MINISTRY OF PRIMARY AND

SECONDARY EDUCATION’S
SAFE TO LEARN INITIATIVE ,
PREVENTION OF VIOLENCE IN,
AROUND AND THROUGH
SCHOOLS
KWADZANAI R.L.NYANUNGO
CHIEF DIRECTOR , LEARNER WELFARE PSYCHOLOGICAL SERVICES AND SPECIAL NEEDS EDUCATION
FIVE CALLS TO ACTION: SAFE TO LEARN

The Safe to learn commitment addresses five calls as listed below-:

• Implement Laws and Policies
• Strengthen Prevention and response at school level
• Shift Social Norms and behavior change
• Invest resources effectively
• Generate and use evidence
FRAMEWORK FOR LOCAL ACTION,
COORDINATED FOR HIGH IMPACT
• The template below is what is currently used to plan a coordinated national plan to reduce
violence in, around and through schools.
SAFE TO LEARN(STL) , ZIMBABWE : PLANNING AND
COORDINATION TEMPLATE AND EXAMPLES OF ACTIVITIES
STL MOPSE Who/which Active Civil Key Feasible Feasible Feasible Feasible
Call to Lead other Society with strategic activities activities for activities for activities
Action Departme Ministry , PVO/MOU intervention for Q1, Q2 Q3 for Q4
nt department for Safe to s for 2024
,Agency Learn related
activities

1.Imple
ment
Laws
and
Policies
2.
Strengt
hen
Prevent
ion and
respons
e at
school
level
3. Shift
Social
Norms
and
behavi
or
change
4.
Invest
resourc
es
effectiv
ely
5.
Genera
te and
use
evidenc
e
WHICH COORDINATION AND LEADERSHIP
STRUCTURES?
• Schools Inspectorate
• Learner Welfare Psychological Services and Special Needs Education
• School Leadership from Head to HOD level, teachers, SDCs, Responsible Authorities,
Whole of govt coordination structures)
• Disciplinary committees and authorities
EXAMPLES OF SAFE TO LEARN ACTIVITIES TO
BE COORDINATED
Examples of activities Which Call to Action does activity relate
to
Disability , gender and child friendly
infrastructure

Addressing the risk of long walking

distances
Provision of sustainable, affordable
boarding facilities
Risk mapping and safety measures per
schools
Emergency preparedness per schools
Addressing neglectful exposure to harm
for children
All school-aged children in school?
Lifelong learning and parenting skills
Children in vulnerable situations eg worst
forms of child labour, children on the
streets
System capacity strengthening for
safeguarding compliance
Dissemination and practical unpacking of
Implementation Circulars and reference
materials for effective safeguarding
Integrated Primary and Secondary
Education Community Service Fairs
through Outreach
School-based Child Protection
Committees
School –based Lifeskills Empowerment

Guidance and Counselling-lifeskills

Education Teachers, materials and other
resources for Alternative Learning
Platforms

Disability-Inclusive Safeguarding and

Inclusive pedagogical/andragogical
methodologies

Provision of psychosocial support

services
Focus on Drug and substance use,
misuse and abuse
Teacher capacity building on P35,
Bullying, Gand C
Legal support for child survivors of
violence and their peers, teachers
Transport of survivors of violence to
police stations, clinics, hospitals, court
Baseline survey and benchmarking
tools , Mand E
Legal services
Advocacy and Partnerships on STL,
VAC
Local leadership
Traditional leadership
Faith Based organisations

Decentralised coordination structures

Supporting quarterly coordination
activities, national , provincial, District,
cluster
Launch and promotion of school
documentary to promote safeguarding of
pupils
Psychosocial and livelihood support for
teachers
Finalisation/development of Child
Participation framework
Junior Parliament
Junior Council
School prefects
Junior SDC
Broader child participation platforms
Capacity development on Gender
Responsiveness
Individual Profiling of pupils (Learning
Support Services Client Profile Database)
Health promotion for staff, including
mental health
SO WHAT NEXT?

• Interactive platforms to unpack safeguarding Circulars

• Cluster coordinated planning , district collation to feed into provincial plans of action
• Deliberate effort on pupil participation platforms
• Dissemination of Safe to learn performance indicators
• Uploading of Safe to learn indicators onto e-inspection and internal supervision system per
schools. Safe to learn provisions on School Development Plans(SDPs)
• Health promotion , professional code of conduct for teaching and non-teaching staff
• Psychosocial support activities for teachers and non-teaching staff