Education of Disadvantaged Children in OIC:
The Key to Escape from Poverty
254
Box 12 Ma’an Campaign to reduce violence in schools (2009-2012)
Goal. The Ma’An campaign is a national campaign to reduce violence by teachers against
children. The core of the campaign is based on establishing a group of advocates at the school-
level (principal, counsellor, teacher, student representative, parent) who will be promoting the
‘New Way of Discipline’ with all teachers and principals.
NewWay of Discipline (NWD). The NWD asks teachers to take four steps when a problem occurs
in the classroom as follows: Pause, Enquire about the problem from the student, Engage the class
in discussion around these issues and finally, Take action suitable to the mistake that happened
(PEET).
Overall Strategy. The campaign is anchored on a three track strategy to promote the ‘New Way
of Discipline’:
(i) School-based activities to promote a new way of discipline among teachers;
(ii) Community-based meetings to encourage zero-tolerance of violence in schools;
(iii) Robust media-based coverage to make the campaign known. Including decision-makers and
opinion-leaders to help increase coverage and spread the message. The launch of the
campaign was done under the auspices of Queen Rania and in the presence of over 4,500
educators.
Details of Communication strategy. Four integrated communications actions are:
(i) Administrative mobilization, public relations and advocacy: The goals and actions of the
campaign are disseminated to all MoE school principals, teachers and administrative staff
together with high-ranking administrative staff at municipalities in support of the Plan.
(ii) Interpersonal Communication: Establishment of an advocate group at the school level,
reinforced by monthly discussion sessions and incorporating the results of the monthly
random survey on violence.
(iii) Advertising: an intensive advertising and media campaign, three times a year, each for
three weeks; Massive, repetitive, intense and persistent messages via radio, television,
newspapers and other channels.
(iv) Community mobilization: National Commitment Day; group meetings, partnership building
with the community, use of participatory research; traditional communication channels
such as mosques and religious leaders and community drama to influence families and
communities.
Success. Ma’An was designed with the objective of 40% reduction in the incidence of violence by
the teachers in all public and UNRWA schools for the first year and up to 90% by the third year. A
recent rigorous evaluation of the program (to be published) deemed the Ma’an program very
successful.
Source: UNICEF (2015) A Window of Hope