Resources
Explore a wide range of valuable resources on GCED to deepen your understanding and enhance your research, advocacy, teaching, and learning.
293 Results found
PôleMag n° 27: IIEP Pôle de Dakar information magazine, February 2018 Year of publication: 2018 Corporate author: UNESCO. IIEP Pôle de Dakar Strengthening the resilience of education systems through planning that is adapted for crisis situations is a priority for IIEP. Together with our main partners, the institute has developed strategic orientations and tools dedicated to educational planning that is adapted to crisis situations. Based on our experience on this theme in Africa, we are also working with UNICEF to develop a new methodology to analyse risks and vulnerabilities. Mitigating the impact of crises calls for strengthening relationships with partners. Planning adapted to vulnerabilities should facilitate dialogue between development and humanitarian actors so that intervention plans are coordinated and aligned with government priorities. A dollar invested in risk reduction could save up to seven dollars in rebuilding costs. Taking the risks into account in the analysis and planning of education systems is therefore a wise investment. 
The 1994 Genocide as Taught in Rwanda’s Classrooms Year of publication: 2017 This blog looks at how textbook and curricula reforms in Rwanda have worked to cover the 1994 Genocide and instill the ideals of tolerance, unity and reconciliation in students. It is part of a series of blogs on this site published to encourage debates around a new GEM Report Policy Paper: Between the Lines, which looks at the content of textbooks and how it reflects some of the key concepts in Target 4.7 in the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).by Jean-Damascene Gasanabo, PhD, Director-General, Research and Documentation Center on Genocide, National Commission for the Fight against Genocide (CNLG), Kigali, Rwanda. The 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi saw the slaughter of more than one million people over the span of three months, and placed Rwanda at the forefront of the world’s political consciousness. Almost 23 years later, Rwanda has rebuilt and become a modern hub of progress and development, putting in place social, political and economic systems that are grounded in national unity and reconciliation – with education reforms playing a central role.The large-scale participation of children and adolescents in perpetrating acts of genocide made it clear that an education system that fails to integrate basic human values, will also inevitably fail the nation. Education was used prior to the Genocide to inculcate fear, intolerance and hatred; and so too is it being utilized by the current Government to foster peace and inclusivity, and combat genocide ideology. Post-genocide Rwanda has used education as a main tool to correct biased perceptions of its socio-political history, and to provide accurate representations of the root causes of the genocide, and preventative measures.With over 60% of Rwandans under the age of 24, the formal education system needs to instill the ideals of tolerance, unity and reconciliation in the next generation. With this realization, the Rwanda Education Board and the Ministry of Education have integrated genocide studies in the curricula of its primary, secondary and higher education institutions so that they are better able to lead a nation that is cognizant of its past. Instead of highlighting difference, the national curriculum of post-genocide Rwanda has been reconfigured to emphasize the politics of inclusion and to encourage a spirit of critical thinking that pursues peace, social cohesion and harmony above all else.Prior to the Genocide, educational resources were used as a tool by the genocidal regime to promote ethnic division, discrimination and propaganda. The biased curricula and teaching methods cemented ethnic segregation within classrooms and fostered genocide ideology. The students who were not expelled from primary and secondary school due to the ethnic and regional quota system were forced to identify themselves as being Tutsi – inherently separate to those who were Hutu or Twa. The pre-1994 curriculum lacked “the essentials of human emotion, attitudes, values and skills” as it continued to promote discriminatory and divisive ideologies that were “imparted through formalized rote learning in history, civic education, religious and moral education and languages.”Post-Genocide Rwanda faced the herculean task of rebuilding its dismantled institutions. With a profound lack of qualified teachers, a huge pool of orphaned children, insufficient funds and inaccurate textbooks following the genocide, many education challenges lay ahead. In early 1995, a moratorium was placed on history textbooks which disseminated biased information, as the country grappled with how and to what extent the nation’s past could be incorporated constructively in the education system, without causing pain or resurfacing conflicts.Rwanda chose a gradual, yet comprehensive, approach. In the years immediately following the Genocide, the history curriculum lightly touched on the subject so as to protect students from their recent past, and prevent division in classrooms based on differing family experiences. Classrooms promoted knowledge based on the essential ideas of unity, peace, tolerance and justice. In 2008 the National Curriculum Development Centre within the Ministry of Education published the new history curriculum which incorporated the Genocide against the Tutsi, coinciding with the renewed emphasis on the unifying and inclusive qualities of nationality, citizenship and patriotism, instead of ethnicity.The current national curriculum was formulated by the Rwanda Education Board in conjunction with varying public institutions, UN agencies and nongovernmental organizations. It incorporates the Genocide into the curriculum of every grade level, and discusses it in various contexts suited to the student’s particular stage in learning. Eyewitness accounts and the presence of elders in the classroom allow for a “multi-generational opportunity” for learning. In understanding how violent conflict erupts in society, it is possible to prevent future atrocities from beginning. Teaching the Genocide in present-day Rwanda aims to provide a more nuanced understanding of the event by using primary sources, encouraging class discussions on genocide denial, the persistence of genocide ideology, and the reconciliation efforts embarked on after the Genocide.Moreover, this change in the curriculum has been supplemented by a shift to transform learning from one based on standard rote memorization to one that encourages discussion and a spirit of critical thinking and analysis. This approach identifies the student as an active participant in the learning experience, not merely a silent recipient of history as “evangelical speech.” By promoting an environment that encourages spirited, objective discussions, the Ministry of Education seeks to redress the biases taught by the genocidal regime, as well as prepare young people to thoughtfully and constructively enter the workforce.Genocide education nevertheless faces some challenges ahead. With genocide denial still present, not only are ongoing revisions of educational resources required, but teacher training is also necessary to ensure that revisions to the curriculum are well presented by teachers.The way conflict and genocide has been taught through textbooks in Rwanda has evolved over time. For Rwandans, learning about the 1994 Genocide is not only vital in understanding the history of their country, but also in developing critical thinking skills that help young people become informed citizens in today’s globalized society. Peace education, as well as tools for conflict resolution and genocide prevention, are now heavily featured. Indeed the initiatives embarked on by the education sector signal a promising start to the continuous pursuit of truth through knowledge of the past.In comprehensively integrating the study of genocide into the national curriculum and by empowering students to become agents of their own learning process, Rwanda offers an ambitious recipe for successfully teaching one’s own history for the better. 
Manual for Developing Intercultural Competencies: Story Circles Year of publication: 2020 Author: Darla K. Deardorff Corporate author: UNESCO This book presents a structured yet flexible methodology for developing intercultural competence in a variety of contexts, both formal and informal. Piloted around the world by UNESCO, this methodology has proven to be effective in a range of different contexts and focused on a variety of different issues. It, therefore, can be considered an important resource for anyone concerned with effectively managing the growing cultural diversity within our societies to ensure inclusive and sustainable development.The book serves as a tool to develop those competences, presenting an innovative adaptation of what could be considered an ancient tradition of storytelling found in many cultures. Through engaging in the methodology, participants develop key elements of intercultural competence, including greater self-awareness, openness, respect, reflexivity, empathy, increased awareness of others, and in the end, greater cultural humility.This book will be of great interest to intercultural trainers, policy makers, development practitioners, educators, community organizers, civil society leaders, university lecturers, and students – all who are interested in developing intercultural competence as a means to understand and appreciate difference, develop relationships with those across difference, engage in intercultural dialogue, and bridge societal divides. 
Distance Learning Solutions Year of publication: 2020 Corporate author: UNESCO The list of educational applications, platforms and resources below aim to help parents, teachers, schools and school administrators facilitate student learning and provide social care and interaction during periods of school closure. Most of the solutions curated are free and many cater to multiple languages. While these solutions do not carry UNESCO’s explicit endorsement, they tend to have a wide reach, a strong user-base and evidence of impact. They are categorized based on distance learning needs, but most of them offer functionalities across multiple categories. 
UNESCO: Promise of Gender Equality; Key Actions of 2018 and 2019 Year of publication: 2020 Corporate author: UNESCO This is the first UNESCO Annual Report on Gender Equality that highlights the key initiatives implemented in 2018-2019. The advancement of gender equality through education, the sciences, culture, information and communication, at the heart of UNESCO’s mandate, aims to equip both women and men to address the challenges of sustainable development in a fast-changing world. 
Gender-Based Violence in Education Year of publication: 2015 Author: Jenny Perkes This paper examines how policies and strategies to address school-related gender-based violence have evolved since 2000, when gender-based violence within education was largely invisible. It traces remarkable progress in research, policy and programmes, particularly since the mid-2000s when evidence around the globe exposed high levels of many forms of violence. However, there is still insufficient knowledge about what works to reduce violence, and weaknesses in processes of policy enactment which inhibit effective action. Through four country case studies, in South Africa, Brazil, India and Liberia, this paper explores how different forms of violence are being addressed in varying contexts. It concludes that more attention is needed to the space between national and local policy enactments, and to tackling at national, district, school and community levels the norms and inequalities at the heart of gender-based violence. 
Teacher’s Guide for Culture and Arts Activities in Schools Year of publication: 2019 Author: Beatrice Polato | Xavier Verhoest Corporate author: Comitato Internazionale per lo Sviluppo dei Popoli (CISP) | European Union (EU) | UNESCO | UK aid This guide was designed as a curriculum to be used by teachers and mentors who facilitate modules and sessions aiming at involving school children in the study of cultural heritage, peace, inclusion and gender equity through artistic expressions. It has been tested and used by teachers in 24 schools in Somalia between 2018 and 2019, involving a total of 48 teachers and about 700 children. It contains text in Somali for activities. 
Psychosocial Support through Education in Emergencies Year of publication: 2019 Corporate author: Inter-agency Network for Education in Emergencies(INEE) This module outlines 3 hours (180 minutes) of training activities and materials related to psychosocial support (PSS) and social and emotional learning (SEL) in emergency contexts. It includes supplementary activities to further understanding of PSS-SEL concepts, for an extended duration of 5 hours (270 minutes). This Facilitator Guide provides the materials, facilitator notes (including main ideas and activity instructions), and a suggested script for the accompanying presentation. Facilitators are encouraged to first review the Instructions prior to training, which provides guidance for contextualization of the training resources. 
Transforming our world: literacy for sustainable development Year of publication: 2015 Author: Ulrike Hanemann | Cassandra Scarpino Corporate author: UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL) This compilation offers global examples of innovative and promising literacy and numeracy programmes that link the teaching and learning of literacy to sustainable development challenges such as health, social equality, economic empowerment and environmental sustainability. This publication is a timely contribution to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which promotes the engagement of stakeholders to ‘ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.’ 
Better Life for Girls through GCED: Unheard Stories of Our Girls 2: Girl's Education: Brighter Future for All Year of publication: 2016 Corporate author: APCEIU The "Better Life for Girls through GCED: Unheard Stories of Our Girls" series depict stories of girls from different parts of the world. Coming from Africa and Asia, 25 educators have written stories about their girls during the programme to share with readers all over the world. As the title implies, these series are about real people living on the fringes of society especially girls in their neighbor having challenges on their way to access quality education.