Launching the Child Friendly Schools Project in Lebanon

TYO-L, in partnership with the Center for Arab Research and Development (CARD), has officially launched the Child Friendly Schools project (CFS).  The CFS project will be a one-year pilot in two schools in the Bekaa Valley, as an initial step towards raising awareness about the importance of early child development, in Lebanon. We will be offering the teachers and administrators training that will allow them to develop a solid understanding of these ECD principles and techniques. In addition, trainees will be taught how to implement these techniques into their educational programs and TYO-L will be with them all along the way! In Lebanon, as in Palestine, primary school education relies heavily on rote learning and allows very little room for less directive and more interactive forms of education and classroom activities. In post-war Lebanon, the majority of initiatives have focused on relief-based assistance, but it is also important to improve early childhood educational practices, as it may be the key to sustainable change. The importance of interactive and non-formal education, especially during early childhood, has been proven to promote positive and healthy future development pertaining to all aspects of an individual’s life.

In further support of our belief in the importance of non-formal early childhood education, TYO-L and CARD have developed a training model for teachers and administrators on the principles of active learning, non-formal education, and learning through play. In an effort to equip our educators of the future with the appropriate non-formal education techniques, TYO-L will also engage university students, studying education, in the training workshops and seminars.  We hope that by giving our young teachers these added skills, we can start a pattern of change in the understanding of the value and impact of ECD programs.