Sharjah Child Friendly Schools & Nurseries Project

Since July 2019, Sharjah Child Friendly Office (SCFO) set clear goals to promote children’s rights in the educational environment and strived to support educational institutions in setting standards that bolsters their environment, nurture their students and children, and create a friendly space for them. The Sharjah Child Friendly Schools and Nurseries (CFSN) project was launched through a series of agreements signed between the Sharjah Child-Friendly Office (SCFO), UNICEF, Sharjah Private Education Authority (SPEA) and Sharjah Education Council (SEC).

It was manifested in the Child Friendly Schools & Nurseries project (CFSN); one of the programs that was launched under the Sharjah Child-Friendly City initiative, a title that was bestowed by UNICEF upon the emirate in recognition of its efforts in supporting children’s rights and providing them with a friendly environment. All of this stems from the vision of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, and his wife, Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, Chairperson of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs, which affirms that building the future of nations starts with investing in and caring for the younger generation.

Sharjah Child Friendly Schools & Nurseries Project phases (2019 – 2021)

The Sharjah Child Friendly Schools & Nurseries is a strategic partnership project between SCFO, UNICEF, SPEA and SEC under Sharjah Child-Friendly Emirate’s strategic plan 2018-2023. The project progressed through different phases:

Preparatory Phase (2019)

The CFSN project in Sharjah started by signing an agreement with UNICEF, SPEA and SEC. This was followed by conducting several meetings with the educational authorities in Sharjah and group discussions and consultation sessions with hundreds of children, parents, teachers, and educational professionals. Based on that and Sharjah’s current situation, comprehensive standards were developed for schools and nurseries in Arabic and English.

The project aimed to move schools and nurseries in the Emirate of Sharjah progressively towards quality global standards, addressing all elements that influence the wellbeing and rights of a child as a prime beneficiary of the teaching process, while focusing on empowering children and promote the participation of children and their parents in decision-making.

Following that, a multidisciplinary Assessors Committee has been established from representatives of relevant stakeholders: Sharjah Private Education Authority; Sharjah Education Council; Sharjah City for Humanitarian Services; Sharjah Prevention and Safety Authority; Sharjah Health Authority; and Sharjah Social Services Department. SCFO in collaboration with UNICEF conducted several meetings and training workshops for the committee members to familiarize them with the CFSN project, its components and the standards that have been developed.

Piloting Phase (2020-2021)

The call for registration was announced for all private schools and public nurseries in Sharjah to join the piloting phase. In January 2020, the orientation sessions started (Arabic and English) and a total of 21 schools and 13 nurseries have participated to better understand the project and the implementation process.

During the piloting phase, a comprehensive toolkit was developed both in Arabic and English to start piloting the CFSN standards. The capacity building sessions targeted teachers, educational experts, social workers and students of all nationalities including children with disabilities. All the sessions were conducted in collaboration with international child rights experts with a participation of around 2500 from schools and nurseries.

80 consultation sessions were conducted by experts and assessors committee members for the CFSN registered schools and nurseries, which yielded several objectives that aimed to advance children’s rights in the emirate’s educational environment.

By May 2021, 13 schools and 13 nurseries were awarded for completing the requirements of piloting phase of CFSN project at a virtual ceremony due to Covid.

Launching phase of Sharjah CFSN Standards (2021)

SCFO unveiled CFSN standards that is aligned with global best practices and are designed to transform schools and nurseries in the emirate into child-friendly centers of learning and growth at the RewirEd Global Education summit held at Expo 2020 Dubai on 13th December 2021.

The newly launched standards offer a framework of action for schools and nurseries in Sharjah to move towards quality global practices by addressing all vital elements influencing the wellbeing and rights of children and aims to protect and develop the physical, intellectual and emotional capacities of all children.