How do you protect a school from being attacked?

In northern Cameroon, teachers are being trained how to keep their schools safe.

The programme helps them聽to evaluate risks facing their schools and聽to develop action plans so that they and their聽students know what to do in an聽emergency.

Some 1600 teachers have been trained so far.聽Plans include appointing student leaders, designating assembly points and practising emergency evacuation techniques.聽

The training聽by UNICEF – in partnership with the European Union –聽 also includes techniques for providing traumatised children with psychological support and making schools feel like a safe place in the midst of the chaos.

“Ensuring access to education for crisis-affected children is important –聽however, opening schools is not enough,” said Marie-Pierre Poirier, UNICEF’s regional director for West and Central Africa.

“Children and teachers need to be equipped with knowledge and skills, to be prepared and able to mitigate the effects of something dangerous happening around the school premises.”

础听United Nations report in 2015聽said there were attacks on schools in at least 70 countries between 2009 and 2014.

Across the world, there is a growing recognition that all children have the right to a safe education.聽

Last week Denmark became the 64th nation聽to sign聽the Safe Schools Declaration –聽a political commitment to protect education during armed conflict and help to聽ensure a country国产视频檚 future.

• 10 countries where girls’ education has been attacked
• Inquiry on how to protect children in conflicts

Many of the聽countries worst聽affected by attacks on schools and military use of schools have signed up.聽They include Afghanistan – where 1000 schools were closed last year because of Taliban attacks –聽the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia, South Sudan聽and Sudan.聽

罢丑别听Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack聽(GCPEA)聽has also聽drawn up聽guidelines for how schools can protect themselves.

GCPEA said: 国产视频淧arties to armed conflict also use schools and universities as barracks and bases, for weapons storage, as detention centres, and for other military purposes, jeopardising the safety of students and staff and forcing schools to close for varying periods of time.聽

国产视频淚n the long term, such attacks on education and military use of schools impede student attendance and enrolment, inhibit learning, diminish the quality of education聽and reduce the numbers of people who are qualified as teachers.

“They obstruct children国产视频檚 right to education聽and weaken education systems, hindering long-term development.国产视频�

GCPEA国产视频檚 full technical guide on protecting schools聽– organised in seven categories –聽can be read here. Here are聽some of the main points.

Unarmed physical protection measures聽

• Reinforce windows with blast film, heavy curtains聽or bars聽
• Reinforce doors with bolts or other heavy materials聽
• Reinforce buildings with sandbags or other materials聽
• Install razor wire on tops of school walls聽
• Put in place barriers or create distance between the road and school 聽
• Conceal the schools by building boundary walls or fences, or planting shrubbery

Armed physical protection measures聽

Armed guards and patrols can protect teachers, students, and school buildings and infrastructure, as well as provide them with a means of self-defence.聽

While some schools have privately engaged armed guards, in most cases they聽have coordinated such measures with ministries, local police and security forces, local community leaders, councils or other government entities.聽

However, these measures should be used with caution since they may have the opposite effect of endangering children, rather than protecting them, and of impeding their access to education, rather than preserving it.聽

For example, the use of armed guards or escorts should be limited to the times of day or year when schools are most at risk.聽

Armed guards should be based in an area that minimises their contact and interaction with children聽and they should be trained in child protection practices.

Negotiations as a strategy to protect education聽

School and community leaders can negotiate agreements with parties in聽armed conflicts, including government forces and non-state armed groups. The aim of these talks – at national or community level –聽is to聽stop schools being attacked or used聽for military purposes.聽

While those in leadership positions will typically carry out such negotiations, teachers and school administrators should be sensitised to possible risks involved in the negotiation process, such as appearing to support one party or another. 聽

They should take measures to ensure the school is recognised as a neutral space.

Early warning/alert systems聽

Effective early warning systems can, in some cases, ensure that children and staff are removed from harm before attacks occur.聽

Schools can work either independently or in coordination with government ministries, UN agencies, NGOs, local councils聽and community leaders to implement early warning or alert systems to communicate quickly聽about threats or attacks on schools.聽

This can enable education communities to temporarily close schools, transfer students to schools in safer areas聽or provide alternative delivery of education.

Alternative聽delivery of education聽

In situations in which it is unsafe to continue education in formal schools, education can be provided through alternative means.聽

Relocate to places where education is delivered, such as to homes, community buildings, places of worship or other community sites.聽

Relocation should be carefully considered, however, since these spaces are often also targeted in contexts where education is attacked.

Psychosocial support聽

Students, education personnel, and students国产视频� guardians should receive mental health and social support when they experience targeted attacks on schools or frequent or ongoing exposure to conflict outside school.聽

Psychosocial support should incorporate appropriate community, cultural聽and religious healing practices and should include establishing referral systems for children and adults who may need specialised mental health services.

School-based safety and security plans

In order to be effective, plans require strong leadership from principals and school management committees,with active community, parent, and student participation.聽

Plans should incorporate measures to be taken before, during, and after an incident, as highlighted above.