Children First, Winter 2007: What’s Happening?

Children First continues to make progress with a range of planned activities including research, training, capacity building, advocacy and social mobilisation to improve child development and protection in Turkey.

Early Childhood Development (ECD) and Effective Parenting

The MONE General Directorate of Pre–school Education has reviewed the draft strategy paper on Early Childhood Education (ECD) and an international consultant is supporting production of a finalised version of the document.

The new pre–school curriculum were reviewed by a commission from the Support to Basic Education Programme (SBEP) and 130 university academics were trained on the revised curriculum in Antalya at the beginning of September 2006. The MONE General Directorate of Pre–school Education has decided to implement My Family as part of the revised curriculum and 750 pre–school principals were informed about the development in December 2006.

Seven personnel from the Social Services and Child Protection Agency (SHÇEK) were trained in master training and supervision of the My Family package in August 2006. They will provide supervision and guidance to other SHÇEK trainers working with parents and care givers in Community and Family Consultation Centres as well as SHÇEK institutions caring for children under six–years–old. Forty–eight social workers, psychologists and teachers from the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) were trained to disseminate the package to other MOJ staff responsible for the care and protection of women and children in detention. Over 580 non–formal teachers from MONE were trained between August and December 2006 in the implementation of the My Family package for parents. Close to 200 pre–school teachers are training parents and care givers to disseminate the package to peer groups across the country.

The draft version of the My Family package for families between 7 and 19 years of age was completed in August and piloting began in selected MOJ, SHÇEK and MONE institutions in November. Where the 0–6 years package focuses on ECD and effective parenting skills, the package for families with older children emphasises the importance of communication between children and parents on issues such as children’s rights, education, life skills and individual empowerment. Piloting of the package for families with older children has begun and the MONE General Directorate of Special Education is assessing feedback from each session with a view to finalising the material during the first quarter of 2007. Training is expected to begin in April.

Education

The Preventing and Reducing Violence in Educational Environments Strategy and Action Plan was launched by the Minister of National Education in Elazığ in October 2006. Book jackets featuring life skills based messages on the issue were distributed to 4.5 million students in grades 6 to 12. A specialist firm has been contracted to produce a comprehensive life skills based education package for adolescents.

Fieldwork on the catch–up education needs assessment began in August 2006 and MONE established a working group to examine various models of implementation with a view to identifying the most effective system for transition between catch–up and primary education in Turkey. Following the Children First mid–term review in September 2006, MONE General Directorate of Primary Education submitted the work plan for catch–up education to the General Commander of the Gendarmerie. Work on the draft curriculum was ongoing throughout November and December 2006 and the newly updated curriculum and training materials are expected to be ready at the end of April. Following training of teachers and managerial staff, the catch–up education curriculum will be ready for nationwide implementation at the beginning of the 2007–2008 academic year.

Protection

An international consultant was selected to undertake the child abuse and domestic violence study. The research methodology has been developed following meetings with SHÇEK, the Gendarmerie, Turkstat, MOJ, Ministry of Health, MONE and the Turkish Bar Association. Expectations of the research have been identified and the consultant has drafted terms of reference for the national team who will be identified during the first quarter of 2007.

The review of international minimum standards of child care, EU policies and good practices has been drafted and the national team will begin research for the development of a national set of minimum standards of care and protection for children living without parental care in February 2007.

Thirty–three MOJ personnel working with children in contact with the law pre–tested the training manual for prison staff in Ankara and Kayseri in August 2006. They also had the opportunity to improve their skills in communicating with children, understanding children’s rights, child development and positive discipline methods. The manual was also reviewed at a capacity building workshop in October where issues such as treating children in contact with the law with dignity and respect, dealing with depression, anger management and drug abuse problems were addressed. The manuals were printed in November following evaluation by the MOJ. Preparation of a draft handbook for judiciary personnel on communication with children and a video explaining the due process for children in contact with the law will begin in 2007.

The national team to review the Juvenile Justice training curriculum began working with an international consultant in September. Their report is expected by the end of the first quarter of 2007.

A national consultant completed research on the age of criminal responsibility and alternative dispute resolution methods in December 2006.

The Turkish Bar Association is coordinating a review of child–related legislation in line with the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and other international instruments to be used for advocacy purposes.

UNICEF discussed the establishment of an independent ombudsman for children and the feasibility of including a portfolio of statutory powers in legislation for the post with a key parliamentarian in June and October 2006. Advocacy meetings continue with parliamentarians, the MOJ and SHÇEK.

Coordination and Monitoring

Development of the data collection and monitoring system (DevInfoTürk) measuring the 25 quality of life indicators (25QLI) for children, progress on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and EU child–related indicators was completed in November 2006 and provincial planning meetings for directors and deputy governors were held in Gaziantep and Antalya in the same month.

Both the Ministry of Interior (MOI) and Turkstat identified staff responsible for coordination and monitoring of the 25QLI system and they will conduct regional training sessions on the implementation of DevInfoTürk in 2007.

The MOI has requested that all provinces submit data on the 25QLI for 2004–2006.

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