Educational policies and strategies
	UNESCO has intensified its efforts to provide expertise for the elaboration of national educational policies, strategies and action plans as well as the mobilization of external resources for the reconstruction, reform and development of their education systems. Various innovative activities have been developed in order to respond to the broad spectrum of countries undergoing different situations: socio-economic restructuring, reconstruction in post-war or transition period, or trying to reform their education to changing socio-economic and cultural needs.

 

Preventive Strategies for School Structures in the case of Natural Disasters In the case of natural disaster prone countries, the programme plays an important role in designing safe and secure school buildings. This includes assessing the damage of the educational buildings and furniture, drawing up of emergency plans of action for immediate relief and rehabilitation, as well as preparing and implementing projects. Guidelines have also been developed for earthquake and other natural hazard-prone areas including the construction of prototypes and training on disaster prevention. Publications of research conducted are made available to countries with similar conditions. Examples of countries to which assistance has been provided include Armenia, Bangladesh, Egypt, El Salvador, Madagascar and Vietnam. UNESCO’s assistance in emergency situations is thus not merely limited to the reconstruction of schools after the fact – rather, it has given considerable attention to the provision of information and guidelines to avert any potential damage particularly to school buildings. In cases where the damage has already occurred, the response to assistance has been supplemented by sub-regional training courses by leading experts. More than often countries with similar climatic cycles have been encouraged to share and broaden their experience, concerns, solutions and emergency strategies and increase cooperation with one another. Although regions affected by fierce windstorms have been identified and recommendations for building designs, structures, preventive measures suited to the respective areas highlighted, it is not always possible for countries to upgrade their technology or design for a variety of reasons. It is nevertheless a proven case in UNESCO’s experience that the pooled resources of international and national agencies which went towards improved satellite warning systems and the provision of better buildings in Bangladesh helped mitigate the otherwise even more devastating effect of the cyclone which hit the country in 1991.

IIEP Summer School 2003 on Post-conflict reconstruction in the education sector One of the principal goals of this Summer School is the review of experience of education under circumstances of post-conflict reconstruction, envisaging the identification of concrete lessons that can assist the achievement of Education for All goals. >> More

Websites

---

Reconstruction and Development of Education Systems UNESCO provides technical support services for the development of education policies, strategies and programmes in Member States, in the framework of international development co-operation. The Division for the Reconstruction and Development of Education Systems (ED/ERD), working in collaboration with UNESCO's field offices, is the focal point for these UNESCO's upstream activities for sector-wide reconstruction, reform and development of education systems. - More info   >> Visit the website

Stratégies et politiques éducatives Compte tenu de la diversité des contextes nationaux, l’appui dépend essentiellement du besoin exprimé par les pays eux mêmes. Selon le cas, il peut s’agir d’apporter une assistance technique pour la formulation d’un plan de développement de l’éducation, ou pour l’élaboration d’un programme de réhabilitation et de reconstruction du système éducatif lorsqu’il s’agit de pays en situation d’urgence ou de crise. - More info   >> Visit the website