classroom culture
 PSS
 In-school social worker with strong backup
 Assessment as encouragement

8. Caritas Austria: Field Research
Recommendations
 Utilise potential of private sector
 High responsiveness
 Inclusion
 Move – unblocking nerve system, communication,
senses, long-term memory
 ECE
 Reconsider uncertified education

9. CARE
Why do we need to regularly research?
 Rapid policy change
 Teacher turnover
 Parents relocate
 Changes in finances at home
 Donor dependence

10. CARE: 2nd shift
 Types of schooling
 Public
 SRC (unofficial, remedial)
 Attendance
 Violence
 Parental support
 Differentiation
 Behaviorism
 Sustainability

11. USJ: public schools 2015-2016
 Field research with nearly 1,000 children across
Lebanon, focus on ‘Back to School’ campaign
 60% in school (47% public), highest among young
children
 Regional variations in enrolment (75% Beirut, 52%
South)
 20% has no books and schools supplies
 Negative perception of early marriage is higher among
in-school girls (62%) vs. 37% for out-of-school girls
 Children in school are happier than those out of school

12. USJ: public schools 2015-2016
 Recommendations
 Adolescents
 Quality relations (inspections)
 Regional distribution
 Mixed classes (S/L)
 Inter-ministerial coordination
 Details
 Carole Shabarati (carole.alsharabati@usj.edu.lb)
 www.isp.usj.edu.lb/files/articles.html

13. Open Space
 Aim: discussing key issues, formulating practical
solutions, and defining policy suggestions
 Method:
 6 key topics, one representative per topic, contribute to topic
that you relate to (15 mins)
 Briefings (1 minute per topic)
 Questions (1 minute per topic)

14. Open Space: Topics
1. How do sports and movement influence learning
and well-being?
2. How can standardised education and quality be
reconciled?
3. How can relationships of trust be fostered between
schools and parents/caretakers?
4. How can we meaningfully utilise the potential of
private schools?

15. Open Space: Topics
5. How can students with special needs be integrated
in formal education?
6. What kind of citizenship do we want to foster in
our programmes?
7. Should MEHE certificate unofficial schools for
refugee children?
8. How do we reach all children with education and
access to official exams?
9. What is the best exit strategy for education
programming?

16. Open Space
15 min discussion + practical/policy directions
1 minute briefing by representative
1 minute Q&A

17. Further Directions in
Research and Development
1. Research and development
 Gathering missing information
 Action research
2. Dissemination
 Help NGOs increase readership of their reports
 Inform stakeholders of progress and strategies through 1-
minute videos
 Inform policies in other host communities (EU!)

18. Further Directions in
Research and Development
3. Capacity building
 Teacher professional development
 MA
4. Public discourse and policy dialogues
 Certification
 Citizenship
 Lost generation?
 UN agencies and NGOs
 Spot and support talent
 Place of vocational training

19.  Dr. Bassel Akar (Centre for Applied Research in
Education, Notre Dame University)
bakar@ndu.edu.lb
 Erik van Ommering (Caritas Austria)
erik.van-ommering@caritas-austria.at