Recovery from Violence: Between Education and Society

Recovery from Violence: Between Education and Society

Rand Hassami – Daraa Al-Balad

The educational and pedagogical process has witnessed significant developments in recent times. While its primary focus used to be on the educational material and how to teach it to students, the current emphasis is on the students themselves and how to build and prepare them to face life as the main goal of education.

However, the tragic events that Syria has experienced have negatively impacted the behavior of many children due to what they have witnessed, such as displacement, destruction of homes, or the loss of loved ones. This has made children’s reactions more violent than before.

Children spend most of their time in school, which is their small community. Therefore, schools play a crucial role in shaping children’s personalities and in building a culture of peace and non-violence. By teaching children the practice of non-violence and its tools, violence can gradually be eradicated from their minds and bodies.

In recent years, the Ministry of Education has taken steps to prohibit corporal punishment in schools and activate the role of the psychological counselor. These measures were the beginning of sowing the seeds of non-violence and nurturing them in a healthy and sound way. Previously, schools were sources of terror for some students due to the application of severe punishment methods, which only led to a large number of dropouts as a result of excessive use of moral and physical punishment.

As a result, the number of school dropouts has decreased, and engaging in activities has helped achieve the joy of learning. Additionally, activating the role of the psychological counselor, who has become the bridge of communication between students and teachers, and among the students themselves, has become a necessity to accommodate students and their cultural, social, and material differences. They are qualified to support the educational process by working with school principals and teachers to improve administrative and educational practices.

The presence of a psychological counselor and interactive activities guides children and young people on how to face their problems and solve them in a non-violent manner. Engaging in activities such as a wall magazine contributes to creating positive safe environments, where students participate in reinforcing the concept of peace and solving their problems through non-violent means.

Activating the role of the school theater with plays that include non-violent concepts also reinforces the concept of peace. Performing plays enhances collaboration and positive communication among students.

Building peaceful means in schools is a foundation for sowing the seeds of non-violence in society, through which we will achieve a healed society qualified for democracy.