A present to school kids on the International Children’s Day
On 29 May 2009 four schools in three Crimean districts - Krasnoperekopsky, Nizhnegorsky and Saksky - celebrated the end of the school year, International Children's Day and completion of the projects, implemented by local communities in these schools. The projects were aimed at improving the study and leisure conditions for children, and were implemented by parents, school administration and local authorities, with methodological and financial support of UNDP Crimea Integration and Development Programme.
The celebration brought together all those who contributed to make this present to kids: representatives of parents' committees, teachers, district and local authorities, UNDP CIDP.
On the eve of the International Children's Day, the questions concerning moral, physical and intellectual development of the young are especially often raised. Who bears the responsibility for the quality of education children receive? Who can and who should provide for conditions and environment required to form tolerant worldview and active attitude among youngsters?
These questions are, however, important not only on the 1st June. Those who had accepted being responsible for themselves and their children keep searching answers. And keep finding them, too.
A year ago parents of Nizhnegorsky school #1 - the biggest (700 pupils) and the oldest school in the district - came to a general meeting to decide what could be done to improve the school life for their kids.
"There has never been an assembly hall in this school; all the big events were held in the cafeteria. Our school parents' council decided to turn the old premises in the courtyard into an assembly hall and a gym. Real cost of the project turned out to be much higher than planned, so we decided to break the work into two stages. This year we renovated the assembly hall and the façade of the building. Next year we will complete the construction works in the gym", says Igor Khilinich, head of the "Sozidanie (Creation)" parents' committee.
Pupils of Zhemchuzhina village school, in Nizhnegorsky district, faced similar problems. The school attended by 202 children, had a barely functioning heating system, a deteriorated assembly hall, and no premises to hold sport classes. The parents' committee decided to reconstruct the heating system and the assembly hall, and clean up the school courtyard, so that children could do sports and participate in school events. Joint work of parents, students and teachers led the mission to success. Soon, various learning and entertainment events in the new assembly hall will be organised as part of the project.
In Saksky district, parents of Shtormovoe village school also decided to brighten up the school life for their children.
"Our school was built 38 years ago, and no capital renovation of the assembly hall had been done since then: it was dilapidated. Parents decided to reconstruct the premises and prepare a cultural programme to help kids develop their creativity", takes pride of joint achievements the headmaster of the Shtormovoe school Bogdan Yakovets.
The school of Magazinka village in Krasnoperekopsky district had a different problem, yet equally acute: decayed sewerage system in the building brought the cafeteria and school toilets out of use. Since the local community successfully addressed the problem, teachers and students enjoy more comfort while teaching and learning.
"UNDP CIDP supported the parents' committees of these four schools at every stage of the process. Support was not simply financial, but methodological as well: it would have been impossible to implement such large-scale projects without well-coordinated and effective work of all stakeholders - parents, school administration, local authorities, district education departments and local businessmen", explained Elena Svyatokho, UNDP CIDP tolerance promotion specialist.
The new premises will now host extra-curricular groups and classes. Besides a chance to communicate outside the classrooms, children will also get an alternative to street-life. Moreover, succeeding in drastic makeover of school life for their children made the local communities more cohesive and socially active themselves. The example of every teacher, parent or a caring community member proved how problems can be resolved in cooperation pushing forward the general progress.
The projects presented on 29 May in Krasnoperekopsky, Nizhnegorsky and Saksky districts are among the best practices accumulated within the UNDP CIDP activity aimed at promoting tolerant environment and respect to human rights on the basis of whole-school approach and social mobilization.
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Background
UNDP CIDP activity on "Promoting tolerance through educational system" was launched in 2003. The project focuses on development of public participatory mechanisms involving parents into education management and joint priority definition for individual school communities.
Within its framework two manuals have been published: one on organizing classes with mother-tongue education, and another one describing the principles and practices of whole-school approach.
More than half of Crimean school headmasters, along with local administration authorities, were trained in these approaches throughout 12 ARC districts. Moreover, 82 joint projects were implemented in Crimean schools, focusing on improvement of schooling conditions, promotion of cultural and sport programmes on the basis of reconstructed assembly halls and gyms, and creation of environment for tolerance and human rights respect.
UNDP Crimea Integration and Development Programme (CIDP) is a long-term international technical assistance programme financed by the United Nations Development Programme and donor countries. The main goal of UNDP CIDP is to lead multi-ethnic rural Crimea towards sustainable socio-economic development taking into account the region's ethnic and cultural diversity.
For more information, please contact Vyacheslav Toporov, CIDP Communications Team Leader, at + 38 (0652) 248-009 or toporov {at} undp.crimea.ua
