Aulas en Paz – Tuesday, March 16, 2011

What an incredible day.   Traveling through Bogota with Cecilia Maria is a surreal experience.  Not only has her legacy transformed the climate of the ministry, but it has also created a belief in progress and emphasis on citizenship education that has transformed the schools.  During her tenure as Minister, Professor Velez brought citizenship education to the high priority level of math and reading, and hired Enrique Chaux to create the standards for this program, which has been critical in addressing the violence that has constrained conflict-torn communities.  Dr. Chaux made a compelling case for his pilot program “Aulas en Paz,” or Classrooms in Peace, which aims to address the cycle of childhood aggression by developing empathy. 

Patricia, Director of Associacíon Alianza Educativa, welcomed us to Argelia, one of five concession schools managed by this alliance of private “collegios,” while the sounds of the “cumbia” exercise class echoed through the back wall of our cozy amphitheater.  Emphasizing the importance of the extensive professional development program implemented by the Alianza, Patricia introduced us to two seniors who spoke of the school’s impact despite the comparably low salaries they offer their teachers. 

A highlight of the day was certainly the opportunity we had to enter two of Argelia’s classrooms and observe the citizenship education program of Aulas en Paz in action.  The third graders completed anger management worksheets on the embodiment of the feelings of anger, and learned to identify with specially designed animal characters, while the fifth graders spoke of the impact the program has had on their interpersonal relationships.

In addition to a comprehensive conflict management program, Aulas en Paz works with heterogeneous groups of second through fifth graders to address bullying in schools.  Working with teachers, students, and parents, Aulas en Paz achieved extraordinary success in their first small–scale evaluation.  Expanding to 27 schools in 4 conflict zones throughout the country, Aulas en Paz met with a variety of implementation challenges.  Still, the impact the program made on classroom dynamics was tangible and encouraging.

J.D. Gladden