Universal Education Foundation Education by All for the Well-Being of Children 1 The Universal Education Foundation Education by All for the Well Being.

Universal Education Foundation • Education by All for the Well-Being of Children 1

The Universal Education Foundation

Education by All for the Well Being of Children


Issue/Challenge

How can learning environments of children and young people become more conducive to their well being


The WHO defines health as :

A state of complete physical, mental and social well being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity

UNESCO’s 1972 commission report asserted: Education should contribute to every

person’s complete development – mind and body, intelligence, sensitivity, aesthetic appreciation and spirituality


Education systems still tend to be modeled on "19th century" models:

• the classroom

• the teacher

• the grade structure

• the text book


The standardized and centralized educational structure and an emphasis on performance and grades cannot provide adequate attention to:

• Individual and sociological diversity • Autonomy and self-organization • Active participation of children • Acknowledgement and recognition rather

than evaluation of learning• Play, and the pleasure of unevaluated

experience • Being in the moment


Trans-disciplinary Vector

Sport Neuro-cognitive sciences

Mind-bodydisciplines

Education

Pedagogy Medical sciences Genetics Ecology

Psychology

Spirituality Brain research

Well being is an emerging transdisciplinary field that builds on many different disciplines


Challenges in Defining Well Being

The definition needed to be:

• Specific enough to provide a common understanding in the work of UEF.

• Broad enough to take into account subjective context-based elements such as culture, age, gender, resources etc.

• Flexible enough to allow for its evolution with deepening understanding of the concept.

• Easy to communicate


Current working definition

• Well being is the realization of one’s physical, emotional, mental, social and spiritual potential.


•

• The UNESCO Task Force put forward the idea that education throughout life is based upon four pillars:

Learning to know

Learning to do

Learning to live together

Learning to be


Indicators of well being (1)• A general sense of coherence between the way one’s life is

and the way in which one would like it to be.

• A deep sense of being safe and supported by one's environment or one’s spiritual belief system.

• A pervasive sense of self-esteem, satisfaction, joy, curiosity, wonder and gratitude, with the capacity to navigate and cope with a full spectrum of emotions.

• A satisfying sense of self-expression and self-actualization, and meaningful and rewarding engagement in relationships, learning, work, creativity, leisure and play.

• A developed sense of self awareness that allows one to recognize and monitor ones inner processes and their relationship to external experience and to navigate with confidence between the two.


Indicators of well being (2)

• A pervasive sense of physical health and vitality and a rewarding engagement in physical activity, acting, creating and producing in the physical world

• A sense of respect and concern for and interconnectedness with the natural environment and pleasure in engaging with it in and caring for it.

• A gratifying sense of belonging, interdependence, compassion and pleasure in contributing to and nurturing one’s communities and human and non-human environments.

• A confidence in one’s ability to manage challenging situations and ambiguity with competence, choice, influence and flexibility.


Indicators of well being (3)• A prevalent sense of acceptance, optimism,

resourcefulness, resilience and capacity for growth and healing in the face of life's challenges.

• A capacity to engage fully in the experience of the present moment - to be present and undistracted with the mind-body-emotional-social experience as it happens – without distractions or anxieties, and in this way be available for inspired thought and action. This includes the capacity to be fully engaged with the learning process (whichever aspects may be involved at the time) as it unfolds.

• An understanding of physical, emotional, social, mental and spiritual healing processes so that one can feel secure in knowing that when there are difficulties, imbalances and traumas that there are ways to heal them, and that wounds and healing are an integral part of the life cycle.


Vision

Education by All for the Well Being of Children


Our Values

• Respect

• Integrity

• Caring

• Learning from experience


Purpose

We seek to inspire people to listen more to children and young people and to take more initiatives for their well being.


Our Goal (1)

Children and young people in more and more countries experience improved well being in their lives thanks to:

• education and healthcare systems, which are effectively promoting and monitoring well being for children and young people.

• ICT and media which are invested in the well being of children and are increasingly able to measure the impacts of their activities in those terms, and adjust accordingly.


Our Goal (2)

• education, which is increasingly perceived as a healthcare delivery system (prevention of disease and promotion of health).

• the fact that well being of children is increasingly recognized and assumed as a responsibility shared by health care, education, media and ICT as well as by all adults in their personal and professional roles.

• the resources gathered, created and disseminated by UEF, which are valued and used by our partners, as well as by an increasing number of individuals and institutions worldwide.

• we speak the language of children and young people.


Success factors

• Engaging children and young people in the transformation of their learning environments so they are more conducive to their well-being.

• Recognising and disseminating co-creative initiatives that impact positively the learning environments of children and better support and nurture their well being.

• Promoting the well being of children and young people by developing a system for encouraging and monitoring the conscious nurturing of their well being in different learning environments. Well being is the realization of our physical, emotional, mental, social and spiritual potential.

• Facilitating multi-sector dialogues on the well being of children.

• Developing a co-creative culture within UEF and with its partners.


Programme of activities

UEF has developed a programme of linked activities: • The Voice of Children Initiative:

- Learning Environment Observatory (LEO)- VOC Virtual Community

• The Elham Inspirational Programme which will recognize and support individuals, groups and organizations for initiatives and endeavours that have contributed significantly towards making children’s and young people’s learning environments more conducive to their well being. Elham will focus particularly on recognizing and supporting people and initiatives from education, community based organizations, media, health and ICT.

• The Learning for Well Being Forum will bring together local and global actors from education, health, ICT and media to provide opportunities to listen to children's voices, showcase Elham Ambassadors’ initiatives and inspire new ventures. .


Voice of Children Initiative

• Children's and young people's perspectives on the impact of their learning environments (education, health, media and ICT)

• Learning Environment Observatory: quantitative and qualitative research toolkit to study the impact of learning environments

• Virtual community: mechanism for listening to the voices of young people worldwide & inspiring other innovations and changes


Elham Inspirational Program

• Identify, recognize, support, inspire and disseminate contributions by individuals / teams making children’s learning environments more conducive to their well being

• Elham Ambassadors: special emphasis on supporting the Elham nominees as inspiring examples

• Success stories: valuable learning resource for interested actors

• Consultative development process involving various stakeholders from education, health, media, ICT, government as well as students, parents, teachers, etc..


Learning for Well being Forum

• General theme: “Learning for Well Being”

• The Forum will showcase the work of the Elham Ambassadors

• Global and local actors from business, government and civil society, representing different learning environments (education, health, media and ICT), engaged in the Elham process, will contribute to the Forum.

• Transdisicplinary space for mutual learning and discussion

• Identify priorities and key insights

• The purpose of the forum is to put children’s well being on the educational reform agenda and to create space for mutual learning and for a discussion on how various learning environments can contribute more effectively to children’s well being.


Voice of Children Initiative- Middle East pilot 2006

• Bottom-up partnership building process: government, civil society, business

• Process for development of indicators & tools• Indicators developed around two clusters: well

being & school environment parameters• Qualitative & quantitative research using focus

groups and questionnaire• Outcomes and results • Refining the methodology and tools • Reporting


Regional Collaborators

In cooperation with other organizations from the region including:

CISCO, Microsoft, Intel, Ministries of Education and ICT, Child Watch International (MENA), UNICEF, Jordan University, Al Quds University,


Specific objectives of the pilot

• Develop a conceptual framework for the well being of children as a basis for defining indicators for all aspects of well being.

• The development of a global, modular and flexible framework for the qualitative and quantitative components, sensitive to cultural and contextual considerations.

• Test the framework and use different research tools to analyze the results of the pilot.

• Test the instrument’s reliability and validity .


Developing the quantitative and qualitative research

School environment dimensions– Teachers and teacher student relations– General school climate– Classroom climate– Teaching/learning methods– School activities– Peer relations


Qualitative / Quantitative

Qualitative:• What is on the minds and in the hearts of

students:– Focus groups

Quantitative• Definition of indicators which cover the

various parameters of the school environment and the various dimensions and sub dimensions of well being– Structured self-administered survey


Selected Design Elements(Quantitative)

• 14 – 17 year old school students (10th grade)

• Probability sample

• Research tool piloted for content and methodology

• Self administered questionnaires

• Over 100 indicators


Sample

• Jordan = 1340 students

• Lebanon = 1500 students

• Palestine = 1697 students


Pilot Reporting

Country and cross-country reports including:

• In-depth analysis of findings against the various background variables

• Identifying meaningful trends and correlations

• Validity and reliability tests of various elements of the tool


24,3% 26,4%20,6%

56,0%

24,8%

53,4%58,8%

14,7%

5,3%

15,6% 15,2%

5,1% 1,1% 4,5% 5,4%

68,9%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

At School At Home In your neighborhood In General

Very safe Safe Unsafe Totally unsafe

How safe do you feel?


42,9 46,650,7

17,9 17,015,4

7,1 5,5 2,7

31,232,131,0

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Palestine Jordan Lebanon

Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly disagree

My school supports my curiosity and inquiry


19,9 20,6

13,9

31,734,0

30,6

39,634,9

50,6

4,98,9 10,5

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%


Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly disagree

My school causes me anxiety and fear


39,2 42,543,5

21,5 22,721,8

14,1 11,9 9,9

24,825,322,9

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%


Very Satisfied Satisfied Unsatisfied Totally unsatisfied

Student satisfaction with: student participation in the school environment (school governance, school

activities, school community relations.....)


42,6 40,2

49,5

22,9 25,6

15,5

14,8 15,26,1

28,919,7

18,9

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%


Very Satisfied Satisfied Unsatisfied Totally unsatisfied

Student satisfaction with: school parent relations


37,632,3

7,9

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100


During the current school year, have you ever been physically bullied (hit, slapped, pushed….)?


59,7

49,6

32,3

22,735,0

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Teachers The schooladministration

Students in theschool

Students out of school

The parents

If your answer to the previous question was yes, who bullied you?


60,1

50,1

24,1

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100


During the current school year, have you ever been emotionally bullied ( yelled at, humiliated, isolated, threatened….)?


75,2

44,535,8

23,435,2

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Teachers The schooladministration

Students in theschool

Students out of school

My parents

If your answer to the previous question was yes, who bullied you?


20,0%

34,0%

31,0%

36,6%

51,7%

31,3%

28,6%

12,3%17,7%11,0%

1,9%

23,7%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%


very Comfortale Comfortable Uncomfortable Quite Uncomfortable

How Comfortable are you dealing with a person from the opposite sex ?

60.3%51.3%

85.%


32,3%

19,0%

31,5%

27,5%

29,0%

22,9%

36,2%

31,3%

13,2%

25,0% 20,7%

11,3%0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Male Female ALL students


How Comfortable are you , dealing with a person from the opposite sex ?

61.2%

63.8%


27,8%21,7%

48,2%

53,6%51,6%

16,4% 21,7% 19,7%

7,6% 6,7% 7,0%

18,1%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Male Female ALL students


How comfortable are you , talking with your teachers ?


36,3

66,2

43,850,1

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Policeman Coach Parent Friend

In my mind, a teacher is associated with the image of :


13,016,9

12,1

18,617,9

22,7

31,829,3

47,0

12,3 11,45,3

13,0

24,3 24,5

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%


Television Internet School Family Other

Which of the following environments has the most influence on forming your ideas and beliefs?


Current partners

Academy for Educational Development (Washington)Education Development Center (Boston) European Institute of Education and Social Policy (Paris)European Public Health AllianceInternational Partnership Network

Madariaga European Foundation (Brussels)

Media in Education Trust (Durban, South Africa)

World Education (Boston)The United Nations ICT Task Force (New York)United Nations Fund for international PartnershipsUniversity of Wales Institute Cardiff (Wales)Welfare Association

www.uef-eba.org


Board

• Marwan Awartani• Amir Dossal• Corinne Evens• Raymond Georis• Mary Grey • Daniel Kropf• John Volmink

Universal Education Foundation • Education by All for the Well-Being of Children 47Universal Education Foundation • Education by All for the Well-Being of Children

The Universal Education Foundation

Education by all for the well-being of children

UEF is a non-profit organization registered in the Netherlands. Its founders come from Asia, Europe, the Middle East and the United States. The secretariat is in

Ramallah and there are operational offices in Boston and Paris.

Website: www.uef-eba.orgFor more information, please contact:

Marwan Awartani, Secretary General

Telephone: +972 2 296 7967 or +32 2 209 6226

E-mail [email protected]

Universal Education Foundation Education by All for the Well-Being of Children 1 The Universal Education Foundation Education by All for the Well Being.

Documents

education systems

wellbeing of children

environments of children

spirituality slide

moment slide

sense of respect

deep sense

realization of ones