The Ethics Education Fellowship Brings Positive Transformations in Asia and Africa!
The Ethics Education Fellowship concluded its first phase, bringing about transformative changes in teachers and learners, as well as in formal education institutions, contributing to strengthening Global Citizenship and building more inclusive, peaceful societies.
Implemented in Bangladesh, Indonesia, Kenya, Mauritius, Nepal, and Seychelles, this groundbreaking initiative demonstrated the transformative power of ethics education and its contribution to learning to live together.
The Ethics Education Fellowship Program (EEFP) has significantly impacted formal education in six pioneering countries with its unique approach. This innovative initiative has strengthened teachers’ competencies, equipping them with the skills to integrate transformative and relational pedagogical methods in their classrooms.
Through this program, teachers are not just imparting knowledge—they’re empowering a new generation of change-makers!
By nurturing children’s social, emotional, and spiritual well-being and creating child-centered classroom environments based on dialogue and where children feel safe, included and empowered, teachers help them flourish and fully develop. As a result, students are inspired to initiate and develop collective actions that contribute to the positive transformation of their communities.
“(This program) envisages a generation that will be devoted to the welfare of others, who strive for amicable treatment and peaceful coexistence with all, irrespective of their religion, caste, and creed, without losing their own identity.” H.E. Dipu Moni, State Minister of Social Welfare, former Minister of Education, Bangladesh
The Voices of Children
- “I am interested in doing something good for my community. Many people discriminate between religions by caste, religion, caste, but this is not correct, all people should be treated equally. All religions should be respected.” – Learner, Bangladesh
- “After enrolling in Ethics Education, I gained the courage to express my thoughts. This transformed my fear into courage and now, speaking to someone from another religion doesn’t make me afraid.” – Learner, Nepal
- “With the help of this activity, my class and I were able to form a stronger bond with our teacher.” – Learner, Mauritius
Listen to the Voices of Children: Watch the Video
A Bustling Community of Practice
The EEFP is a collaborative endeavor, convened by Arigatou International in partnership with the Guerrand-Hermès Foundation for Peace, the Higher Committee of Human Fraternity, the KAICIID International Dialogue Centre, the Muslim Council of Elders, the UNESCO Regional Office for Eastern Africa, the UNESCO New Delhi Cluster Office alongside the National Commissions for UNESCO of the participating countries.
In October 2022, each MoE appointed five ‘fellows’ to lead the program locally. These fellows underwent intensive training to become trainers themselves, forging a robust Community of Practice.
The Community of Practice has since become a dynamic hub for knowledge sharing, capacity building, and inspiration, driving both individual and collective advocacy efforts to elevate ethics education on local and global stages.
Discover more and join the movement with our “Let’s Transform Education” advocacy campaign
Integrating the Program
From January to May 2023, the fellows conducted teacher training workshops in their respective countries, equipping 324 educators to effectively implement the program in schools. From March to September, these trained teachers reached 8,034 students.
Teachers engaged students in weekly activities tailored to meet the unique needs and contexts of each school. In most regions, the program was woven into the existing curriculum, while in others, . The age group of children involved, the number of schools participating, and the classrooms reached varied significantly from country to country, reflecting the diverse educational landscapes and priorities of each region.
Countries are systematically integrating ethics education in alignment with their national education priorities and programs. Additionally, several countries are making initial efforts to institutionalize teacher training on ethics education by including it in teacher training institutes.
“Many significant change stories are heard. Learners along with their parents are demanding to keep up the good work that is going on. School authorities are also eager to make more room for ethics education activities.” – Fellow from Bangladesh
Inspiring Action and Intercultural Connections
The program’s influence extended beyond the classroom, inspiring collective actions such as environmental campaigns and awareness-raising activities on various issues affecting children like bullying. Children also engaged in field visits to religious sites and dialogue with religious leaders.
The cross-border nature of this program also benefitted the children, who had the opportunity to put their learnings into practice during Intercultural Meetups. These meetups provided a platform for learners to connect with children from different parts of the world, fostering mutual understanding and respect.
“This process was very meaningful because children can learn to respect each other. The students were very enthusiastic to participate in this activity, from preparation to execution. They were delighted to interact and make new friends from other countries,” – A teacher participating in the program.
Evaluating Impact and Sharing Insights
A comprehensive Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) Framework was implemented across all participating countries to ensure the program’s effectiveness.
Countries hosted learning circles for teachers involved in the Ethics Education Program. These sessions were a key part of the MEL process, providing a platform to dive deep into implementation experiences, tackle challenges, share valuable learnings, and uncover exciting new opportunities. Here are some of the key findings:
Classrooms have become more inclusive, with frequent reports of changing attitudes towards diversity and a new recognition of learners’ different needs and abilities.
Shifts towards a learner-centered pedagogy have built trust and increased rapport with learners.
Improved classroom relations are reflected in more harmonious and inclusive relationships, fostering a culture of inclusion and celebration of diversity.
Learners reported feeling happier and enjoying school more, with strengthened self-confidence, particularly among vulnerable learners.
Teachers were able to cite examples of learners engaging in ethical decision-making and describe how the activities had helped learners to better recognize the effect of their actions on others.
Across all countries, teachers and learners reported a reduction in incidents of name-calling, shaming, bullying, and conflict among learners.
“Teacher and learner feedback was extremely positive with indications that the program is seeing a positive impact on learner focus, participation, and behavior.” – Rosie Aubrey, Guerrand-Hermès Foundation for Peace (GHFP)
Advocacy: The Key to Driving Change
An advocacy strategy was developed to raise awareness about the critical importance of ethics education in transforming education systems. The aim is to achieve curriculum transformation, emphasize the essential role of teachers and the need for their training, and position Ethics Education as a catalyst for positive change and as a critical contributor to building more inclusive and peaceful societies in the face of complex challenges in education systems worldwide.
An advocacy highlight was the commemoration of “Global Education Week”, with a public webinar organized on the 16th of November 2023.
The webinar, attended by 308 participants, focused on the role of education in addressing social issues like violence, hate speech, xenophobia, and discrimination, and shed light on concrete recommendations to transform education.
Some countries conducted notable local advocacy efforts, such as presenting the findings and recommendations of the EEFP at conferences and meetings. Two outstanding efforts include Ms. Dorah Kitala, a fellow from Kenya, who presented on the EEFP during a webinar on Peace Education. The webinar involved participants from over 10 African countries in observance of the International Day of Peace.
Ms. Euis Djuanda, a fellow from Indonesia shared her experience at a symposium for teacher coordinators and education officials in East Java on 14 December 2023, and in an online meeting organized by the Education Office of East Java, attended by 113 high school principals on 28 December 2023.
What's Next?
Countries and partners are preparing for the second phase of the Ethics Education Fellowship program, set to begin in the second half of 2024. In this phase, we aim to reach more children across all six countries, onboard new fellows, and integrate Ethics Education into national plans and teacher training programs.
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the Ministries of Education of Bangladesh, Indonesia, Kenya, Mauritius, Nepal, and Seychelles. This initiative would not have been possible without our partners, the Guerrand-Hermes Foundation for Peace, KAICIID International Dialogue Centre, the Muslim Council of Elders, the Higher Committee of Human Fraternity, the UNESCO New Delhi Cluster Office, and the UNESCO Regional Office for Eastern Africa, together with the National Commissions for UNESCO in the participating countries.
