Mainstreaming MHPSS in Education Interventions - A Case Study from Ukraine

• In Event: Foundational Learning Outcomes & Wellbeing in Crisis-affected Contexts: A true catalyst for positive change.

Proposal

In response to the escalation of the conflict early 2022 in Ukraine, People in Need and PLAN International started to provide Education in Emergencies for IDPs in Ukraine. One of the pivotal elements of the response was the integration of MHPSS into education programming, therefore not only responding to the education needs of school-aged children but also support for their psychological wellbeing which may have been impacted by their experiences in the conflict. The importance of MHPSS integration into education is not new to the Ukrainian context, where the government had a policy in place instructing each formal school to have one formal psychologist present at school.
Besides supporting Ukrainian children's wellbeing and strengthening their resilience to shocks, teachers have also been impacted by the conflict and a potential decrease in their own wellbeing. According to the survey of local organization GoGlobal – at least 54% of teachers felt burnout at the beginning of 2023.Therefore, PIN’s and PLAN International’s programming not only focused on children’s wellbeing but also on MHPSS support for teachers themselves, ensuring they are well and therefore able to provide quality education in pedagogically responsible ways.
As the conflict continues and has almost surpassed the 1.5 year threshold, education partners, as part of the Education Cluster, often discuss the issue of learning losses amongst school-aged children, though little attention is being put on how learning losses are potentially linked to children’s wellbeing nor on other potential correlations. At the same time 61% of parents declared their children have signs of stress according to a SaveEd report on the impact of the conflict on schooling in Ukraine.
PIN and PLAN International, in close coordination with the Education Cluster and MHPSS Working Group in Ukraine, will conduct research on how MHPSS has been integrated into education programming - for children and teachers - by the NGOs themselves and other actors providing education programming in Ukraine to assess the MHPSS interventions’ impact on the learning of school-aged children. The results of the planned research will provide guidance to Ukrainian education authorities about the possibly renewed importance of returning to their policy on psychologists in schools while providing recommendations to other countries and their authorities responsible for school policies. It will also contribute another point of view and strategies to build catch-up and accelerated learning programmes in conditions of active conflict and war-trauma.
During the panel presentation, PIN and PLAN International will be able to share the established research design and steps taken, as well as initial learnings from the implementation of its programming in Ukraine. These learnings can stimulate the discussion on the important contributing factors for girls and boys’ learning outcomes and wellbeing support in Ukraine.

Author

• Clare Sadd, People In Need