Say Yes, Summer 2006: Violence in Schools (1)
Speakers at the Symposium included Chris Gittins, who spoke about the United Kingdom’s Action Plan to Reduce Violence in Schools, and journalist Ruhat Mengi of Vatan newspaper. Photograph by Oğuz Sağdıç © UNICEF Turkey 2006
Minister of Education, Dr Hüseyin Çelik: Violence in any form should not be tolerated
Photograph Oğuz Sağdıç
© UNICEF Turkey 2006
Launching the First Symposium on Violence and Schools: Taking Preventive Measures against Violence towards Children in and around the School Environment in İstanbul in March, Minister of National Education, Dr Hüseyin Çelik, stressed that:
Violence in any form should not be tolerated -- most especially in our schools. Each of us who is involved in the educational system -- school directors, principals, teachers and of course every single member of the student body, the children themselves, and their parents -- has a part to play in eradicating this scourge from our schools.
When we talk about prevention, we are talking about a consistent plea for reason and peaceful example at every level of society -- from the fireside corner to the uppermost strata of world leadership.
Çelik closed his heartfelt speech with the expectation that the Symposium would yield a plan of action that the Ministry of National Education (MONE) would implement in all Turkish schools along with a comprehensive monitoring system by the end of 2006.
UNICEF Representative, Edmond McLoughney: Violence in school is a global issue
Photograph Oğuz Sağdıç
© UNICEF Turkey 2006
Delivering his keynote address at the opening of the Symposium, UNICEF Country Representative, Edmond McLoughney, quoted the disturbing fact that four children die every day in the European Region as a result of violence and added that:
Violence at school is a global issue -- it is not a particular feature that sets Turkish schools aside from their counterparts in any other part of the world. Nevertheless, this Symposium represents a tremendous opportunity for Turkey to set an example to her European neighbours and to schools all over the world by eradicating the problem and making schools safer for Turkish children. The Ministry of National Education will have the full support and assistance of UNICEF in this endeavour.
The Symposium was attended by representatives of government, civil society, non-governmental organisations, national and international academics, parents and children. The primary objectives were to:
- increase awareness on violence in and around schools;
- stimulate further public debate of the issue;
- contribute to the preparation of an effective action plan for the elimination of violence in schools.
Secondary objectives were to:
- share research on the issue between national and international experts;
- identify areas where further research would be necessary;
- set up partnerships between government institutions, international bodies, NGOs, universities and the media in order to facilitate elimination of violence in schools.
The Declaration by participants at the close of the Symposium outlines the various roles and responsibilities of stakeholders. The findings of the Symposium will contribute to the UN Secretary-General’s Study on Violence Against Children due to be published later this year.
Continue to the second part of Violence in Schools.
Read the full text of the Declaration by participants at the First Symposium on Violence and Schools.
Read more about the UN Secretary-General’s Global Study on Violence Against Children in this issue of Say Yes.
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SAY YES, SUMMER 2006
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