Refugee Stories

Student Parliaments – children exercising their rights

Baqa’a, Jordan, September 2007

International Day of Peace (21st September) is an important time for reflection not only on what we understand by the term peace but also on which channels we can use to reach that goal. Student parliaments provide the perfect bridge between the theoretical components of peace and their practical application.

At the Baqa’a Prep Girl’s School it is the height of the election period and the campaigning is going on a pace. The corridor notice boards are filled with colourful posters on which the would-be parliamentarians display their slogans and electoral promises. Banners spelling out children’s rights cover every wall.

Recognising the need to engage the younger generation, in 2003 UNRWA piloted student parliaments in 20 out of its 177 schools in Jordan. The results were so positive that in the space of two years, all 177 schools had begun working with the initiative and today its merits are vaunted by teachers and students alike.

14-year-old Suha says that if she is elected she wants to help the slower learners with their school work and homework. "I want to be the link between students, and between students and teachers," says 7^th grade Rula. For other candidates, it is the experience itself which is important. "I want to become a lawyer so participating in the parliament will give me some good training," says 14-year-old Noor.

Last year Bushra, a student in the 9^th grade, worked together with her fellow parliamentarians to create a school constitution. The document stipulates what students and teachers, including the head teacher, should and should not do. As an example, the constitution states that it is forbidden for the head teacher to use corporal punishment. Through the formulation of the constitution, the parliamentarians were able to contribute to creating a renewed vision and mission for Baqa’a school.

Head teacher Fatmeh Mohammed Theeb’s enthusiasm for the student parliament project is clearly evident. Aglow with pride, she speaks about the achievements of the girls in her school. "We try to give students their rights by encouraging them to talk freely with their teachers, with me and with the area education officer," she explains.

Fatmeh meets with the school parliamentarians 3-4 times each academic year in order to get feedback on what they feel is good and bad about the school, the reforms they would like implemented and their evaluation of their teachers’ performance. She is keen to incorporate ideas presented by parliamentarians into her action plan for the next academic year. Right now, Fatmeh is trying to find the financial means to meet students’ demands for a dedicated place to hold their parliamentary sessions.

Student parliaments form an integral part of UNRWA’s human rights and non-violent conflict resolution programme, which runs alongside the mainstream curriculum in all UNRWA schools. The parliaments are also a critical component of UNRWA’s drive to foster Safe and Stimulating Schools through the promotion of children’s rights and a school environment in which tolerance and freedom of expression reign.

"Skills, knowledge and education in individual subjects are important, but so is education for life. Empowerment and capacity building ensure that we raise a new generation that believes in humanity," says Matar Saqer, Public Information Officer, UNRWA, Jordan.

By Vicky Samantha Rossi