Developing Child-Friendly Schools in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia: A Case Study

From the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), this case study examines the child-friendly schools (CFS) approach in Macedonia, where the Ministry of Education and Science (MoES) and UNICEF agreed in 2006 to move toward education reform grounded in a commitment to each child's right to an education of high quality. In Macedonia, child-friendliness is defined in terms of these 6 dimensions of education: (i) inclusiveness; (ii) effectiveness; (iii) health, safety, and protection in school environments; (iv) gender responsiveness; (v) involvement or participation of students, parents, and community members in the life and work of the school and the community; and (vi) respect for children's rights and multiculturalism.

The case study begins with a description of the educational context in Macedonia, where issues of access to education primarily affect economically poor children, children from certain ethnic groups, and older children bound for or enrolled in secondary school. According to the author, "[v]arious indicators of educational quality point to the need for change in how the system attempts to achieve inclusiveness - serving the needs of all children with equity - enabling them to claim their right to a good education in a safe and healthy environment that allows and encourages their participation, in accord with the principles of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC)."

A detailed description of the development of, and strategies underlying, the CFS programme in Macedonia follows. In brief, key steps included:

• UNICEF identified a team of individuals from the MoES and from area universities, including experts in child rights and in child-centred paedagogy, to be part of Macedonia's national CFS team. This team built on and used the materials and experiences of other countries in developing CFS.
• After constructing a collective vision of CFS in Macedonia, the national team proceeded with a baseline study in 21 schools. To guide its design, the team asked: "To what extent is the Convention on the Rights of the Child, as expressed through the Child-Friendly School approach, included in the legislation, policy documents and programmes, in the actual teaching and learning process, and in administration of schools in Macedonia?"
• The strategy at the national level was to insert CFS principles and standards into national policy whenever and wherever the opportunity arose. A new, 9-year compulsory education structure was adopted; in this document, CFS dimensions of inclusiveness and effectiveness in all subjects are ensured through the commitment to pursue an individualised approach in teaching and learning. Next, there was a revision of curricula in all subjects and the addition of new subjects. The curriculum envisages learning not only about one's own but also about others' cultural heritage, traditions, authors and heroes from the history of all ethnic communities living in Macedonia. In several subjects, topics are included for the purpose of correcting gender stereotypes and contributing to the dimension of gender responsiveness. Finally, life skills-based education as a compulsory subject and livelihood skills as an elective subject were added to the curriculum.
• At the local level, 5 of the 21 schools selected for the baseline were chosen. To launch and to support the work at the pilot schools, a national CFS team was formed of senior and junior experts who had received training in CFS principles. Work began with a school-based workshop for parents, teachers, and children on children's rights. School self-evaluation and school-based workshops were held to inform teachers' development of school-based action plans. For example, one of the activities was setting ground rules in the classroom, which were directed towards ensuring mutual respect between teachers and students and motivating children for learning. Once teachers and students had agreed on the rules, the rules were displayed in the classroom throughout the school year. Also, because teachers' and students' examination of textbooks revealed few female role models, students created posters with photographs, illustrations, and information about well-known women painters, writers, scientists, and others. As an example of addressing the need for healthy, safe, and protective environments: Children and teachers first decided on a means of expression, for example, drawing or writing. Then children mapped the places or objects in the classroom, the school building, and the schoolyard that were, in their opinions, dangerous, or unsafe for children.

Next, the author describes CFS initiative outputs and outcomes. For example, at the national level, CFS principles have become the basic principles of Macedonia's education system. Some of the key outputs at the school level include: the existence of teacher working groups for the 6 CFS dimensions; school self-evaluations and related data for all pilot schools; and increased capacity for teachers, school personnel, and students, especially regarding the rights of the child.

Information on impact follows. In brief: "Encouraging data are emerging from the original five pilot schools from quantitative data corroborated by both observational qualitative data and anecdotal evidence. Although there is a long way to go, the data suggest that CFS is indeed having an impact and is slowly moving schools and the entire education system towards being more child-centred and child-friendly."

The analysis segment of the case study underscores the importance, when designing a CFS initiative, of: starting with a pilot phase, introducing all CFS dimensions, collecting and using data, implementing change through strong leadership, allowing for the time that is needed to implement true change, involving stakeholders in participatory activities, and nurturing partnerships and teams.

Prior to a vignette that illustrates how teachers and pupils learned to analyse and understand gender, the author explores future directions of the CFS approach in Macedonia. "With the introduction during Year 2 of CFS principles into the national law on primary education and into the curriculum, and with the introduction of life skills-based education (LSBE) into the primary school curriculum, all primary school children in Macedonia will benefit from the CFS initiative during the years ahead."