Recovering learning and addressing the learning crisis by promoting well-being and addressing violence in Asia and Pacific
Side-Event of the 2nd Asia-Pacific Regional Education Minister’s Conference (APREMC-II)
The growing evidence base makes clear that all forms of violence, including gender-based violence and emotional and mental well-being not only Impact students' attendance and completion rates, but also learning outcomes. Children cannot effectively learn when under stress or in fear of violence, including but not limited to sexual and gender-based violence and emotional violence.
COVID-19 school closures across the region deepened the learning crisis, with some children losing more than a year of learning, and in parallel increased children’s risk of experiencing violence, including gender-based violence, exploitation and abuse and heightened mental health risks, with many children and adolescents experiencing extreme stress, social isolation and economic distress. Failing to address and prevent violence and ensure well-being will undermine investment in the learning recovery agenda and impact progress towards SDG 4.
It is imperative that violence and mental health risks are tackled as part of, and, integrated in the learning recovery agenda and as part of longer-term measures to respond to the learning crisis. The post COVID-19 recover era also provides a critical opportunity for countries in the Asia Pacific region to transform and strengthen education systems, which must include creating school environments that are more responsive to children's mental health and safety and promote their overall well-being.
In line with the conference theme on learning recovery and responding to the learning crisis, the proposed event aims to raise awareness of and present the latest evidence on the critical connection between children's learning and their mental health and protection from all forms of violence. It will bring together diverse experts to provide guidance and pragmatic recommendations on effective strategies for promoting mental health and tackling and preventing violence through learning recovery efforts and through the transformation of education systems, drawing on new research and evidence-based examples form the region. Panellists will include academic experts, national governments, civil society, UN and young people from the Asia Pacific region.
Date: 3 June 2022
Time: 8:30 – 10:00 hrs, Bangkok time (GMT +7)
Join the webinar: https://unicef.zoom.us/j/99699634739
Please refer to the attached file below for the event's agenda.
