Cruel and humiliating forms of psychological punishment,
gender-based violence and bullying remain a daily reality for
millions of children.
Every child has the right to a safe school environment. The
Learn Without Fear campaign aims to end violence against children
in all schools.
Why is the campaign needed?
Every child has the right to a safe school environment yet:
Each year, more than 350 million children around the world
experience violence in schools
Corporal punishment is still legal in 32 countries in which
Plan works even though it is against the Convention on the Rights
of the Child
61 countries in which Plan works still have no laws to
protect children from bullying
Where legislation does exist, it is often not enforced
At its worst, school violence can lead to permanent physical
injury or death.
Plan's vision is of a world where children can go to school
in safety and expect a quality learning experience without fear or
threats of violence. The campaign aims to ensure that:
People who hurt children are punished
Children can safely report incidents and victims get care and
support
Children are recognised as partners in addressing violence in
schools
Governments commit significant resources (eg for teacher
training and data collection) to tackle the problem
International organisations such as UN agencies and
development banks help governments to tackle the issues
Pupils, parents, teachers and the community work together to
expel violence from schools.
What will Plan do?
The campaign focuses on the 66 countries in which Plan operates,
but aims to impact on the lives of children beyond Plan's
direct reach.
Building on program expertise in school improvement and child
protection, we will:
work with governments to develop and enforce laws against
school violence,
work in alliances to develop reporting and referral systems
for affected children and
work with teachers and parents to discipline children without
using violence.