The National Center for the Prevention of Child Abuse is to design a common commitment to friendly education, which is meant to transform educational institutions into safe environments. The document will be published on the center's online page and could be signed by the interested high schools, which aim to promote educational environments free from violence. The ideas on the content of the commitment were thought out at an event held to launch the awareness campaign "Education does NOT hurt", IPN reports.
The "Education does NOT hurt" campaign, which will take place between November 1 and 19, was initiated by 50 adolescents, including refugees from Ukraine, participants in the SAFETEEN Summer School, organized by the National Center for the Prevention of Child Abuse (CNPAC), in cooperation with UNHCR Moldova. The activities carried out within the campaign are aimed at drawing attention to the importance of non-violent education in schools in the Republic of Moldova, highlighting the good practices of interaction between teachers and students.
At the launch event, CNPAC head Daniela Sâmboteanu said that, thanks to the help of young people, children, the problem of violence in school will be heard and, becoming vocal, solutions will be identified to transform schools in the country into a safe environment. "Now, with the signing of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, your right to express your opinions is clear and this is what you do. You tell us, the adults, that it bothers you, that you want change, and we, those from the National Center for the Prevention of Child Abuse, are trying to do this, to support you, so that education does not hurt anyone, and schools, kindergartens are really a safe environment for all children in the country," said the CNPAC head.
UNHCR Senior Protection Officer in Moldova Andrew Painter stressed that it is a good idea to launch this campaign in the school environment given that the school is the second home that must be a safe place. It is important that things are also seen from the perspective of refugee children, for whom school is not only a place to study, but also a place that offers them a sense of normality, where they can find a refuge, after the traumatic situations they have gone through, being displaced, separated from their loved ones. School principals, teachers have a responsibility to make sure that schools are welcoming places, safe places, including for these refugee children.
Secretary of state of the Ministry of Education and Research Valentina Olaru said that it is an important campaign, supported by the Ministry through many training activities for teachers, which aim to consolidate what children want to happen in the educational system. The educational environment must be safe for all its members, both for children and teachers.
"We must learn to communicate so that we feel joy from the educational process and from the fact that we understand each other, speak in the same language and treat each other with respect and have what means a common goal to achieve. And the Ministry of Education and Research will do the maximum possible to make these things happen," said Valentina Olaru.
Vice-rector of "Ion Creangă" State Teacher Training University Lucia Cepraga said that the university, through its modern strategies, seek to contribute to changing the mentality of the community, through the students it trains, to promote nonviolent education. "In an educational environment we must have a happy teacher because only a happy teacher can educate and raise happy children. A happy person is not oriented towards violence, abuse, conflict," stated the vice-rector.
Ombudsman for Children's Rights Vasile Coroi said that in an unsafe environment, where there is violence, the child's mind focuses on survival, not on lessons, and often, especially children who are the target of violence, tend to withdraw from the educational process, which leads to absenteeism and school dropout. That is why such a campaign is very welcome as it raises awareness among parents, the teaching community and ensures a safe environment, where there is no violence for all actors.
The "Education does NOT hurt" campaign is part of the global initiative "19 Days of Activism for Prevention of Violence Against Children and Youth".
