Tarawa, Kiribati – Lecturers in Kiribati completed an intensive training workshop focused on the foundational concepts of human rights and responsibilities, gender equality, social citizenship and violence against women.
During the course of the workshop participants developed the Inclusive Classroom module for pre-service and in-service teaching courses, which will be used to train the nations teachers beginning in January 2019.
The workshop, which brought together 25 lecturers from the Kiribati Teachers College, was organized by the Pacific Community’s (SPC) Regional Rights Resource Team (RRRT) under the Pacific Partnership Project to End Violence Against Women and Girls program.
The Pacific Partnership brings together governments, civil society organizations, communities and other partners to promote gender equality, prevent violence against women and girls (VAWG), and increase access to quality response services for survivors. The EUR19.8million program is funded primarily by the European Union (EUR12.7m) with targeted support from the Australian Government (EUR6.1m or AUD$9.6m) and UN Women (EUR0.6m).
The Pacific Partnership aims to enhance Pacific youth’s formal in-school and informal education on gender equality and prevention of violence against women and girls, focusing on integrating human rights and responsibilities into primary and secondary school curricula in Kiribati, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and Tuvalu.
“Social Citizenship is about equipping school students and young people with the skills to be able to make good, considered decisions, work collaboratively and peacefully, and think critically and creatively to ensure the sustainable future of our Pacific countries,” said Nilesh Goundar, SPC RRRT Pacific Partnership Program manager.
The values that sit behind the Social Citizenship Education program resonate with the Kiribati Teachers College who are partnering with SPC RRRT to deliver this program in Kiribati. “This concept is based on our Pacific values of respect for people and place, inclusivity and belonging, sharing and fairness, and the dignity and worth of every person. It should help our young people to develop self-confidence and successfully deal with significant life changes and challenges,” said Aberaam Tebitaki, acting principal of Kiribati Teacher’s college.