Social exclusion and violence:
Education for social cohesion

PREPARE: PROGRAMME FOR EDUCATION ON PEACE AND RECONCILIATION

THE NETHERLANDS

PREPARE is a training module for teachers on coping with trauma in primary schools with a large refugee population. The project is designed to help teachers to realise what can happen to a child as a consequence of traumatic experiences and how this may influence the child's learning performance. The project aims to train teachers to be better able to contribute to a responsible, caring and safe environment, which is essential to deal with trauma. In this way, they can actively contribute to strengthening the learning achievements, the mental and social development, and the futures and empowerment of their pupils. Presently, the pilot phase has started for teachers in Dutch schools with a large immigrant/refugee population.

The Program for Education on Peace and Reconciliation has been developed to train teachers and teacher trainers at primary and adult education levels. Through teachers, the PREPARE module targets children and parents from post-war areas and from areas where violence has taken place. There are four working methods:
1) dissemination of information about backgrounds and possible effects of trauma;
2) role playing;
3) gaining insight into the educational value of creative forms of expression such as dance, story telling, drawing, etc.;
4) discussion groups.
The initial training course (10 participants as maximum number) takes one week. A workshop is strongly recommended after six or twelve months.

Exposure to excessive violence can lead to trauma and children are the most vulnerable group in any society. Difficulties in learning and concentration are often obvious consequences of traumatic experience, including certain behaviours such as silence and withdrawal or, conversely, excessive aggression. These children run the risk of becoming isolated and possibly being victims again due to a lack of protection from their social environment as well as becoming perpetrators of violence. In the case of the adults, addiction and aggression are usually expressions of traumatic experiences. Schools may contribute in an important way to the future of these children while being able to recognise and treat trauma.

 

Dr. Rogier A. van't Rood
International Educational Services
Watergeuzenstraat 21 2313 WX Leiden The Netherlands
Phone: +31.71.5134174
Fax: +31.71.5136251
E-mail: intense@hetnet.nl
Web site: http://home01.wxs.nl/~rood0114/

Institutional Partners
IES (International Educational Service), independent consultancy firm.
APS (Netherlands Nation Centre for School Improvement )
Financial Partners
Dutch Ministry of Education

2001 (Pilot Phase)