SCHOOL

IMPROVEMENT
BOOKLET

A MANUAL FOR COMMUNITIES,

TEACHERS AND EDUCATIONISTS
 Government of Pakistan, WFP and UNESCO gratefully acknowledge the support of
USAID Pakistan and consent of UNICEF in reproducing this School Improvement Booklet.

Ensuring high quality education and
addressing the educational and over-
all development needs of children is
essential for the development of Paki-
stan. The task is wide ranging and
complex, and needs to build upon
established good practices and under-
standings, both from Pakistan and
abroad. One of the key contributors to
success has been shown to be the
active participation of communities in
the school improvement process,
working together with government and
teachers to address educational and
overall development needs of child-
ren.
Community participation in school
affairs occurs mainly through Parent
Teacher Councils (PTCs), Parent
Teacher Associations (PTAs), or Sch-
ool Management Committees (SMCs),
which have been formed throughout
Pakistan. The members of the PTCs,
PTAs and SMCs parents, teachers
and local community members are
required to develop strategies for
school development and contribute
their time and resources to implemen-
ting school improvement plans in an
effort to improve the quality of educa-
tion received by the children.
This school improvement booklet has
been developed to assist communities
and teachers by providing a practical
and illustrated guide to improvement
FOREWORD
FOREWORD
of the school environment through
development of strong school comm-
unity linkages. It has been designed
to assist them to improve the physical
and educational learning environment
in schools, and to make them richer,
healthier and more inclusive places
for effective learning. It has been dev-
eloped as a supplement to official
school policies and guidelines through
a joint effort by students, teachers,
education authorities.
I would like to congratulate all those
who contributed in preparing this valu-
able booklet. I have great pleasure in
presenting this selfhelp manual to all
partners who are involved in improv-
ing education in Pakistan. I hope that
this booklet will be used to ensure
effective community participation in
school development and improvement
in the achievement of quality educa-
tion.
JEHANGIR BASHAR
Federal Secretary Education
 PREFACE – 29 IDEAS TO MAKE OUR
PREFACE

SCHOOL A SUCCESS

This booklet is a collection of ideas and suggestions for the community to improve the
school environment and thus the education of its children. It was originally written in
collaboration between UNICEF and Pro Loka and is then reprinted by UNESCO with
necessary modifications. UNESCO gratefully acknowledges the consent of UNICEF in
reproducing this booklet.

It primarily addresses the SMC/PTA/PTC. In Middle and High Schools, it is essential

The SMC/PTA/PTC is a group of people
from the community who are elected by
the village to take the responsibility of
managing the school’s affairs. It also
addresses teachers, students and other
community members on the importance of
the school and its environment.
There are many different types of what we
call a ‘school’. There are Primary Schools
for young children, where basic subjects
are taught and where school life for child-
ren starts. Therefore, it is especially impor-
tant to care about the quality of education
at this stage.
to provide sufficient means of education
for a variety of subjects and a big number
of students.
Since many schools have still not been
rebuilt after the earthquake, there are also
big differences in classrooms. Some
classes are taught in tents, some in semi-
permanent structures and some in perma-
nent buildings.
In every type of school, these ideas apply,
as there is always some way to make a
school safer and more comfortable.
Different areas in a school, where improv-
ement is possible, are discussed. The
booklet is therefore split up in six parts,
which are separated by a colour code.

Suggestions for the School Ground
These ideas are for all schools. They aim at
the improvement of the school compound
and its buildings.
OVERVIEW
Taking Care of a School Building
These ideas are addressed to schools
where some or all classes are taught in
buildings.

Suggestions for the Classroom Making Teaching Successful

These ideas are for all schools. They aim at These ideas are addressed especially to
the improvement of the classroom and its teachers. They include suggestions for
teaching and learning atmosphere. teaching and activities during school time.

Taking Care of a School Tent Appendix

These ideas are addressed to schools The appendix includes helpful material for
where some or all classes are taught in school improvement.
tents.

Comments by the authors

The book is written in British English.

All non-specified persons mentioned in this book, such as ‘teachers’, ‘SMC PTA/PTC
members’ or ‘students’ are used in a gender-neutral form. Both genders are addressed in all
cases.
SMC/PTA/PTC
taking part

IDEA 1
IDEA 2
IDEA 3
IDEA 4
IDEA 5
IDEA 6
IDEA 7
IDEA 8
IDEA 9
IDEA 10

IDEA 11
IDEA 12
IDEA 13
IDEA 14
IDEA 15
IDEA 16

IDEA 17
IDEA 18
IDEA 19

IDEA 20
IDEA 21

IDEA 22
IDEA 23
IDEA 24
IDEA 25
IDEA 26
IDEA 27
IDEA 28

IDEA 29
RIGHTS
06 THE SCHOOL MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE CONTENTS
08 TAKING PART
10 MORNING ASSEMBLY
11 CURRICULUM AIMS
13 SUGGESTIONS FOR THE SCHOOL GROUND
14 REUSE OLD MATERIA L
15 WALLS AND FENCES
16 THE PLAYGROUND AND WHAT WE DO THERE
18 PATHS AND STAIRS
19 LET’S KEEP OUR SCHOOL CLEAN
20 GROWING FLOWERS
21 GROWING TREES
22 WATER TANK AND DRAINS
23 IMPROVE SANITATION FACILITIES
24 STREET SIGN
26 SUGGESTIONS FOR THE CLASSROOM
27 MAKING A WRITING BOARD
28 CHARTS
29 DISPLAY STUDENTS ’ WORK
30 FURNITURE
31 CLASSROOM PARTITION
32 CLASSROOM NUMBERS
32 SCHOOL BELL
34 TAKING CARE OF A SCHOOL TENT
35 TENT INSTALLATION AND REINFORCEMENT
37 TENT MAINTENANCE
38 TENT IMPROVEMENT
40 TAKING CARE OF A SCHOOL BUILDING
41 PAINTING A MURAL
42 WINDOWS
44 MAKING TEACHING SUCCESSFUL – TAKE CARE OF THE CHILDREN’S NEEDS
45 SCHOOL AS AN ENJOYABLE ENVIRONMENT FOR CHILDREN
46 TEN ALTERNATIVES TO CORPORAL PUNISHMENT
47 LOCAL STORIES
49 ART CLASSES - CREATIVE TEACHING
51 DIET & NUTRITION
52 SCHOOL AS A PLACE OF HELP AND RESPECT
53 TALKING ABOUT THE EARTH QUAKE
55 APPENDIX
56 FILL CHARTS
58 EXCERPTS FROM THE CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD
 THE SCHOOL MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
RELATED IDEA 29
SMC/PTC/PTA

As members of the community, we can take part in the improvement of our school by
becoming a member of the SMC/PTA/PTC. By taking this responsibility we can improve
education through this committee. Depending on need, we can take care of the building
and the school ground as well as teaching materials.
There are some guidelines to be followed to maintain an efficient management.

The objectives of an SMC/PTA/PTC The SMC/PTA/PTC is responsible for the

include educational improvement,
involving the community in school issues,
supporting the teacher in any way, using
the school funds where need is at hand
and arranging activities for and with the
children.
The committee will meet at least once
every two months. If there is either an
important topic to discuss or an emerge-
ncy, spontaneous meetings may be organ-
ised. All members of the committee have
to attend. These meetings will always be
held in the school itself. In these meetings
the SMC/PTA/PTC has to discuss all
issues that are raised by different
members, according to importance. The
Committee also has to make sure to
decide on a few realistic tasks rather than
on many that won’t be realised.
finances of the school and other material,
like furniture. It has to check the building
frequently and take care of the school
compound. It is therefore also very
important that a craftsman is part of the
SMC/PTA/PTC. He will provide expertise
and know which kind of labour to arrange
if something needs fixing.
The SMC/PTA/PTC has its own bank
account, which can be accessed by the
chairperson and the secretary. It will
collect government funds as well as
donations on the account. Government
funds must only be spent on school
maintenance issues. But generally this
money should cover all expenses related
to school improvement. In case of money
shortage, the community should
contribute with small donations.

Members of the SMC/PTA/PTC Agenda of an SMC/PTA/PTC Meeting

1 Chairperson – elected by the Community
1 Secretary – Headmaster
3 Parents – elected by the Community
1 Area personnel/leader – elected by the Community
1 Craftsman – appointed by the Community
In a Girls school, more than 50% of the SMC/PTA/PTC
members have to be women.
Review of the last meeting
What was achieved? And what was not achieved?
Overall view of the educational environment
Preparation of future programme / ideas
School building – school improvement
Finances

6
 SMC/PTA/PTC
Any investment made has to be noted on In every meeting, the SMC/PTA/PTC
a list that will be with the person responsi- members should bring up their concerns
ble for the account (either the chairperson and ideas. This book is a guideline to
or the secretary). If you require labour for carrying out these improvements easily.
work in the school, you have to sign a
simple contract, which includes the salary
and the due date. These expenses will be
listed as well and the receipts kept.

Activity: Acquire finances

Take a small paper or metal box to collect Main Rules for the SMC PTA/PTC
money for the school. Organise collections in Document your work!
the bazaar or on Friday after the juma prayer by Take responsibility!
talking up the school needs and the money Discuss your issues thoroughly!
required. Count the money collected and, if it is Make decisions!
not required immediately, deposit it in the bank. Acquire finances!

7
TAKING PART
TAKING PART
Participation of Children
A comfortable and stimulating school
environment helps to create a positive,
child friendly learning environment. Such
an atmosphere will influence children a lot,
as they will enjoy school. This extra motiv-
ation will help them to learn.
Also, the process of school improvement
can itself be a great experience; finding a
way to realise ideas is a skill children can
learn and apply in their future. Activities
like how to make a decision as a group,
being creative in different ways, creating
artworks with their own hands, and even
working as a gardener are very valuable.
In this book you will find many ideas, you
can realise these together with the
children, to make your school a nicer
place. The more you include them in the
work, the more the children will feel
that this is their school and they will be
proud. We call that ‘Participation of
Children’. They will be asked for their
ideas and wishes and they can also work
on solutions themselves.
The ideas in this booklet will always
contain suggestions as to what on a
particular topic you could directly do with
the children. These are activities you find
in the boxes on the bottom. For creative
outcomes you should also try creative
methods in finding and realising ideas.
Children have very diverse ways of
expressing their ideas. Some of them can
express themselves by talking about
something, some of them would not know
what to say, but can do great paintings, or
write a story. You can use these skills to
realise an idea. Some of these ideas on
how to involve children will help you:
8
Creative Methods
• Role-play: Make groups of five and give
them the topic ‘How my school should be’.
They will have one lesson to prepare their
ideas and will then present them in class.
• Drawings: In one lesson the children can
make drawings of their imaginary school
with all the features they would like it to
have. Like, after a role-play you can
discuss their ideas afterwards.
• Songs and poetry: Let them write songs
or poems about their ‘dream school’, and
discuss these texts afterwards.
Workshops
A workshop is a meeting where all the
children can share ideas and state their
opinions on a topic or proposal. They will
separate into small working groups, where
they discuss their ideas within the group;
then they present their ideas to each other
in the big group and then settle on the
best ideas. To decide which ideas are the
most feasible, you have to make a chart
listing all the ideas. Every student can
make a star for their favourite idea and
those ideas, which have the most stars,
will then be followed up.
Questionnaires
A questionnaire is a written list of questio-
ns that you hand out to schoolchildren,
which they will answer. In most cases, an
effective questionnaire asks simple yes/no
or multiple choice questions, and takes no
longer than 15 minutes to complete, for
example:
a) Do you like the school and why?
b) How would you like to improve the
school improvement?
c) What is your favourite activity in the
school?

Discovering tours
The children explore the school area in
groups of two to four pupils and look for
places they like most, places they think
are dangerous, places they think they
could have made more beautiful, and so
on. They can then write down their
observations and discuss them in class.
The Decision Circle
After you have identified good ideas, you
can move to the next step to decide
whether you are able to realise these
ideas yourself. Draw a big circle on the
floor. Inside this one draw another and
another, until you have more than 5
circles. The first circle can be called ‘Who
can do it?’, the second ‘Do we have the
material/ funds?’, the third ‘Do we have
the time and labour to do this?’. Think
about other questions you have to ask
yourself before you can start with a plan
and write them in the other circles.
Take the ideas written down on paper and
put them in the outermost circle. Those
ideas, for which you find a solution to the
question in the first circle, can move to the
second inner circle. The others have to
stay outside. Do likewise for the other
circles, until some ideas have reached the
TAKING PART
inside of the circles. At the end you will
find the feasible ideas in the middle and
can start working on them. Those ideas
that had to stop in some circle can’t be
realised due to some problem and every-
one will understand why.
Participation of the Community
To implement these ideas you need
people to help you, people like a carpen-
ter, who have certain skills or people from
the community who are willing to support
you. The SMC/PTA/PTC will always be the
first address for people in the community.
Therefore you should find a way to include
the community into your realization
process. Organise a small celebration at
the beginning of the school year. Parents
can prepare sweets and food for the
celebration and the children can present
the results of their idea-finding process.
During this celebration you can start
talking to the guests about the ideas and
so integrate them in the process. You can
also invite officials like the DEO or others
from the Education Department or from
NGOs to present them your plans.

Ideas to pass the decision

circle are for example

Let’s keep our School clean

Tent maintenance
Build a water tank
Whenever a question can be
answered with YES the idea
passes on to the next circle.
Ideas in the inner circle are ideas
to be implemented. The final
question is to find a responsible
person.

If the answer is NO, then the idea

stays at an outer circle until the
question can be answered with
YES.

9
TAKING PART
MORNING ASSEMBLY
In the name of Allah
Most merciful, Most Beneficent
With God’s help the schools begin with
morning assembly every day. Thank God
we are Muslims and hence we should lead
our life according to the teachings of
Islam.
In the initial years of its life the child is
under the supervision of its parents and in
a safe environment. If God forbids this is
not the case than the child not only loses
the loving and caring environment of his
home but is also deprived of any initial
education. However, in such cases it is
then our responsibility to make the child
familiar with religious education so that the
child does not fall prey to evil influences.
Children should also know the basic five
principles of Islam, which are Kalamah
Tayyaba, Namaz, Roza, Zakat and Haj.
It is therefore very important to start all our
activities in the school with the morning
assembly. The day should begin with the
morning assembly, when children of all
age groups get religious education to
become familiar with the teachings of
Islam and our Prophet PBUH and lead a
life in the light of Quran and Hadiths.
The Government has suggested special
activities and topics for morning assembly,
which you will find on the following pages.
We hope to improve these further with
your support.
10
Steps for Morning Assembly
Duration: 25 minutes
1. The meanings of the Aayaits and
teachings of religious people will be
narrated to the children in a simple
language so that they can understand
them better.
2.Teachers and children should observe
good hygiene.
3. Under the supervision of the teachers
and the headmaster, the children will
attend morning assembly and they will be
given light exercises.
4. Teachers and the entire staff will attend
the morning assembly.
5. Children should stand class wise.
6. If more space is available the children
will be divided into two groups from class
one to five and class six to ten.
7. The morning assembly will start with the
recitation of the Holy Quran.
8. For the recitation of the Holy Quran,
there is no age limit for teachers or
children.
9. After the recitation, there will be Naat.
Urdu, Persian and Arabic language for the
Naat are preferred. After the Naat, teach-
ings from the lives of the Holy Prophet and
humanitarian values will be highlighted so
that children learn from them.

10. The Pakistani flag will be hoisted and
then all will sing the National Anthem with
respect.
11. The entire proceedings of the morning
assembly will be carried out with utmost
respect.
12. The teachers will be placed according
to the space available so that they can
supervise and keep an eye on every child.
13. There will be special awards for
cleanliness of classes and there will be
competition among the classes on special
days.
14. At the end of the assembly slogans will
be raised.
11
CURRICULUM AIMS
AIMS
CURRICULUM AIMS
To educate Pakistanis to be:
• Seekers of truth and knowledge, who
can apply both for the progress of
society:
• Creative, constructive, communicative
and reflective individuals;
• Disciplined, productive, moderate and
enlightened citizens;
• Capable of effectively participating in the
highly competitive global, knowledge
based economy and the information age;
citizens committed to creating a just civil
society that respects diversity of views,
beliefs and faiths.
12
SUGGESTIONS FOR THE SCHOOL GROUND

Every school, whether it is in a tent or

in a building, whether it is a Primary,
Middle or High School, has an outdoor
area around its classrooms. This area
includes the garden and the
playground.

These are the parts the teachers, the

students and the visitors who come to
the school see first: they form the first
impression of the school. The
community has to put some effort into
making the ground safe and beautiful.
A nice school ground will be
stimulating and everyone
will be proud of the school.

The following pages are full of ideas for

the outside areas of the school.

13
 REUSE OLD MATERIAL
RELATED IDEAS 2, 4, 14, 25
IDEA 1

On most school sites there are remnants of the old, collapsed building, like stones, old
concrete, wood and metal pieces. As we want our new school to look beautiful, we will
have to do something about it. Together we can have a look at the rubble to decide if or
how we can reuse it in the future.

Some of this material is dangerous; you Some of this material can be reused in the
have to remove it (make sure only adults new school. Old wood can either be used
remove the dangerous material). Old in the structure of the school building or a
metal and glass pieces have to be cleared local carpenter can make new furniture
and any holes must be filled. out of it. You can easily repair broken
furniture. Use the old stones lying around
Some of this material is of no further use. to make walls, stairs or a pit.
You can bury this debris. Look for an
appropriate area close to the school. With
the help of people from the community,
you can dig holes and dump the old
material into them. Afterwards, you can
cover the holes with soil again.

Activity for the community

Activity for children
After the dangerous rubble is removed, the
school children can look through the old material
and find ways to reuse it again. Buy some paint
from the bazaar and paint old stones and wood.
These artworks can be displayed in the school
ground.
Think about ways to make the school compound
more beautiful and safer as well. Use the stones
from the old building to build paths that are
linking the classrooms and are leading to the
school ground. To mark the school ground, use
the stones to erect a wall or take the old wood for
a fence. Together with a trained carpenter you
can also use the old wood, save money and
make new furniture from it.

14
 IDEA 2
WALLS AND FENCES
RELATED IDEAS 1, 3, 4, 25

We can improve our school compound by building walls and erecting fences. Walls and
fences are very important when the area around the compound is not safe for children. We
can erect small walls to determine the borders of the school compound and to make it
more beautiful.

You have to make sure that dangerous
areas around the school are made safe.
Depending on the material available, you
should make a wall or a fence. Use the
stones from the old building or from
around the school to erect a wall. Make
sure that it is stable and can’t fall over
when children sit on it. To make it more
solid you could also make a stone wall
with concrete. You can use old wooden
planks lying around on the school site to
Activity
The community should sit together and decide who will
provide the necessary material and who will provide
the skilled labour. This way you will be able to make
the walls yourself very quickly. Take some paint and
brushes from the bazaar and colour the stones
together with the students. Always stay with the
children while they are painting, as the colour is often
toxic and must not be inflamed or swallowed.
make a fence. If there is no material left
from the old school building, people from
the community will donate material. With
money from the SMC/PTA/PTC account
you can purchase some paint from the
bazaar and paint the walls and fences in a
colourful way.
Material
For this idea you can mainly use old material from
the school site, or, if that is not available, from
the community. Stones and wood, you will find
anywhere. Get paint and brushes from the bazaar
to make your school ground beautiful.

15
 THE PLAYGROUND
AND WHAT
WE DO THERE
RELATED IDEAS 24, 25

The school ground needs basic facilities

like walls, pathways, a water supply and
garbage bins. They guarantee that the
ground is safe and provide a good enviro-
IDEA 3

nment for the school and the children who

come here every day.
After these basic needs are met and the
most necessary facilities are provided, we
can work on the playground. It is very
necessary for the children’s health to
spend time outside and get exercise.

When you start working on a playground,
you should remember that the most
important thing for the children will be the
free space. The children will invent the
best games themselves and often they do
not need more than the school compound.
While providing school ground equipment,
sports and recreational material, you have
to consider the age of the children as well
as safety issues. For a Primary School, you
can build a seesaw and hang a swing on a
tree or a metal frame. From polished
wooden boards or metal sheets, you can
also build a slide. If the children are a little
older you can provide them with exercise
bars. This is a structure of a couple of wood
or metal bars, which the children can climb.

Game Periods Tournaments

Give appropriate space in the time table to game
periods. The children need this time to be
concentrated again in other lessons and moving
around is very essential for their health. On the
other side you shouldn’t give too much free
time. They also have to learn to be disciplined.
The children can establish teams for different
sports and together you can organise local
tournaments with neighbouring schools. This will
give everybody motivation to train better and
will also connect different schools and their
children.

16

Somewhere, in the shade of a tree, there
should be an area where the children can
sit down, chat, eat their lunch or do some
studying. It should be an area where those
who do not want to run around can relax.
Some benches and a table can be enough
space, depending on the size of the
school.
Sit together with the children in the school
ground and talk with them about traditional
Build a seesaw and a swing
For the swing you need an old tyre, which you can get
for free from the bazaar, and a rope. Fix the rope on
the tyre and to a strong branch of a tree.
For the seesaw, ask a local carpenter to help you
prepare the long wooden board and joint in the
middle. Make sure that the equipment is safe!
17
IDEA 3
games. There are many local games,
which they should be able to pass on as
the national heritage. During the free time
you can also teach gardening to interested
students.
For older students there can be an area
where they will place their wickets and
play cricket or football. If they like volley-
ball and there is enough space around the
school, you may also put up a net and
make a court for them.
Build a slide
Take a polished wooden board or metal sheets and
put them on a slope so that children can easily
access the top and slide down. Fix the board well
and ensure to have enough free space at the
bottom of the board, so you do not hurt yourself
when you land.
IDEA 4

PATHS AND STAIRS

RELATED IDEAS 2, 8, 25

During the monsoons and in winter it is often very difficult to access the school ground.
School buildings away from the road and on mountain slopes are especially hard to reach.
With little material, we can make proper paths to the schools and between the school
buildings. Paths leading to the schools have to be safe but they also make the environ-
ment more beautiful.

The community should decide where to
build paths and how to make them safe for
the children. You can align the path by
using stones from the area. To make sure
that the paths are not always washed
away, you should build water drains. Using
a pick and a shovel you can make small
trenches that will collect the rainwater and
it won’t do any damage. With some fine
crush you can cover the paths in the end.
You can use long and flat stones as steps.
With a shovel you prepare the ground to
fix the stones well.

Activity
Paint the stones colourful, using normal paint from a
Material
bigger bazaar. You can also do this with students but
Stones and crush from the area or the old school
teachers or people from the community should
buildings Shovel and other tools Paint and brushes
always accompany them as the paint should not go
from the bazaar
on the skin and is mostly inflammable.

18
 IDEA 5
LET’S KEEP OUR SCHOOL CLEAN
RELATED IDEAS 8, 9

With the help of everyone we can make sure that our school will be tidy and beautiful for a
very long time. It will take only a little bit of time and motivation to improve the learning
atmosphere of the students and also our environment. Teaching our children how to care
of their environment and how to keep it clean will raise their awareness and will later make
a big difference to their areas and its people.

Take small bins (you can make them
yourself!) and put them up in the school
compound and the classrooms. Take care
that the outside bins are fixed, otherwise
they will get washed away in rains. Make
the children understand that it is very
important to put all the waste in these
bins. Not only will then the school be clean
but it will make a big difference to hygiene.
A little bit away from the compound you
can dig holes (check with the owner of the
land) and collect the waste. Always cover
these holes properly with wooden or
plastic materials so animals can‘t get in
Activity
Appoint different students to empty the garbage bins
into the pit. You can also make cleaning days where
everyone is engaged in cleaning the classrooms and the
outside area. As soon as the pit is full, someone from
the community should burn the garbage in a controlled
way and cover it up afterwards.
and the smell doesn‘t affect the surroun-
ding area. When the garbage bins are full,
you can dispose of the waste in these
pits.When the pit is full you can burn the
waste and cover the remnants with soil
properly.
Make sure that the school is cleaned
regularly (dusting and sweeping). Decide
within the community who will care for that
and how this person will be rewarded for
the work.
Awareness
We have to learn to take care for our environment.
A first step is to identify garbage. Keep your eyes
open in the bazaar and on the streets and look for
plastic bags, bottles, etc. lying around. Then raise
awareness amongst your friends and the
community and explain them where to put garbage
and especially where not!

19
IDEA 6
GROWING FLOWERS
RELATED IDEAS 2, 7, 8, 26
During school hours, the children spend a lot of time outside their classrooms: in the
morning, during breaks and at lunchtime. The school ground is used for games as well as
for sitting outside and studying. If we make the ground more beautiful, studying outside
will be even more exciting.
Dedicate two lessons every week to
making the school ground more beautiful,
and soon you will have a much more
comfortable school environment.
Sit together in the village community and
decide how the school ground should look
in the future, by making paintings and
small sketches. Quickly, you will have a
good plan and you can decide who will do
which part of the work.
One idea is to plant flowers and vegeta-
bles. With old oil cans from the bazaar you
can make flowerpots. They are filled with
soil where you put the seeds. If you put
the cans with vegetables (tomatoes, etc.)
Material
Shovels and garden tools
Flower seeds
Vegetable seeds
Oil cans
close to the school wall, where it is warm,
they will grow faster. Teachers or the
parents should explain the characters of
different plants, and when it is best to
plant the different vegetables. If there is
space in the school ground you can also
arrange a small kitchen garden with a
variety of flowers and vegetables.
You can use the plants you grow in the
garden for your science lessons as well.
Take a close look at leaves and flowers or
at vegetables and fruits and you will find
out how they grow.
Activity
Colour the flowerpots and give them names. Appoint one
student for each pot to water the plant and take care of it.
Do not forget to water the plants regularly with rainwater,
especially in the dry season. To make sure that the goats
or cows do not eat your plants you can make a fence or
small wall around them.
20
 IDEA 7
GROWING TREES
RELATED IDEAS 2, 4, 6, 8, 26

Trees provide shade to protect us from the hot summer sun. Trees produce oxygen to
improve the quality of the air we breathe. Additionally, they guarantee a stable soil to
protect us from landslides. Some trees even provide us with delicious fruits. Trees
therefore stand for a healthy and safe environment. We can identify trees in our school
environment and together with the teacher discuss their names and properties. Then we
can decide where to plant new ones for shade, soil and good air.

To plant trees, you first have to find tree
seedlings. Ask your teacher which sorts of
trees are suitable and then go to the
bazaar and get the seedlings. You can
either get them for free for your school or
you can ask members of the School
Management Committee (SMC/PTA/PTC)
to help you.
Ask within the community for the
necessary shovels and garden tools to dig
holes. Find a good place in or around the
school compound where a tree can grow,
is protected and provides good shade. Dig
a small hole and plant the seedling. You
should appoint a patron for each tree
planted, who is responsible for caring for
the tree, to water and protect it.

Activity Material
You can build a protection wall with wooden sticks, Tree seedlings
branches or with bricks around the tree. This way, the Shovels
small trees are protected from being run over Garden tools
accidentally by animals or other students. Bricks or wooden sticks

21
IDEA 8

WATER TANK AND DRAINS

RELATED IDEAS 5, 6, 7, 9

We can use the rainwater for many different purposes. We can water the plants in the
schoolyard, clean the school ground and use water for the washrooms. By installing water
drains on the roofs of the school building, we can even collect a big amount of water and
don’t have to carry it from somewhere else.

Skilled labour in the community will be
able to make U-shaped drains from metal
sheets, which you can fix on the roof.
Each drain has to be solid enough to
withstand the snow and heavy loads of
water. The pipe should end at a tank
where the water is collected. Cover the
tank with a strong layer of plastic. Fix it
tightly on the tank and make small holes
with a needle into it. This will be enough to
keep the water clean for the use in the
washroom and for plants. For drinking
water, you need to have a spring
somewhere close to the school or install
small water tanks, which you refill each
day.

Activity
Make water drains around the school buildings
and along the compound together with the
children during gardening lessons. If there are
heavy rains, the school compound won’t be
flooded. Take a shovel and a pick and dig small
trenches. If there is a river close by you can lead
the water there.
Awareness
As a teacher you have to teach the children about
hygiene. Tell them about the importance of washing
their hands with soap and about the transmission of
diseases caused by not taking care of hygiene.

22
 IDEA 9
IMPROVE SANITATION FACILITIES
RELATED IDEAS 8

Every school needs washrooms according to the number of students. For less than 50
students there should be one washroom, for less than 100 there should be two and for
150 there should be three. For High Schools, there should be at least four washrooms.
Inside or close to the washrooms there has to be a water pipe.

The most important part of the washroom
is the pit. It has to be constructed to clean
the sewage and preserve the soil from
contamination. The most effective way is
to build a dry-stonemasonry, which only
needs a big hole, stones, sand, crush, iron
rods and cement. The circular hole has to
be eight to ten feet deep with a diameter
of three feet. Inside the hole there will be a
stonewall erected from the bottom to the
very top. The bottom of the hole has to be
covered with a little bit of crush, this will be
the filter. The top two feet of the wall will
be covered with plaster. The pit will be
covered with a concrete slab that is
strengthened with iron rods. Training and
material for school sanitation and hygiene
education can be requested from UNICEF
/ UNESCO.

Activity
To build the pit you should ask a stone mason or
experienced people from the community to help. It will
take several days to dig the hole, make the stonewall
and the washroom cabins. There are different ways to
do it – discuss with the stone mason which one is the
most suitable in your case.
Activity
Someone should take care that the toilets are clean
all the time. Make sure that there is always water
available for the washrooms. If there is no water
pipe close by you can use rainwater from a tank
with a simple filter on top.

23
 STREET SIGN
RELATED IDEAS 16, 25
IDEA 10

Some schools are situated very close to the main road. For the cars and buses on these
roads it is very helpful to know that there is a school nearby. In this way, they can drive
slowly and more carefully, letting school children cross the road to reach their school or
return home after school.

Put up a street sign to warn the car or bus

drivers that there is a school nearby. You
can paint a round or tri-angular sign
outlined in red that shows school children
crossing a street. Use simple colours and
simple motives, so the sign can be easily
recognised. Take a metal board and paint
on it or ask an artist to do this for you. Ask

somebody to help you weld the sign on a

metal pole, which should be fixed well in
the ground. You should make two signs for
both sides of the road. Place them 30
meters before and after the school on the
left side of the road in a visible position.

Activity
Material While putting up a street sign for safety, you can also
Metal board do an art activity with the children. Take chalks or
Welding machine even paint and paint the asphalt. This can only
Colours happen in villages and on roads where very few cars
Metal pole come by.

24
SUGGESTIONS FOR THE CLASSROOM

Once the school ground provides a

good environment for the school and
the buildings are safe and ready for
use, the classrooms need attention.
Here, the students and the teachers
spend most of their time. Nice
classrooms will make them feel
comfortable and they will enjoy
teaching and studying.

The community has to make an effort

to create a comfortable teaching
environment together with the children
and the teachers. Everyone involved
will afterwards feel proud about having
participated in this cause.

The classrooms in tents and in

buildings look very different. But with
creativity and some effort you can
make the classrooms suitable in any
condition, even with a low or no
budget.

The next pages are full of ideas to

make the classrooms a great place to
study.

25
26
 MAKING A WRITING BOARD

IDEA 11
RELATED IDEAS 25

The classroom writingboard is one of the most effective and frequently used teaching aids.
It must therefore be well constructed and maintained to be used efficiently. In Primary
classes, we can additionally make writingboards on the classroom walls inside as well as
outside the building. Children can paint and write on the walls without destroying paint,
whenever they feel like it.

The writingboard has to be big enough for
everyone to see it on the front wall of the
classroom. If writingboard paint is availab-
le and you have a plain underground, you
can easily make one yourself. Take a
wooden board, plane it and paint it
thoroughly. You can also acquire a writing-
board from the market or an education
organisation but make sure it’s a board
that can be fixed on the wall. Writingboar-
ds on a stand break easily and are not
very stable.
Take a small wooden or plastic box and
screw it close to the writingboard on the
wall. There you can place the chalks and
so not lose them. Writingboards should be
low enough so the children can sit on a
mat and use chalk to draw and write. If
you have enough of these boards in the
classroom or on the outside walls, they
can be very useful in Art lessons.

Activity
Ask a carpenter from the community to help you
Material make a writingboard. Get writingboard paint from
Writingboard paint the bazaar and paint the board. Fix the board well
Wooden boards on the wall. Get chalks in different colours and start
Chalks drawing, painting and writing!

27
 CHARTS
IDEA 12

RELATED IDEAS 25

A chart is a big page of paper that is used to display educational topics in a visually simple
and conceivable way. We can summarize all basic contents of a subject on a chart and
display it on the classroom wall. Children will remember the visual content of these
omnipresent charts. Charts can also be timetables, calendars or student lists where you
can mark their special achievements.

Ask the government or buy some health that explain the most important parts of
charts. There are some with very good tips the English grammar, or in Primary
concerning psychosocial health and safety Classes the English alphabet where every
issues. These are topics every student letter has a distinct image.
should be aware of, and the teacher has
to include these charts in the lessons. The children can draw their own timetable
and a year calendar, including all major
Charts with images of animals, plants, holidays and school events like exhibitions
jobs or just colours including the names or sports days.
help to enrich the English vocabulary of
the children. You can also make charts
Collection of Ideas
Timetable
Activity Student list for special achievements
Remember to always positively reinforce children. World map/Pakistan
Make a chart with all the student names to put up Animals/plants/vegetables/fruits
in class. For special achievements like winning a Alphabet
painting competition or helping in the cleaning of Psychosocial charts
the school the student will get a star. At the end of Earthquake charts
the year, the student with the most stars will be Hygiene charts
awarded a prize. This is great motivation for Mathematics
children to actively participate in the school life. English

28
 DISPLAY STUDENTS’ WORK

IDEA 13
RELATED IDEA 25

We can use parts of the classroom walls, a shelf or a table to display the artworks of
students. When children see their work on show, they feel motivated and have a sense of
pride. It is also visual stimulation for learning. The community, especially parents, can visit
this exhibition and appreciate their children’s efforts.

Artworks made of clay, wood, paper or
similar material can be displayed on a
shelf in the classroom or in the head-
master’s office. People visiting the
headmaster will immediately see what
students in this school achieve and
appreciate the effort of teachers.
Paintings and textile works can be displa-
yed on the walls. Use a soft wooden board
Activity
Use one art lesson a month to go through the art
works of the last weeks and decide which ones to
display. If the artworks are constantly replaced, the
classroom will always look nicely decorated.
or cork material and cover it with a single
coloured garment as a background. Make
sure the board is big enough so artworks
of different students can be displayed.
Everyone should have his own work
presented somewhere in the classroom.
Do not forget to add the name and age of
the artist.
Activity
Invite your family members and the community for
the opening of an Art Exhibition at the school.
Everybody will feel proud to display work, it is a
good way to introduce parents and community to
the work done at your school and it is great
feedback for both children and teachers. Collect
money by selling the artworks directly or through
an auction. With the money collected you can buy
more art materials, including paints or textiles, to
continue working.

29
 FURNITURE
RELATED IDEAS 1
IDEA 9

The most important improvement inside the classroom is the right furniture. Just as
children need fresh air and light to concentrate, they need appropriate furniture to feel
IDEA 14

comfortable in school. Comfortable does not mean a chair to lean back on but practical
furniture where they can sit straight and have enough space to work.

The most effective and comfortable
furniture for school is the combined school
bench. The bench and the table are joined
together to make it very stable and long
lasting. The table has a slight slope so
students can read and write comfortably
and also a small shelf underneath to store
books and stationary. This bench is ideally
constructed for two students to provide
enough space. For children in Primary
School, it can be constructed in a small
size as well.
A local carpenter can make benches for a
very good price as it is not difficult and
only needs wood. Use old wood from the
school site; this will make the construction
very cheap. For larger quantities you
should consult a local wood workshop.
Apart from benches you should also get
cupboards and shelves to display student
work, and a desk for the teacher and
headmaster.

The advantage of the bench is its solidity

and the space it provides for the students.
The classroom can easily be kept in order,
as you can’t move benches as easily as
chairs.
Activity
To make furniture of better quality, cover it with
polish. Paint the furniture together with the
children.
Use paint that is applicable for wood.
Material: Wood, nails, tools, polish
Recommendations
- Use wood for your furniture as it is durable and solid
and looks beautiful after a couple of years
- Reuse old wood from the school and save a lot of
money
- Produce your furniture locally – keep the
economy in your area - Don’t use hardboard for the
whole furniture, it gets wet and will be destroyed
- You can use plywood for the shelves to make the
material costs lower
- With advice from a carpenter you can also polish
and paint the furniture

30

If two different classes are taught in one
room, you should split this room at least
temporarily. From plywood and thin but
solid poles a carpenter can make a
separation wall. Depending on the room
width, you take four or more plywood
sheets and fit a solid wooden frame
around them. These frames can be fixed
together with simple metal joints so the
wall can be folded. On the bottom, you
have to attach wooden stands to keep the
construction stable. This wall can be
moved around freely, by folding only one
frame you can move between the rooms.
Activity
Decorate the separation wall with artworks and
charts. Let the students decide what to put on the
wall.
31
CLASSROOM
PARTITION
Related Ideas 12, 25
In many schools two or more
classes are taught in one room at
the same time. Sometimes, these
two classes are taught by two
separate teachers, sometimes
with only one teacher who has to
manage different classes at the
same time. Both cases are very
unfortunate. They make effective
teaching impossible. As every
class is working on a different
topic and especially on different
levels, we should provide every
class with its own space.
IDEA 15
51 AEDI
If you plan to divide a room permanently
on a certain line, the plywood has to be
supported with a thick garment or Styro-
foam. This will make it more soundproof.
Discuss with the local carpenter how to
attach this separation wall to the building
walls and how to place a door if necess-
ary.
Material
Plywood
Metal joints
Wood
Tools
IDEA 9

CLASSROOM
NUMBERS SCHOOL BELL
IDEA 16

Related Ideas 10, 25

It is important to give identity to our
classes and classrooms. We can organise
and differentiate them easily by giving
them unique classroom numbers or even
classroom names.
We should all know when a lesson starts
or ends. We can announce this with a
school bell that can be placed in the
school compound. A child or teacher can
strike the bell at the beginning or the end
of the lesson.

A sign can be attached on the door
outside each classroom. You can design
colourful signs on wooden or metal boards
and fix them with a nail or masking tape.
Let the students choose what they would
like to call their classroom and let them
write the sign.
As a bell you can use a thick metal plate
and a heavy hammer. The metal plate has
a hole on one side where it is fixed on a
rope. This rope can be fixed to a tree. A
reliable person with a watch should ring
the bell. Put a wall clock in a room to
check the exact time.

Material
Metal Material
Wood Metal plate
Paint Hammer
Nails or masking tape Wall clock

32
TAKING CARE OF A SCHOOL TENT

A school in a tent is a special challenge

for the community, as there are some
things that have to be specifically
taken care of. A tent is more fragile
than a building and during rain, wind
and in winter, it needs special
attention. When the community takes
care and implements improvements,
wherever possible, it will be a suitable
place for a school.

You should always make sure that the

structure of the tent is stable and safe
and that it can’t fall over or collapse
during heavy rainfalls, storms or under
loads of snow. The tents are provided
by UNICEF or other organisations but
are then owned by the community.
Therefore the community, especially
the SMC/PTA/PTC, has to take
responsibility for its maintenance.

The following ideas include important

issues concerning the erection and
maintenance of tents.

33
34
 TENT INSTALLATION AND REINFORCEMENT
If a tent is properly maintained and consistently repaired and reinforced, it can be a
comfortable classroom over a long time. Although it is mostly provided by an organisation
to the community, we have to take responsibility ourselves for the maintenance. The
community and the children have to look after it.
During the erection of the tent you have to
make sure that everything is done in a
correct way. The ground has to be plain
and solid so the tent won’t deform over
time. Do not build a tent on a slope, even
if it is very gentle. Otherwise, water will
seep from beneath easily. Wind blowing
patterns and directions are almost the
same throughout the year on a school
site. While erecting the tent, consider the
wind direction and erect the tent
accordingly.
In general, the structure of school tents is
very easy to understand. In case you have
serious difficulties in erecting the tent,
consult the DEO, he will be able to provide
you with further help. Make sure that the
metal tent frame is very solid and the
garment is pulled on tight. It should keep
Activity
Spend one day with the community to prepare the
school ground for the tents, and then install them
properly with technically experienced people. You
need enough people to put together the metal
frame.
35
RELATED IDEAS 8, 15, 18, 19
water and snow off and has to withstand
strong winds. Stretch the support ropes on
the sides of the tent tightly and fix them in
the soil properly.
To prevent the water from coming inside
the tent from under the bottom, you have
to dig trenches around the tent. At one
point, a bigger trench should lead away
from the tent so all the water can flow off.
If you think the frame is not stable enough
for snow, rain or wind, think about possible
IDEA 17
reinforcements. The local community can
provide this by applying extra poles to the
Tent Material
Make sure that you store any extra tent material,
together with the instructions, in a safe and dry
place.
Do not leave them in the rain or in humid places, as
the textile will break. If you take down the whole
tent, also store it safely and find another school
nearby that is in need of a tent. Otherwise consult
the DEO. He will distribute it to a school where it is
urgently needed.
 structure. If the local craftsman cannot
help, consult the organisation that
provided the tent.
If you observe something on the tent that
is broken or seems unstable, you must
always repair it immediately. Small
problems that are not solved right away
endanger the whole structure of the tent
and can result in the breaking of the tent.
IDEA 17
have to push the water and the snow
constantly off the roof. If the water or snow
on the tent roof gets too heavy, it will
break the whole tent structure. After a lot
of water or snow has pushed down the
roof and loosened the fabric, you should
pull the tent tight again. Where the textile
is too loose, it is much more vulnerable to
winds.

During winter and heavy snowfalls, you

Activity
Before the monsoon season and before winter,
some people from the community should come
together to check and reinforce the tent and
prepare the school ground around it. Assign one
SMC/PTA/PTC member, who will be responsible Material
for regular, planned check ups year-round, and Keep a toolbox
who will arrange the necessary repair work. Broom (something to push off the snow)

36
 TENT MAINTENANCE
RELATED IDEAS 17, 19

Tents are directly opposed to all weather situations, from heavy wind or rainfall to snow or
burning sunlight. To extend the life span of our tent school, we have to maintain the struc-
ture of the tent and the state of its parts, especially if the tent is not used over a longer
time period like holidays.

As the most important thing you have to

take ownership of your tent school, you
have to feel responsible for it. Whenever a
pole or a rope breaks, you should not wait
for an organisation to come and fix them.
It is your own responsibility to involve the
community and to find local solutions.
Broken iron poles can be replaced with a
wooden one temporarily and ropes can
be organized from the bazaar.

During the long summer or winter holid-

ays, the tent school stays empty. This is
the time when the tent is likely to break
since nobody takes care of it. Water or
snow piles up on the tent and results in
destruction of the roof or structural collap-
se. To avoid this you should dismantle the
tent before the holidays. Store the tent in a
safe and dry place. This will also allow you
to erect the tent firmly before the holidays
end.

Especially in the rainy season, most of the

IDEA 18

tent fabric becomes wet due to moisture

or direct rain. When the tent fabric remai-
ns wet for a longer time it turns moldy.
Thus, you should dry and ventilate the tent
whenever there is a sunny day. Remove
the top or side walls to let the sun dry the
inner parts of the tent.

Activity: Regular Maintenance Plan Activity: Sun in the Tent

Make a plan for tent maintenance. Keep track of
the various actions. Write down when you
tightened the ropes the last time, cleaned the
canvas, ventilated the tent etc. You can also
appoint a responsible to control these actions.
On a sunny day and especially after heavy rains,
open up the side walls or the roof of the tent and let
the sun dry the inner part of the tent. This will
improve the atmosphere inside a lot.

37
 TENT IMPROVEMENT
RELATED IDEAS 7, 5, 13, 17, 18

Apart from the maintenance of the tent frame, we should also convert the inside of the
tent into a real classroom. It is the community’s responsibility that the floor is plain and
that no water is coming inside. The teacher and the children can then improve the appea-
rance of the room. With a little effort we can make the classroom as comfortable as in a
school building.

There are certain parts of the tent that
need special attention. Always make sure
that the doors and windows are opened
and closed properly. These parts should
not hang loose, and when open have to
IDEA 19
garbage bins. You should empty these
garbage bins regularly into the garbage pit
outside.
To make the classroom more beautiful you

be fixed with the provided ribbons. Make
the children understand that part of the
responsibility lies with them to care for
their classroom.
Twice a week, you should sweep the
classroom floor and put the waste in the
Activity: Improve the tent class
Take one day with the whole class to find and
implement ideas to improve the classroom. This
can include the application of soft boards and
strings on the frame for art works as well as
gadgets to fix the doors and windows properly.
can utilise the metal frame. On the metal
bars you can hang art works with a simple
ribbon. You can also put up a soft board,
fixed with two ribbons. For other artworks
you should put a cupboard in the
classroom.
Activity: Clean Up Day
Organise a ‘Clean Up Day’ where everybody
collects garbage and helps in making the tent
look neat and tidy. Especially, the floor inside the
tent gets dirty quickly. Sometimes it becomes
muddy because of water entering from the sides
or from the dirt of our shoes. To prevent this you
can cover the floor with small crush.

38
TAKING CARE OF A SCHOOL BUILDING

A school running in a building is very

fortunate. Once there are four walls
and a roof, some of the requirements
for a good teaching and learning
environment are met. To realise a
positive environment within the given
surroundings, there are some things
the community should take care of.

Most of these improvements concern

any school; some of them especially
apply to schools that are in a building.
These ideas are listed in the following
pages.

39
40
 PAINTING A MURAL
RELATED IDEAS 13, 25
A mural is a wall painting mostly done by more than just one person. It is generally
situated on an outside wall. We can paint a mural on permanent brick walls as well as on
semipermanent tinsheet or wooden walls. Someone who knows about paint and how to
apply it on certain materials should assist in the process. The children can do the painti-
ngs themselves under supervision of a teacher and a painter or artist.

First impressions are always important. If
a clean and beautifully painted school
greets children, teachers and visitors, they
will have a positive impression and feel
motivated to improve the school environm-
ent.
kind of paint to use and what motives to
draw. If you make a rough sketch on the
wall, first you will be able to imagine what it
could look like and so avoid major mistak-
es. With the advice and close supervision
of the teacher and the artist, the children
can then paint these sketches.
IDEA 20

Apart from whitewashing the walls with

light colours, there are many possibilities
to make the building more appealing. The
first step will be to find an expert for paint-
ing and art who will assist you throughout
the work. This may be an artist or just a
talented person from the community.
With him, you have to decide on what
Activity
Arrange a competition to decide on the motives for
the mural. The students should decide themselves
and will then be proud about their achievement.
The teachers, the parents and the SMC/PTA/PTC
will then decide on the best ideas. The artworks
the children made to collect ideas can be
displayed in the classroom.
At least once a year, you should repaint the
walls outside. White walls have to be whi-
tewashed again; murals can be repainted
where the colour starts to vanish.
Activity
Think about slogans that promote positive values
like peace, education and care for the environment.
You can also choose an appropriate Sura from the
Holy Quran. Write such slogans on the walls to
present them as important school values. Other
ideas are maps of Pakistan or a map of the school
ground.

41
 WINDOWS
RELATED IDEAS 13, 25

In school, children have to concentrate and keep their mind clear to understand the things
that are often new for them. To keep their concentration, two things are very important -
fresh air and light. We have to make sure that these two elements are in the classroom to
make the teaching and learning atmosphere comfortable.

When the school is built certain details
have to be considered. The windows have
to be big and well placed to let light reach
the room all day long. Place the windows
according to the general movement of the
sun during school times. Sunlight is a lot
IDEA 21
The windows should be placed opposite
each other to guarantee good ventilation.
Open the windows at least once a day to
let fresh air in. This will improve the
atmosphere of the room noticeably.

more comfortable than any artificial light.

Activity
In the Art lessons you can use cardboard, scissors
and colours to make images of animals, plants or Material
houses and hang them in front of the window. You Translucent paper
can see these artworks from outside as well. Take Scissors
some colourful translucent paper and stick it on the Colours
window, as this will change the colour of the room.

42
 MAKING TEACHING SUCCESSFUL
TAKE CARE OF THE CHILDREN’S NEEDS
The improvement of the school can go
further than just making the school
ground and the classrooms better.
School improvement also takes place
during the lessons. The teacher plays
the most important role in improving
the studying environment.
A few ideas will help the teacher make
the lessons attractive to the students.
To teach is a difficult job. Holding the
interest of children and making them
understand things they have never
seen or heard before takes a lot of
knowledge and patience. The comm-
unity has to respect this effort from the
teacher and support him.
The ultimate goal of teaching should be
to make the students understand
everything clearly.
The first and major task is to make
them interested and even excited in a
topic. Children learn when they are
curious about something.
Children will be interested when they
can give their own opinion, so have
them write their own sentences on the
writingboard and ask them to write
about their own experiences. The
43
children are curious about things they
have never heard or seen before but
which are realistically achievable in
their own lives, in their country as well.
When children are taking responsibility
for their work, they will also take it more
seriously. While planting flowers every
student can take responsibility for his
or her own flower, every student should
participate in cleaning the school and
everyone can take part in painting walls
and stones.
If the students are busy all day, they will
over time get tired of following the tea-
cher. Give them time to relax. Garde-
ning, drawing, talking in class or just
playing outside are activities that have a
very positive effect on the learning
abilities.
There are organisations that offer trai-
ning courses that are very helpful.
The following pages contain some
ideas, which should improve teaching.
44
 SCHOOL AS AN ENJOYABLE
ENVIRONMENT FOR CHILDREN
RELATED IDEAS 23, 25, 27, RIGHTS

The school should be a safe and enjoyable environment for our children. They should be
motivated to go to school everyday. This motivation will make them successful and they
will achieve a lot. To maintain good education in class, it is important that the students
respect the teacher and obey his orders.

The whole community should feel respon-
sible for the well-being of the students and
a good school environment. In case the
teacher loses control over the class over
time and starts to use corporal punish-
ment as a means to discipline the children
you have to interfere. Beating the children
as a punishment will create fear. Students
who are afraid of the teacher won’t be
able to learn effectively as they learn bec-
ause of fear and not because of interest or
curiosity. Instead of corporal punishment,
the teacher should use other methods to
keep the class attentive. Most often,
relaxing activities like art or working in the
school ground will maintain their motivation
and concentration. You will find some of
these activities as well as a summary of
the Convention on the Rights of the Child
(CRC) in this booklet.

Activity
IDEA 22

Get the Convention on the Rights of the Child from

As an educated teacher you can also carry this
awareness to the parents of the children. Tell them
about the negative effects of Corporal Punishment
and what they should do instead. As a teacher you
are an important factor in the child’s development.
Internet and read parts of it to the children. Sit
together with the children in a circle and discuss their
opinions on the topic. This will be a chance for them
to talk about issues they are unhappy about and
situations they can’t deal with.

45
 TEN ALTERNATIVES TO
CORPORAL PUNISHMENT
RELATED IDEA 22

It is quite difficult to keep a whole class attentive and teachers are doing a great effort in
keeping the children interested in the lessons. In case an individual student is not paying
attention or is even disturbing the lesson and making it difficult for others to follow, the
teacher has to direct him.

There are 10 ideas how to teach a student
the importance of paying attention and not
disturbing the lesson:
1. Give oral and written explanations!
2. Share the possible consequences of
the act!
3. Inform children about their negative
activities and their possible results!
4. Keep a record of the child‘s conduct
and keep informing the child about it!
5. Tell the students that you would inform
their parents if they didn‘t improve!
6. In severe cases or if the child is
misbehaving continuously, suspend the
student from class for an appropriate time
and discuss the behaviour with the
parents!
9. Ask the child to write his or her daily
dairy. This should sparkle some creativity
and will be a way to keep the student
busy!
10. In case you feel you don’t know any
further, contact the head of the school!
Passed on over years are the stories of
Mohammad (PBUH) who showed his love
for children. He (PBUH) emphasized that
children should not be punished in a way
that would cause pain or injuries. One
story tells that He (PBUH) always had his
two grandsons on his back. When He
(PBUH) bent down for his prayer these
two stayed on for a while sometimes. But
Mohammad (PBUH) waited until both of
them left his back before He (PBUH)
stood up again.

7. In case you observe any abnormal

behaviour in a child, you should consider
informing parents and in severe cases a
counsellor or lady health worker!

8. Stop the student after school and make

him or her stay longer at school to discuss
a proper way of behaving! In Islamiyat Lessons look for stories of Mohammad
(PBUH) where children play a role and interact with
him. Ask the local Maulana if he can tell you some
IDEA 23

If you feel that the whole class is disturbed and
unable to stay attentive, you should perhaps take
some time out and talk to the class about their
behaviour. Make them understand your situation but
also the importance of them to follow the lesson.
stories or relevant Hadiths. You might find
traditional stories as well that emphasize the
importance of children and how they should be
looked after.

46

“Once upon a time, far behind the
Himalaya mountain range, there was a
very special man…”
Everybody likes to listen to fairy tales and
stories. In our culture, storytelling has a
long tradition. Our grandparents pass on
stories of local heroes, wonderful
happenings or funny episodes. These
stories are part of our culture and give us
an insight into our history.
Activity: Invent Your Own Story
Invent your own story. Start discussing the topic
and characters of your story and develop your own
fairy tale. You can work in smaller groups to
prepare the story and then present it to the others.
47
LOCAL STORIES
RELATED IDEAS 13, 25
There are different types of stories:
religious stories, stories of our Holy
Prophet (PBUH), legends from our
forefathers, family stories, stories of
special happenings in our area, stories of
wise men, stories of nature or animals,
stories with moral or of great humour.
To tell a story improves our language
skills. We learn how to entertain our
friends and how to express something in a
traditional way. To listen to a story impro-
ves our listening skills; we learn to memo-
rize spoken words and to think about their
meanings and values.
Depending on the age of the students, the
teacher can either prepare a story to tell
himself or he can ask the students to do
so. In any case, everybody should sit in a
circle by arranging chairs and benches.
This way everybody can listen well. For
the story, you should use the local lang-
uage. Depending on the origin of the story,
you can also speak in Urdu or English. It
can be good to dim the light or go outside
to create a special atmosphere to further
the fantasy and creativity. After the story,
you should discuss with every-body about
the meanings of the story and emotions
that arose.
IDEA 24
Activity: Make a Local Stories Book
Write down and document local stories. Identify the
most interesting local stories and write them down.
This way you can preserve them and share them with
others. You can also think of making a storybook. If
you have drawings, add them to the book.
 For younger students, the teacher should
carefully select a story that is not too
difficult and does not include elements of
fear or sadness. While telling the story, the
teacher should watch the students and
their reactions. In case that there are
questions, students can always ask their
teacher!
After the story you could add a painting
and drawing class. The students could
paint characters and elements of the story,
share the paintings with everybody and
make a picture story out of it. You can put
up the drawings for decoration on the wall
inside the school.

For older students, the teacher should

motivate the students to tell the stories
themselves. The students can ask at
home, for example your grandparents,
about local stories and legends. Then you
should prepare the story and tell it in the
local story class. It is recommended that
you do a story telling class on a regular
basis, such that every student gets the
opportunity to tell one story.

Activity: Play Your Own Story

Material
IDEA 24

Together with your teacher you can make a small

Old stories
drama play out of a local story. Distribute roles,
Fantasy
discuss the different scenes and dialogues and
Notebook
make costumes. As a longer project you can
Colours to draw
rehearse the play and then even perform it in front of
Costumes
the community.

48
 ART CLASSES - CREATIVE TEACHING
RELATED IDEAS 3, 10, 13, 15, 20, 24

In school, children are generally asked to remember facts and reproduce them at any time.
They have to copy what the teacher writes on the writingboard and answer the questions
the teacher asks. Seldom do students get the chance to express their own ideas and show
their creativity. As they do not have time, they would need to rest from calculations and
spelling tests; they start to be inattentive. An activity like painting and drawing is relaxing
for the mind and helps them to refocus.

Make sure that the students have, apart
from their studies, time to express
creativity. There should be colours, paper,
cardboard and scissors included in the
teaching materials.
Art is a subject that is less related to
achievement than other lessons and it
takes the pressure of academic perfor-
mance off the student. It can be a time
where the children express their experi-
ences freely. They can draw what
they want and do not have to answer
specific questions, which they might feel
uncomfortable about. As such, art is also a
way of relief for children who are under
stress, whether because of traumatic
experiences during the earthquake or their
situation after. The motivation the children
will bring to the art class will increase their
attention in other subjects as well and
make the lessons for the teacher a lot
more comfortable.

Activity: Art Competition

The teacher will choose a topic (e.g. ‘Animals and Material
IDEA 25

plants around my house’, ‘My favourite place in the
village’) whereupon every student will express his
opinion in an artwork. The finished works can then
be displayed in the school and parents are invited
to see them. The SMC/PTA/PTC will be the jury
and give prizes to the best works.
You can afford pencils, colours and good paper from
the bazaar. You can also use watercolours,
cardboard, scissors and glue. Think about natural
material you can use for artworks. In and around the
school compound you will find different material like
wood, grass and flowers.

49
 The art lessons do not need such a strict
lesson plan as other classes do. The
teacher should, according to the age of
the children, decide on techniques that the
students can learn to be familiar with.
Younger children may start with colours
and pencils, the older ones can use any
material to produce an artwork, depending
on their ideas.
IDEA 25
Activity: Outdoor art
You can turn the school ground into a living art
museum: paint the walls and stones in various
colours, make a statue out of wood branches or use
any natural material to create art pieces.
50
Artworks can also be inspired from stories,
which the children read in class. After an
English, Urdu or Islamiyat lesson where
the children hear about different countries
and situations, they can draw parts of
these stories. Also Science or Environ-
mental Studies can give you ideas for
artworks.
Activity: Collective Art
You can also create art together. Take a piece of
white paper and start painting a head. Then pass the
paper to another student and ask him to paint the
body. The next student can then add arms, another
one the feet, another one shoes and so on. You can
do the same with a story: one student writes one
sentence and the next one continues. As a very
interesting and funny alternative, you can fold the
paper before giving it to the next student, so he or
she does not see what was written or painted so far.

What we eat is important for our bodies to stay healthy and to grow. If we eat well, study-
ing will be much easier and we can concentrate for a longer time. A good diet is balanced
in proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals. Both the quantity and quality of
ingredients play a vital role.
Often we eat staple foods such as wheat,
rice, maize, millet or other grains. These,
and also bread, potatoes and sugar are
good sources of carbohydrates and
provide energy to the body. They do not
always contain enough vitamins and
minerals.
Vitamins and minerals are elements
needed in very small quantities, but they
are essential for the normal function of the
body. The important vitamins are A, B, C,
D, E, K and B-complex. They can be
found in liver, meat, animals fats, vege-
tables, citrus fruits and other fruits,
oilseeds, nuts, groundnuts and also
sunlight. Important minerals are: Iodine,
Iron, Calcium, Sodium, Potassium, Zinc,
Magnesium and Selenium. They can be
found in sea food, Iodized salt, fruits and
vegetables, cereals, meat and fish.
Activity: What do I eat?
Analyse your food. Look at the food the students
bring to school and discuss their ingredients. Split
the ingredients up in the four categories:
carbohydrates, proteins, fats and vitamins and
minerals. What would be a balanced and also tasty
school meal?
51
DIET & NUTRITION
RELATED IDEAS 6, 7
Proteins are needed for building new
tissues, particularly during growth period,
pregnancy and after infections or injuries.
When there are not enough carbohydrates
in the body, proteins are also providing
energy. Sources of proteins are meat,
lentils, milk, eggs, fish and beans.
Fat is a supplier of energy and heat, it can
be found in oil from animals or plants,
meat and eggs.
For a healthy and prosperous life it is
therefore important to introduce the
concept of a balanced diet that is a mix of
animal and plant sources and includes
carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins and
minerals.
Activity: Make a menu
IDEA 26
Look at available ingredients and make a proper
menu for a day or a week. Discuss the different types
of food in different times of the day or seasons of the
year. Look at the available vegetables in the school or
house garden and make a list of local dishes that you
can share with your friends.
 SCHOOL AS A PLACE OF HELP AND RESPECT
RELATED IDEAS 22, 23

Every human being is different. This makes life in general and school life in particular a
challenging task. Some of us have special mental or physical capacities, some of us
experience difficulties doing sports or concentrating for a long time. Some of us speak a
lot, some speak less. Some children are physically or mentally disabled. Everybody has
competencies and deficiencies and it is impossible to compare each other in a general
way.

A school class can be seen as a big It is the responsibility of the schoolteacher

family. The teacher and children should
care for each other and try to support
each other as much as possible. This
includes helping children who have
difficulties following the course, coming to
school regularly, children who are scared
of going to school, children who do not
bring enough to drink or to eat to school,
etc.
and the children that everybody feels well
in the class. Some children also have
physical or mental difficulties. It is impor-
tant that the physical and the psycholo-
gical school environments are adapted to
these children. Make sure that they have
good access to the school, to the class-
room and also to their chair and table.
Help them to study and you will see that
the atmosphere in the class will improve.

Activity: Hot Chair Game

Activity: Blindfold Game
Make groups of three students each. Take a black or
very dark piece of cloth (it can also be a dupatta or a
jersey) and put it around the eyes of one child such
that this child cannot see anything anymore. The other
two students should now guide the blind student
IDEA 27
Make a circle with your chairs in a small group of 5
to 10 students. Put one chair in the middle of the
circle. Choose one student to sit on this ‘hot’ chair
in the middle of the circle. Now turn-by-turn, every
student of the circle will talk loudly about the
positive and negative feelings he or she feels

through the school and the classroom. The ‘blind’
student can explain where in the classroom or the
school ground they are at different times, this way one
can experience how it is to perceive the world with
other senses.
towards the student in the middle. Try to respect
each other and discuss also problems that occur in
the classroom. It is very interesting for the middle
person to listen to the opinions of the others.

52
 TALKING ABOUT THE EARTHQUAKE
RELATED IDEAS 25, 27

The surface of the earth is made up of many plates, which move slowly. Where there is
friction between two plates, an earthquake can happen. We know a lot about the
movements of these plates. You can find out more in books, the Internet or by asking
people who know about it. What we don’t know is when such a movement will happen
again. With the help of Allah we can positively look into the future and don’t have to
concentrate too much on the past.

As the teacher you have to make the
students understand an earthquake. You
should teach them how an earthquake is
caused (plate tectonics) and what we
have to do when the earth starts to move
again. You can contact UNICEF/UNESCO
or other NGOs for teaching material on
this issue.
Apart from what the children learn about
the earthquake, they need time to talk
about how they experienced it thems-
elves. Alone, the chance to express their
sorrows or future visions is very helpful for
them. In these discussions, you should
give them as much free space as possi-
ble. Give them time to speak about what-
ever they like, whether it is their family or
what they play in the afternoon. There are
more relevant topics for them at times
than speaking about the earthquake itself,
but it is always good to talk.
If you observe a child that seems to have
severe traumatic problems you should
contact lady health workers from the
community. It is also the teacher’s respon-
sibility to care for the well-being of the
children.
In these discussions, the children also
learn how to discuss and how to listen.
They have to learn how a discussion is led
and what understanding and responding
means.

Activity
Make a circle of chairs or benches in the
classroom or in the school ground. Start a
IDEA 26

Material
discussion by asking questions about the children’s Teaching material from UNICEF/UNESCO
daily life or by explaining to them something about Training
the earthquake and safety issues. You can also Books
ask random students to tell a story about their Internet
experiences related to the earthquake. Holy Quran

53
 APPENDIX

The following pages provide material

for the SMC/PTA/PTC to implement the
ideas of this booklet.

There are example charts that can be

used to organize the work of the
committee and distribute
responsibilities. These two pages also
explain how to organize SMC/PTA/PTC
meetings in a short way.

Furthermore you will find contact

details of UNICEF/UNESCO and the
authors of this booklet. if you have
ideas and suggestions or want to know
more about school improvement, you
can contact us.

54
55
IDEA 29

FILE CHARTS
RELATED IDEAS SMC

With so many different things that can be

done to improve the school, the work of
the SMC/PTA/PTC is quite extensive. By
organising our work and taking
responsibilities for these tasks, we will be
able to manage many different ideas. This
idea includes a couple of suggestions:
how to organise the work of an SMC/ PTA/
PTC and how to lead a project, from the
decision to follow one project to its final
implementation. Make these charts once
and copy them a couple of times.

56
 IDEA 29
Achievement Chart
To keep track of all the ideas and to stay motivated you can use this ideas chart. Fill in
the number of the idea or just the area where an improvement was implemented, the
date of implementation, the people who worked on it and any comments on experiences
or difficulties. The SMC/PTA/PTC will keep record of the implemented ideas. You can
also use this as a reference to the DEO or an educational organisation to show what has
been achieved so far and how the community is participating in the improvement.

Idea/Area
Date Who did it Comments
of School

5 16.12. Class 5, children and We collected garbage from the school ground
2009 teacher and the teacher burnt it.

School 21.12. Craftsman, SMC/PTA/PTC We put up a new school sign in front of the
ground 2009 members buildings, close to the street

SMC/PTA/PTC Meetings Chart

It is important to know what was discussed in previous SMC/PTA/PTC meetings and
especially who is responsible for certain actions. To keep track of this you can use this
simple SMC/PTA/PTC meeting chart. This will also be proof to outsider that the SMC/
PTA/PTC is working smoothly.

Date and Time Not present Topics discussed Actions planned Responsible
Members

19.12.2008, Mr. Rafque, Maintenance of the Cleaning day out- Mr. Zahoor (1),
5pm to 7pm Ms. Aisha school, inside and side (1), whitewash Ms. Alina (2)
outside of classrooms (2)

1.2.2008, Mr. Fayaz School exhibition School fund collection Mr. Shahid
4pm to 7pm

57
RIGHTS

EXCERPTS FROM THE

CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD
RELATED IDEAS 22, 23, 27

On the following pages you will find excerpts from the Convention on the Rights of the
Child. This document was set up by the United Nations to define the rights of each child.
But it also defines what is the best environment for a child to grow up and what we can do
to provide such a childhood. Some of these articles also refer to some of the ideas in this
booklet and are helpful to understanding why some of them are so essential to the
education of our children.

You can get the full document from UNICEF or download it from the Internet under
www.unicef.org/crc .

From the Preamble They take ‘due account of the importance

The Convention was based on the ‘faith in
fundamental human rights and the dignity
and worth of the human person, and have
determined to promote social progress
and better standards of life in larger
freedom’.
of the traditions and cultural values of
each people for the protection and harmo-
nious development of the child, recogni-
sing the importance of international coop-
eration for improving the living conditions
in every country.’

The signatories, which include Pakistan Article 13

‘have proclaimed and agreed, that every-
one is entitled to all the freedom and rights
set forth therein without distinction of any
kind, such as race, colour, sex, language,
religion, political or other opinion, national
or social origin, property, birth or other
status’ and ‘that childhood is entitled to
special care and assistance.’
They recognise ‘that the child, for the full
and harmonious developments of his or
her personality, should grow up in a family
environment, in an atmosphere of happi-
ness, love and understanding’ and it shou-
ld be ‘brought up in the spirit of peace,
dignity, tolerance, freedom, equality and
solidarity.’
The child shall have the right to freedom
of expression; this right shall include free-
dom to seek, receive and impart inform-
ation and ideas of all kinds, regardless of
frontiers, either orally, in writing or in print,
in the form of art, or through any other
media of the child’s choice.’...
Article 19
State Parties shall take appropriate
legislative, administrative, social and
educational measures to protect the child
from all forms of physical or mental
violence, injury or abuse, neglect or
negligent treatment, maltreatment or
exploitation, including sexual abuse, while
in the care of parent(s), legal guardian(s)
or any other person who has the care of
the child.

58
Article 23
State Parties recognise that a mentally or
physically disabled child should enjoy a
full and decent life, in conditions which
ensure dignity, promote self reliance and
facilitate the child’s active participation in
the community.
...ensure that the disabled child has
effective access to and receives
education, training, health care services,
rehabilitation services, preparation for
employment and recreation opportunities
in a manner conducive to the child’s
achieving the fullest possible social inte-
gration and individual development…
Article 28
1. State Parties recognise the right of the
child to education and with a view to
achieving this right progressively and on
the basis of equal opportunity, they shall,
in particular:
(a) Make primary education compulsory
and available free to all.’
(b) Encourage the development of differ-
ent forms of secondary education…
(c) Make higher education accessible to
all...
(d) Make educational and vocational
information and guidance available and
accessible to all children.
(e) Take measures to encourage regular
attendance at schools and the reduction of
drop-out rates.
2. State Parties shall take all appropriate
59
measures to ensure that school discipline
is administered in a manner consistent
with the child’s human dignity…
3. State Parties shall promote and
encourage international cooperation in
matters relating to education, in particular
with a view to contributing to the
elimination of ignorance and illiteracy
throughout the world and facilitating
access to scientific and technical
knowledge and modern teaching
methods…
Article 29
State Parties agree that the education of
the child shall be directed to:
(a) The development of the child’s
personality, talents and mental and
physical abilities to their fullest potential;
...
(e) The development of respect for the
natural environment...
Article 31
State Parties recognise the right of the
child to rest and leisure, to engage in play
and recreational activities appropriate to
the age of the child and to participate
freely in cultural life and the arts.
...shall encourage the provision of
appropriate and equal opportunities for
cultural, artistic, recreational and leisure
activities.