Education in risk and conflict situations. responses of schools in contexts of gang presence in El Salvador.

• In Event: Reconciling the gap between government-driven interventions and local realities in Colombia and El Salvador.

Proposal

In El Salvador, 43% of public schools report that their security is affected by gang presence in its surroundings, 39% by robbery and theft, 37% by drugs and 35% by carrying of firearms or knives (MINED, 2018). Research shows that these unsafe contexts provoke challenges in maintaining effective teacher – student relations (AUTHORS, 2021; PNUD, 2013). Multiple state- or NGO-sponsored interventions attempt to prevent violence and gangs in schools, while other schools have developed their own responses to provide safe and pleasant environments. This research identifies two main policy approaches to preventing insecurity in schools: public security and youth development.
The Salvadoran government largely opts for the public security approach which gives a dominant role to the security forces, for instance through police or military presence in the school’s surroundings; sports teams and artistic activities organized by the police; and teaching social skills and awareness of the consequences of gang involvement (Oliva, 2015; Patria Unida. Fundación para la conciencia ciudadana, nd; U.S. Embassy in El Salvador, 2019). The general aim of this approach is to modify the students' individual choices about participating in criminal or violent acts or gangs, through deterrence or increased awareness of potential negative consequences.
International Development Agencies (IDAs), national NGOs and schools usually focus on processes that are integral to the development of students. IDAs and NGOs, for example, focus on strengthening learning processes, life skills development, the well-being of students and positive school environments, carried out in complementary curricular content and activities (GIZ, 2018; Glasswing, nd; GTZ, nd; USAID El Salvador, 2016). The schools themselves, usually with few resources to spend, often resort to aspects often ignored by the other actors, i.e. strengthening the relations with the students, their families and the local community and authorities.
This research project, financed by the Dubai Cares Foundation, examines how pedagogical relationships and local social dynamics can facilitate positive school environments in local contexts of gang presence. The research methodology consists of a document review, an online survey, and eight case studies. The panel presentation compares the multiple approaches to school-based prevention of external organizations with the local responses to unsafe educational contexts from the perspective and experiences of public schools. It identifies three fundamental elements for successful prevention in school: the first is contextualization, i.e., inquiring and taking into account the local context; the second is participatory actions, i.e., involving local stakeholders, school staff, and the educational community in the design and implementation process; and the third is investing in social relations, i.e., building close relationships with the local stakeholders showing commitment and a positive attitude.

Author

• Pauline M. Martin, Independent Consultant