Albania 83 school directors mobilized to protect children at school

21 May 2009 |

Tirana, Albania: 63 school directors of 9-grade and high schools were trained in Tirana and 20 in Durres during April 2009. The one-day training topic was "Child protection in the school". Its main objective was to improve child protection policies and standards at school, and to clarify roles and responsibilities regarding child protection.

The training provided new concepts and methods on how to coordinate child protection actions among various actors in the school; how to report cases of children in need of protection. The participants affirmed that schools were thought to be a place where teachers were very authoritarian figures and the pupils had to “obey” to them. One school head-master from Durres was of the opinion that “more and more schools are changing to become a place where teachers consider children as partners and listen to their opinions. This training helped us understand better the roles teacher have to play now in schools in this new management style we are trying to apply.”

The clarification of the roles and responsibilities of various stakeholders within and outside school was considered particularly relevant. Moreover, the school headmasters discussed how to have an effective communication when dealing with child protection issues. They expressed their needs for further trainings regarding child protection.

Trainings methods encompassed theoretical aspects on child protection but also practical exercises. The modules were prepared based on the Draft Manual on Child Protection in the Schools, prepared by Terre des hommes in Albania in collaboration with the Ministry of Education. The training will help the head of the schools to increase their protection role towards children and make school a safer place. [VL]