Creation of child friendly school environment

 

Sri Lanka has had a progressive education system since colonial times and continued to have a very progressive education system after gaining independence. As a result of this Sri Lanka has high enrollment rate and high completion rate of primary education. It leads to the citizen's high literacy rate.  But the education of children with diverse backgrounds and abilities remains as a major challenge. In April 2000, the World Education Forum held in Dakar, Senegal, set as its second goal: "ensuring that by 2015 all children have access to and complete free and compulsory primary education of good quality. Ministry of Education identifies "developing child friendly environment in primary education sector" as one of the strategies to achieve this goal. Currently Child Friendly School programme is implemented in 1454 schools focused on primary education.

 

INDICATORS OF THE

 CHILD FRIENDLY SCHOOL INITIATIVE IN SRI LANKA

 

Content

Dimension 1. Rights-based and proactively inclusive

Dimension 2. Gender- responsive

Dimension 3. Promoting quality learning outcomes relevant to chnildren's need for knowledge and skills.

Dimension 4. Healthy, Safe and Proactive of children

Dimension 5 Actively engaged with students, families and communities.

Dimension 6 Supported by child friendly systems, policies, practices and regulations

 

Abbreviations:

 

SSA = School Self Assessment Exercise (includes school development planning too) conducted by the School Community + ISA

SDP = School Development Plan

School Community = Principal, Teachers, Students, Caretakers and Community Members

COC = Classroom Observation Checklist

EPR = Emergency Preparedness and Response

CBHE = Competency Based Health Education

ISA = In-Service Advisor

BASIC DATA OF THE SCHOOL 

 

Name of the School

School Census ID

Number of students

Number of teachers                            available                          required

Number of Teachers by Qualification

No: of enrolment  by sex by grade

% of  attendance rate by sex by grade

% of retention rate by sex by grade

% of survival rate by sex, by location

% of out-of-school children in the school catchment’s area

% of classrooms fulfilling national standards on Student-Class Ratio

Availability of School Development Plan

Availability of teacher capacity improvement activities in SDP

Availability of activities on health, safety & protection in SDP

Availability of activities on cleanliness & maintenance in SDP

Availability of trained guidance teacher in the school

Availability of appropriate space for counseling

 

DIMENSION 1: RIGHTS-BASED AND PROACTIVELY INCLUSIVE

 

Criteria 1.1. Effective mechanisms for preventing drop-outs and seeking and responding to out-of-school children are in place and used

 

Indicator

Source

Frequency

1.1.1 The school has an active committee for drop-outs and out-of-school children

 

Records

Quarterly

1.1.2 No: of out of school children  in the catchment area as identified by the school committee

 

 

School master list  minutes of the committee

 

Quarterly

1.1.3 No: of drop out  children  in the catchment area as identified by the school committee

 

 

School master list  minutes of the committee

 

Quarterly

1.1.4 % of at risk children by grade in the school 

 

 

School records

Quarterly

 

Criteria 1.2.  All children have equal access to activities and resources in the school

 

Indicator

Source

Frequency

1.2.1 % of schools having at least 3 co curricular activities

School records

Twice a year

1.2.2        % of boys & girls participate in minimum of one co curricular activity

School records

Twice a year

 

Criteria 1.3. Corporal and psychological punishment are not practiced and preventive measures and responses to bullying are in place

 

Indicator

Source

Frequency

1.3.1 No: of recorded corporal punishments within a year

 

 

Focus group discussions

Records of disciplinary committee

Suggestion box records

Annually

 

1.3.2  No: of recorded psychological  punishments within a year

 

Focus group discussions

Records of disciplinary committee

Suggestion box records

Annually

 

 

Criteria 1.4. The school’s undertakings are based on the understanding of the Child Rights by the whole school community

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DIMENSION 2: GENDER-RESPONSIVE

 

Note: This dimension and its criteria/expected results is not being measured separately but mainstreamed into the measurement of the other dimensions

 

Criteria 2.1. Equal opportunities exist for girls and boys to support completion of primary education and transition to secondary education

(Covered in Basic Data of the School)

 

Criteria 2.2. Girls and boys participate on an equal basis in all school activities (curriculum and co-curriculum, management)

 

 

Criteria 2.3. Physical facilities are appropriate for girls and boys

 

 

DIMENSION 3: IMPROVING CHILDREN'S LEARNING OUTCOMES

 

Criteria 3.1 Adequate human resources and classroom facilities are available to support learning

 

Indicator

Source

Frequency

3.1.1 % of teachers holding primary education level teaching qualification

School records

Annually

3.1.2 Teacher attendance rate

School records

 Quarterly

3.1.3 % of classrooms fulfilling set standards on classroom facilities

SSA

 Annually

 

Criteria 3.2. The classroom atmosphere is inclusive, stress-free, democratic and conducive for learning

 

Indicator

Source

Frequency

3.2.1 % of teachers who treat all students in their classroom equally, irrespective of sex, social-economic background, physical and learning ability

Survey +  SSA

FGD, observation

Annually

3.2.2 % of classrooms displaying students work

Observation

Annually

3.2.3 Students and teachers interact easily and feel at ease to share their views and opinions

 

Survey + SSA

FGD and observation

Annually

3.2.4 Level of students participation in classroom-based decision making process

 

Survey +SSA

FGD and observation

Annually

 

Criteria 3.3. School curriculum is adapted to bring in local environment, culture + knowledge

 

Indicator

Source

Frequency

3.3.1 % of teachers adapting the curriculum to reflect local culture + knowledge

School Records

Quarterly

3.3.2 The school gives opportunities to the local community to participate in curricular related activities

SSA

Annually

 

Criteria 3.4. Teachers are continuously improving their capacity through provided opportunities and their own initiatives

 

Indicator

Source

Frequency

3.4.1 % of teachers who acquired special training related to profession through government

School records

Annually

3.4.2 % of teachers who acquired special training related to profession on their own

School records

Annually

 

 

Criteria 3.5. Child centered teaching methodologies are used

 

Indicator

Source

Frequency

3.5.1 % of teachers who used  Child Centered Teaching approach  in the classroom

Observation by ISA

Lesson Plans of teachers

Students' books

Quarterly observation Schedule on 3.2

 

Criteria 3.6. Essential Learning Competencies are regularly assessed and effective Actions taken to ensure each child achieve ELC  mastery Level 

 

Indicator

Source

Frequency

3.6.1 % of students who achieved mastery level in Essential Learning Competencies by key stage

School records

End of key stage

3.6.2 % of teachers who continuously use classroom based assessment by students

School records

Quarterly

3.6.3. % of teachers taking  actions to ensure each child achieves ELC  mastery level 

School records

Quarterly

 

 

DIMENSION 4: HEALTHY, SAFE AND PROTECTIVE OF CHILDREN

 

Criteria 4.1. School level policies on health, safety and protection are in place

 

Indicator

Source

Frequency

4.1.1 Awareness & practice among the school community on school health, safety & protection

Survey

Focus group discussion

Annually

 

Criteria 4.2. School has available & adequate facilities related to food, water & sanitation

 

Indicator

Source

Frequency

4.2.1 Availability & adequacy of facilities related to food, water & sanitation

SSA

Survey

Annually

 

Criteria 4.3. School environment & facilities related to food, water & sanitation are well maintained, safe & hygiene

 

Indicator

Source

Frequency

4.3.1        Maintenance & safety of facilities related to food, water & sanitation

SSA

Survey

Annually

 

Criteria 4.4. Competency-based health education is effectively conducted for students

 

Indicator

Source

Frequency

4.4.1 % of CBHE programmes implemented at school

SDP, School records SSA

Annually

4.4.2 % of students participating in school health club

Health club records

Annually

4.4.3 % of students reaching national standards of physical fitness

physical assessment form

Annually

 

Criteria 4.5. Effective psycho-social support and referral services are available and used

 

Indicator

Source

Frequency

4.5.1 % of students referred for  psycho social support .

School records

Annually

 

Criteria 4.6. Children are protected from harm, abuse and injury

 

Indicator

Source

Frequency

4.6.1        No: of incidence reported related to physical harm, abuse & injured

School records + various sources

Annually

4.6.2 No: of cases of harm, abuse & injury responded by school management

School records

Annually

 

 

Criteria 4.7. Readiness to operational Emergency preparedness and response plans

 

necessary to see whether the relevant activities are incorporated within  the plan.

 

 

DIMENSION 5: ACTIVELY ENGAGED WITH STUDENTS, FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES

 

Criteria 5.1. Schools conduct self-assessments and develop school development plans with effective participation of students, families and communities

 

Criteria 5.2. Principal, teachers, students, families and the community actively participate in the implementation of the school development plan

 

 

Criteria 5.3. Principal, teachers, students, families and the community actively participate in monitoring and evaluation of the school development plan

 

 

Criteria 5.4. Schools are actively engaged in promoting and supporting child friendly home/community environment

 

All these criteria are measured through SSA & through evaluation done by zonal level.

 

DIMENSION 6: SUPPORTED BY CHILD FRIENDLY SYSTEMS, POLICIES, PRACTICES AND REGULATIONS

 

Criteria 6.1. Government policies, regulations and their implementation are supportive to the development of CFS

 

Policy analyses is needed as secondary analyses.

Criteria 6.2. Effective coordination exists between all relevant government agencies at all levels

 

Intersectional CFS co-ordination committees (Health, Water, Child development etc) will be set up at zonal, provincial & national level.

Criteria 6.3. Appropriate financial resources are allocated at different levels

 

Financial allocations should be done according to the school development plan

Criteria 6.4. Quality technical support systems exist at all levels

 

Evaluation is needed.

Criteria 6.5. Curriculum, textbooks and teacher’s manuals incorporate child friendly principles

 

Secondary analyses is needed at national level.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Necessary tools for Dimension 1

 

criteria 1.1

  1. one page format to collect data on out of school children & drop out children
  2. TOR for the school committee including role of the members, way of filling the format and way of keeping records
  3. Instructions to the principals to define the catchment area.
  4. Students' attendance register, records on family background  as school records.

 

criteria 1.2

  1. List  for co-curricular activities ( sports, aesthetic, clubs, societies etc.)
  2. List for resources ( playground, toy unit, play area, reading corner etc)

 

 

criteria 1.3

 

1.Format for collect recorded data

 

criteria 1.4

 

  1. Check list for observe daily activities related to CRC
  2. Format to collect data from school records based on CRC

 

Necessary tools for Dimension 3

 

criteria 3.1

 

  1. ELC list categorized according to the 7 competencies.
  2. Format to collect data  quarterly on class based assessments

 

 

 

 

criteria 3.2

 

1. Check list for observe classroom to collect data on child centred education

 

criteria 3.3

 

  1. Format for collecting qualifications of teachers
  2. National standards for primary classroom & facilities

 

criteria 3.4 & 3.5

 

  1. Questionnaire for a survey administers by ISAs.

 

criteria 3.6

 

1.Format for collecting implemented programmes on teacher capacity development at various levels & acquired special skills to develop  professionalism of teachers by their own.

 

Necessary tools for Dimension 4

 

criteria 4.1

 

  1. Questionnaire for survey  to collect data about awareness & practices among the school community on health, safety & protection
  2. Schedule for focus group discussions

 

 

 

 

 

 

criteria 4.2 & 4.3

 

1. Checklist for observation of availability, adequacy & quality of School environment & facilities related to health, water & sanitation

 

criteria 4.4

 

  1. Format to capture the CBHE activities implemented in school by themes
  2. Format to collect records of health club activities