The goal of the project is to test and demonstrate an effective strategy and implementation plan to make schools more responsive to the social and emotional needs of students especially children from vulnerable groups. The programme of activity we are undertaking is attuned to the prevailing culture in China and the cultural variations in the regions. All project partners are united in the intention to uphold the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the development of the Child Friendly Schools principles and process for ensuring the inclusion of all children and particularly those disadvantaged groups which are the target population for this programme. The partners, in undertaking this work, are seeking to establish the same kind of harmonious and trusting working relationship with all stakeholders that underpin the philosophy and methodology of the project.
Tasks to be accomplished
Though there are many models of social emotional learning present in the world it is important to develop a model that is unique to China and implement this in schools to develop a holistic model of a child friendly school. Towards this end the tasks to be completed include:
- Working with a group of experts, administrators, school principals and teachers especially those from schools catering to vulnerable children to develop a framework for social emotional learning in schools catering to the disadvantaged. The framework will be based on the CFS model and will include:
- clear definitions of each aspect of social emotional learning as it pertains to the local conditions
- policies and directives that need to be implemented by the provincial/county governments to implement the programme effectively
- a strategy document on how the dimensions and domains will be implemented in schools catering to different kinds of vulnerable children
- Support the setting up and capacity building of a lead group in each county that will spearhead the implementation of the framework
- Developing a self assessment tool for schools that will be based on the frame work and will help schools to assess the social emotional climate in their schools and draw up action plans to support the principals
- Support to the lead team and the experts to implement the programme in schools
- Help revisit the professional competencies required of school principals and teachers and develop training manuals and monitoring schedules by which schools, principals and teachers can judge their competencies.
- Support the development of guidelines for children and parents to support school participation
- Test and document the experience to show that implementing a suitable SEL programme will have positive effects on school retention and school learning.