77672 EDUCATION NOTES May 2013 tt TOWARDS AN OPERATIONALIZATION OF RESILIENCE IN EDUCATION SYTEMS: IDENTIFYING, PROTECTING AND USING ASSETS IN EDUCATION COMMUNITIES Why does identifying, protecting 7KLV (GXFDWLRQ 1RWH SUHVHQWV WKH ¿QGLQJV IURP WKH ¿UVW IRXU ERA pilots (Rwanda, South Sudan, Honduras and the UNRWA and using assets contribute to system in West Bank, Gaza and Jordan) to illustrate the facets resilience in education? of education resilience and how it can be fostered. The main message is that education resilience involves identifying risks Resilience is a process that occurs in adversity. It entails the and assets, protecting the assets in schools and communities, assets (capacities and engagement processes) that allow people, and aligning education system commitment to a resilience communities and institutions to recover from crisis, to perform approach. LQVSLWHRIGLI¿FXOWLHVDQGWRWUDQVIRUPLQWKHIDFHRIDGYHUVLW\ Thus, the fundamental operationalization of education resilience Risks and Assets is understood by The World Bank’s Education Resilience $SSURDFKHV 3URJUDP (5$  DV WKH LGHQWL¿FDWLRQ SURWHFWLRQ The starting point for education resilience interventions is a collective understanding of how adversity affects and use of school and community assets. This focus on assets students and schools can contribute to student learning, as well as to managing and minimizing their exposure to risks. Through four initial pilot 7KHGLI¿FXOWLHVVWXGHQWVIDFHLQDGYHUVLW\FDQQRWEHIRUJRWWHQ studies, in Rwanda, South Sudan, Honduras and with Palestine and identifying those risks is the starting point to a resilience refugees in the UNRWA1 system, ERA came across a consistent approach. Education systems in contexts of adversity must ¿QGLQJ WKH FRPELQHG FDSDFLWLHV RI VFKRRO VWDII SDUHQWV DQG have a collective understanding of the risks students face in other community actors dynamically contribute to students’ order to be relevant. Failure to identify risks can result, at best, in education services that are deemed irrelevant by students education purpose and motivation, and mitigate their exposure to and families and that, at worst, collude or ignite the risks already risks. However, education systems must systematically support faced by students. WKHVHDVVHWVWRIXOO\EHQH¿WIURPWKHLUSRWHQWLDO Explicitly addressing the risks education communities face provides an opportunity to focus on the contributions and sense RI SXUSRVH WKDW HGXFDWLRQ FDQ SURYLGH LQ GLI¿FXOW VLWXDWLRQV 1 UNRWA stands for United Nations Relief and Works Agency, a body Students in Palestine refugee communities (UNRWA), created to support Palestine refugees and their descendants from the 1948 Honduras and South Sudan attributed a positive meaning to FRQÀLFWLQWKH1HDU(DVWDQGZKLFKFRQWLQXHVWRRSHUDWHHGXFDWLRQVHUYLFHVIRU these communities in West Bank, Gaza, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon. education in spite of the risks they faced. Although resilience After 40 years of resilience research, it is now known that resilience is a complex process focused not only on individual strengths, but also on available opportunities and services especially for the most vulnerable. EDUCATION NOTES focuses on assets and opportunities for positive change, can be scaled up in an easier fashion, and have the potential RSSRUWXQLWLHVPXVWEHXQGHUVWRRGZLWKLQWKHGLI¿FXOWLHVSUHVHQW for greater impact and sustainability. in the lives of individuals and in their social context. This is the ERA’s work with Palestinian students in UNRWA schools reason why State and other services providers must make highlights the need for similar alignment between individual services available and equitable in a manner that supports and community level assets and institutional support. UNRWA the inherent resilience processes of both individuals and schools provide students with deep insights into their strengths, communities at risk. Institutional services which address local assets and positive opportunities to succeed in school. At the risks and engage with the assets of education communities will same time schools engage with local communities to give be most relevant. meaning and purpose to the many adversities in students’ Further, the complex interactions between individual and daily lives through education. Schools and families in country level risks in South Sudan were made evident in Palestine refugee communities supported by UNRWA share WKH (5$ SLORW VWXG\  0DQ\ RI WKH SHUVRQDO ULVNV LGHQWL¿HG the accountability for the learning and well-being of children by participants (migrating from rural to urban communities, and youth in spite of adversity. This generation of education studying as southerners in the north, and the obstacles for meaning and purpose is part and parcel to utilizing local and female students to access higher education) seemed to culturally-grounded assets. SDUDOOHO WKH URRW FDXVHV RI DUPHG FRQÀLFW LQ WKH FRXQWU\ WKH The importance of identifying and utilizing indigenous assets is WHUULWRULDO DQG HWKQLF FRQÀLFW WKH GLIIHUHQFHV LQ ODQJXDJH DQG also associated with the need to work through local actors. This culture, systematic exclusion, etc. Understanding these risks has been apparent across ERA’s analytical work through local provided an opportunity, however, to also discuss the individual UHVHDUFKHUV DQG XQLYHUVLWLHV LQ GLI¿FXOW FRQWH[WV %\ ZRUNLQJ assets of university students and the national assets of a post- with students from the University of Juba, in South Sudan, and independence South Sudan, as the country entered a more with local researchers from West Bank, Gaza and Palestine pronounced state-building phase. refugee communities in Jordan, important topics for resilience Identifying and utilizing existing and indigenous assets is UHVHDUFKZHUHLGHQWL¿HGWKDWZRXOGQRWRWKHUZLVHKDYHEHHQ a key facet of education resilience obvious to external resilience researchers. This has also been the case working with researchers across Central America and Early research on resilience focused on assets as internal Colombia who were better able to navigate the complexities of protective factors (optimism, purpose, problem solving, local power relations and politics in violence-affected contexts togetherness, empathy, humor, etc.) of populations in different when conducting education resilience studies. contexts of adversity, such as extreme poverty, homelessness, DUPHG FRQÀLFW HWF 5HVLOLHQFH LV QRZ XQGHUVWRRG DV D )RFXVLQJ RQ LQGLYLGXDO DQG FRPPXQLW\ DVVHWV LQ GLI¿FXOW much more complex process, focused not only on individual situations does not preclude or undermine the need to address strengths, but also on available opportunities and services the roots of poverty, violence, injustice and many other social beyond the individual. Foundational to a resilience approach is and institutionally created adversities. However, a proper honoring local assets by providing opportunities and services LGHQWL¿FDWLRQ DQG XVH RI ORFDO DVVHWV KHOSV HQVXUH UHOHYDQW which support and empower the individual and community. service provision and helps build resilience in individuals and communities. The ERA case study of education reforms in post-genocide Rwanda provides an example of the use of indigenous assets in education. Policy makers honored grassroots and home Protecting Assets in Schools and grown solutions in education and social services delivery and management by formalizing and systematizing them. Of note Communities were the IMIHIGO-performance contracts, a local practice for Parents, caretakers, and teachers play a key role in ensuring accountability that became law. Today district mayors promoting resilience among students sign performance contracts with the President of the Republic, Existing evidence from 40 years of resilience research in indicating district targets and indicators—including education contexts of adversity shows that after parents (and other targets—that all mayors have to publically report on each year SULPDU\ FDUHWDNHUV  WHDFKHUV DUH WKH PRVW LQÀXHQWLDO DGXOWV to the President. Public services have been complemented for children and youth. Similarly, data collected at the school with indigenous forms of community participation and national level in both UNRWA schools and Honduras points to the dialogue, within Rwandese tradition, such as UBUDEHE- crucial support of parents, caretakers and teachers in providing Communal support, UMUGANDA-Community service, care, helping to develop competencies, and supporting an UMWIHERERO-Senior Servants Accountability Retreat, and increased understanding and meaning of adversity and of the UMUSHYIKIRANO-National dialogue (for details on these SRVLWLYHUROHRIHGXFDWLRQLQGLI¿FXOWFRQWH[WV3DOHVWLQHUHIXJHH policies, see World Bank 2013c). Home grown solutions are students explicitly express a need for teachers and principals ORFDOO\DSSURSULDWHEHQH¿WIURPJUHDWHUEX\LQDQGDFFHSWDQFH to understand the contexts in which they live as adversities May 2012 February 2013 IROORZWKHPLQWRWKHFODVVURRP7KHVH¿QGLQJVDUHUHLWHUDWHGLQ Honduras, where evidence from a critical school case points to Aligned Education System Support the need for school staff to relate to the lives and adversities felt Successful resilience interventions require explicit by students and connect with them around these issues. commitment through policies and resources from education systems In recent ERA work, Palestinian students also indicate how their skills, leadership, knowledge, and desire to work in groups can The examples of education resilience found in the ERA EHXVHGLQWKHWHDFKLQJDQGOHDUQLQJSURFHVVDQGVSHFL¿FDOO\ pilot studies are all embedded within the daily activities of focus on the importance of peer-to-peer learning, healthy students—in the relationships between teachers and peers in competition and encouragement among students, and mutual the classroom, during recess and in extracurricular activities, support in times of crisis. In Honduras, students commented on and in the daily interactions between school staff and parents. WKHEHQH¿WVRIUHPHGLDOFODVVHVDQGDIWHUKRXUVVXSSRUWZKLFK Thus, an education resilience approach does not promote they recognize and greatly appreciate. The Honduras pilot also independent resilience projects, but rather advocates aligning highlights the importance of school staff and parents keeping existing education services that are used across school life to a watchful eye on risks students experience, including those the assets found in students, communities and schools. risks considered “latent� or less obvious but with potentially disastrous consequences. In Honduras these included non- Aligning education system support to a resilience approach constructive disciplinary methods, expulsion of students to starts with a clear commitment through education policies the dangers of the streets (as “punishment� for not complying and the provision of resources to help those policies become with school rules such as “uniform� or “haircuts�), and a lack operational in schools. In Rwanda, the education sector of positive relations among the community of adults who policies and strategic plans have a clear vision and embedded ZRXOGLQÀXHQFHWKHVWXGHQWV¶OHDUQLQJHQYLURQPHQW7KLVZDV strategy to overcome the roots that led to the genocide. Early especially expressed in students’ concerns for teacher-parental post-crisis interventions at the community level were followed relations, which they viewed as assets when they were positive by policy reforms promoting the role of education to foster and as risks when they were poor or lacking. national unity, peace, and social cohesion with respect for diversity and human rights. In the aftermath of the genocide, Meaningful community and parental participation in the education sector made it a priority to urgently get children schools fosters resilience back into schools, recruit teachers and set in motion a return to classroom ‘normalcy.’ To do so, it upheld indigenous and Resilience studies in high-risk situations highlight the importance community processes which were later institutionalized as part of school-community partnerships to support the success of of the long-term education delivery systems. This is seen as a students in school. The ERA case study in Honduras found crucial way to create stability, improve morale, heal emotional that mothers play a very supportive role in schools through wounds and start a reconciliation process bridging emergency the supervision of students and socioemotional support during response with longer term development. UNRWA schools in crisis (such as deadly shootings and crimes in the vicinity of the the West Bank, Gaza and Jordan upheld international guiding school). Students, teachers and parents in the study also point policies such as those related to girls’ education, Education for to help from faith-based organizations, university psychological All, and human rights; these provided a positive foundation to counseling interns and sport clubs. Students participating in the position education as a shared goal of the community, placing ERA pilot in Honduras also indicated other community services schools as central institutions to operationalize them. deemed relevant for them, such as sex education, youth violence prevention, and disaster preparedness (especially Resilience is a dynamic process that involves human, pertinent in Honduras, a country exposed to many natural community and institutional engagement disasters). In Rwandan, the ERA study shows that the Ministry of Education is keenly aware of the value of mobilizing the In line with the latest resilience research, the ERA pilots provide community to create ownership and build support for reforms, evidence of the multiple dynamic facets of resilience. At the DQGIROORZLQJWKHJHQRFLGHPLQLVWU\RI¿FLDOVSHUVRQDOO\YLVLWHG individual and group level, in the pilot with Palestine refugee many villages of the country to discuss approaches to equitable schools, adolescents and youth expressed not only the HGXFDWLRQUHIRUPVXQGHUDXQL¿HGFRXQWU\7KH815:$VFKRROV proximate adversities in their lives (such as extreme poverty, pilot provides evidence of close community-school relations unemployed parents and incarcerated or deceased family that foster a collective purpose for education and learning members, neighbors and friends) but also how education for Palestinian children, adolescents and youth. In general, provides a guiding purpose to their lives and how school the above studies exemplify the call of students, teachers provides a tangible space for teachers, peers, parents and and parents for more community participation in school. This neighbors to support their learning, socioemotional well-being participation is not based on school administrative functions and protection. alone but rather focuses on shared efforts and accountability Resilience also implies institutional support, social services and for the learning, well-being and protection of students. structural opportunities—aligned to individual and community EDUCATION NOTES February 2012 assets—especially for the most disadvantaged and of education system level resilience by detailing how education disfranchised. Both the Palestine refugee study and Honduran policies provide meaningful and relevant guidance in the post- school pilot reveal how students interact with external sources genocide period, especially focused on issues of unity, equity of support and education system services to manage the and social reconciliation. adversities they are exposed to. The South Sudan workshops The general lessons learned from the pilot ERA case studies with higher education students exemplify the intellectual and corroborated the four components of the program, previously leadership assets that exist in tertiary education institutions SUHVHQWHGDQGDUHVXPPDUL]HGLQWKHIROORZLQJ¿JXUH HYHQ LQ GLI¿FXOW FRQWH[WV²ZKLFK QHHG WR EH SURWHFWHG supported and utilized. The pilot in Rwanda provides examples RESILIENCE RESILIENCE LEVERS POLICY GOALS COMPONENTS Education in ͻWhat adversities students face Manage and adversity ͻHow the education system is addressing risks in schools minimize risks Positive learning outcomes in spite of adversity ͻHow students seek resilience through control, Assets and Use and Education resilience competence and being accountable engagement ͻHow students seek resilience through their socio- emotional well-being via engagement with others protect assets (peers, teachers, families, etc.) and identity formation process Relevant ͻHow schools provide support and opportunities to Foster school- school & students through actions or approaches regarding community access, permanence, teaching and learning community ͻHow school and community partnerships support support support student outcomes in contexts of adversity Aligned ͻHow the education system provides a strategic direction for relevant education in adversity contexts Deliver resilience education ͻHow education programs integrate learning, aligned services system socioemotional well-being and protection ͻWhat human, material and financial resources are support accessible to support at-risk education communities Source: Author. References World Bank, The. 2013a. Honduras Education Resilience Case Study: A school snapshot amidst urban violence. Washington, '&7KH:RUOG%DQN ERA Program. World Bank, The. 2013b. Palestine Refugees Education Resilience Case Study: High achievement in a context of protracted displacement. Washing- WRQ'&7KH:RUOG%DQN(5$3URJUDP World Bank, The. 2013c. ,QVWLWXWLRQDOL]LQJ5HVLOLHQFHLQD3RVW&RQÀLFW&RQWH[W+RZ5ZDQGDDGGUHVVHGXFDWLRQV\VWHPUHIRUPDQGVRFLDOFRKHVLRQ :DVKLQJWRQ'&7KH:RUOG%DQN(5$3URJUDP World Bank, The. 2013d. :RUNLQJZLWK+LJKHU(GXFDWLRQLQ6RXWK6XGDQ:K\UHVLOLHQFHUHVHDUFKLVORFDOO\OHG:DVKLQJWRQ'&7KH:RUOG%DQN ERA Program. * All sources available at KWWSZZZZRUOGEDQNRUJHGXFDWLRQUHVLOLHQFH. Education Notes Education Notes is a series produced by the World Bank to share lessons learned from innovative approaches to improving education practice and policy around the globe. For additional information or hard copies, please go to www.worldbank.org/education RUFRQWDFWWKH(GXFDWLRQ$GYLVRU\6HUYLFH eservice@worldbank.org. Author: Joel Reyes Photo Credit: Nugroho Nurdikiawan Sunjoyo/World Bank