India: Noida Schools join hands with UNODC to advance learning on inclusion, lawfulness and peace in classrooms

Noida, India/21 September 2024: In a world where young people are increasingly vulnerable to negative influences and risky behavior, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to understand and uphold the rule of law, peace and integrity remains an imperative. Recently, a powerful gathering of educators from 15 leading schools in Noida highlighted just how transformative this approach can be at the RiseUp4Peace capacity boosting workshop hosted by the Kothari International School.

With hands-on activities and intensive discussions, participants reflected on the importance of integrating peace, integrity and lawfulness in the curriculum--and exploring ways with which schools can serve as critical platforms for crime prevention by fostering a safe and inclusive environment for students.

Together they ideated and co-created interventions within school settings, focusing on curriculum development, teacher training, and student involvement. The collaborative atmosphere allowed for cross-learning among educators and policymakers, fostering a spirit of cooperation.

Participants explored policy frameworks such as the NEP 2020 and good practices in SDG16 education, ideating action plans to address critical themes impacting young minds.

 “Aligning our initiatives with the National Education Policy 2020 is crucial for fostering holistic development in our students and preparing them for the challenges of the future,” said an educator, in discussions with NCERT’s Dr. Satya Bhushan and UNODC’s Mr. Samarth Pathak.

Discussions brought to the fore critical issues affecting young minds, including cyber safety, violence, gender divides and mental health. Calling for integration of education on these themes in classrooms, educators suggested community service initiatives led by students to “create impact” and promoting continuous professional development for educators in these critical thematic areas. The resounding call for more capacity-building and support highlighted the need for ongoing efforts in this direction.

Dr. Sangeeta Arora, Principal of Kothari International School, underscored the broader mission: “As educators, we’re not just teaching subjects but building characters. Values such as empathy, ethics, lawfulness and integrity are essential qualities for their future success and happiness.”

Taking the discussions from theory to practice, over 80 students were engaged in a dynamic dialogue on inclusion, ethics, and mental health. These young changemakers shared profound insights on how their everyday actions can create big changes in their communities.

"Addressing mental health issues means we should support each other better. We need to be aware of our friends’ feelings and be there for them. It’s okay to talk about mental health; we need to normalize those conversations with awareness," a group of students emphasised.

RiseUp4Peace is an effort in this direction, as a coalition of educator partners committed to take these transformative insights into classrooms through sustained capacity building of educators, interactive students’ engagement and fostering cross-learning. 

Join the RiseUp4Peace initiative: t.ly/SjWRq

The activity contributed to SDG 4, SDG 16 and SDG 17: https://sdg-tracker.org/ 

(Supported by RB23)