ELFA International in collaboration with the Directorate of School Education, Kashmir and supported by UNICEF India organized a one-day Training of Teachers (ToT) on J&K Whole School Safety Program here at hotel S.P. Higher Secondary School, Srinagar, today
Dr. Tasaduq Hussain Mir (JKAS) Director School Education Kashmir , was the chief guest on the occasion. Other dignitaries present included Mehran Khan (CEO ELFA International), Mr. Mohammad Shabir (CEO, Srinagar), Mr. Danish Aziz (Educational Specialist UNICEF), Mr. Malik Abrar Altaf (Chief of Program Operations ELFA International) and Mr. Iftikhar Ahmad (Sr. Vice President ELFA International)
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Around 100 Master trainers drawn from various schools of district Srinagar were sensitized by the experts on Whole School Safety Programme and the various components thereof including Mental Health and Psycho Social Support (MHPSS), Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), Gender Based Violence (GBV), Elimination of violence against Children (EVAC) and others.
Mr. Mehran Khan appraised the participants about ELFA International and its areas of intervention. He spoke about the background in which the WSSP came into genesis and its subsequent implementation. He informed the dignitaries of the essence and importance of the Whole School Safety Programme and the role of ELFA International in implementing the same. He also paid a vote of thanks to department of school education, Directorate of Samagra Shiskhsha and UNICEF for their untiring technical and logistic support. He also presented an encompassing picture of the components like DRR, WASH, MHM, MHPSS and others which are integral to Whole School Safety and the responsibility of both the government and individuals have to play in ensuring the implementation of all these components in letter and spirit. He also delved into the Importance of ensuring school safety particularly in the context of geographic vulnerabilities of the place we live at. He spoke of the growing sense and sensitivity among the stakeholders to the various aspects of school safety and the welcoming change of growing government response to these sensitivities by means of the enactment of programs like WSSP. He recalled the chaos and conundrum created by COVID-19 and the urgency it infused into the WSSP. He recounted the ground work of ELFA International in terms of installing Sanitary Napkin dispensers and incinerators, hand washing stations in schools and intervening by providing the necessary support, wherever needed. He also spoke at length on the School Safety Manual developed by ELFA International, UNICEF and Samagra Shikhsha and gave a detailed context of the each component covered therein.
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Dr.Tasaduq Hussain Mir (JKAS) Director School Education Kashmir, in his inaugural speech shared with the participants about the importance of School Safety and the commendable work done by ELFA International in this sphere that has laid down a benchmark by standardising the School Safety Program. He said that the department will always be ready to collaborate on such activities and for that matter any activity aiming at the enhancement of school environment and the well being of students. He appreciated the work of ELFA International in general and School Safety in particular. He expressed his praise and appreciation for the program. He also expressed his appreciation for ELFA International for implementing programmes of this kind and organising such workshops which will inspire both government and other organisations to take the cue and follow in their footsteps.
Mr. Muhammad Shabir (CEO, Srinagar) spoke of the responsibility of teachers, their seminal role and the pivotal position they occupy in the educational paradigm. He emphasised the fundamental and indispensable character of teachers in the overall well being of the society and country.
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Ms Salma Yasmine, Kashmir based Belgian Mental Health Therapist, outlined the broader aspects of Mental Health and Psycho-Social Support (MHPSS), its importance to our healthy living and the ways and means of ensuring mental health, coping up with the stressors and the overall dynamics of mental health. She emphasised the role of teachers in helping students to stay awake to their mental health and handhold them as and when needed.
Resource persons from ELFA International presented exhaustive presentations on the various components of WSSP and shared with teachers the experience gained from field over the past few years of active engagement with Whole School Safety Program. Mir Sajad, regional coordinator (Jammu) at ELFA International, enlightened the participants on the overall scenario of child protection, the aspects of Gender Based Violence (GBV) and Elimination of Violence against Children (EVAC), the various space-time contexts. He laid special emphasis on the emerging and emergent phenomenon of cyber abuse and the panoramic manifestations thereof. He situated these aspects within the larger framework of school safety. He enumerated various forms in which these deviations manifest and the corrective measures that teacher, parents and other stakeholders can take to curb the menace. Syed Azhar, Regional Coordinator (Kashmir) had an exhaustive and engaging presentation on Disaster Management and Risk Reduction with special reference to schools. He discussed various steps being taken by the government and concerned agencies to meet the challenges arising out of these disasters and also emphasised the need to expand the domain of intervention. He also detoured into the role of ELFA International both in terms of providing trainings and the necessary logistic support to schools to mitigate the effect of disasters and to enhance proactive approach in relation to the same.
The event was interspersed with a whole lot of playful and meaningful activities which aimed at invoking in participants both merriment and deep learning. The activities carried implicit lessons on team work, coordination, time utilization and proactive response to challenges.
The event concluded with trainers not only expressing contentment about the program, but also the sense of joy and discovery that characterized the program