Building Peaceful Inclusive Schools for Inclusive Education

Namibia is home to a diverse population in terms of race, ethnicity, socio-cultural status, culture, language, religion, abilities, and tradition. Before independence, race was the main variable in determining the quality of education one would receive. Upon independence, Namibians where determined to do away with all forms of inequality in education by adopting the Education for All philosophy. Namibia is signatory to various international conventions including the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Salamanca Declaration. The findings suggest that, even though school principals and teachers seemingly support inclusion, it could be deduced that they either have a limited understanding and far-fetched understanding of what inclusive education really means.

Maintaining a Safety Net and Peace for Former Child Soldiers in Africa

This chapter focuses on the challenges and opportunities associated with the implementation of peace education programs in Africa. Peace education programs are used widely to create peaceful environments for at-risk children. Their intended goals are to end violence through modeling human consciousness to resolve conflicts peacefully and to provide children with a stable socioeconomic future. Using a systematic review of literature, the authors examine how humanitarian agencies with support from the World Bank utilize peace education programs to create safety nets for former child soldiers in Africa. The challenges and opportunities of such programs are examined. The authors then propose for the adoption of a community-based participatory practice to facilitate the sustainability of peace education programs. The chapter will benefit at-risk children in war-torn African regions and all stakeholders involved in the creation of safe environments for children.

Leadership and Stakeholder Involvement in Creating a Non-Violent Early Childhood Development (ECD) School Environment in South Africa

This chapter seeks to consider strategies and means that early childhood development (ECD) leadership in South Africa can use to create a non-violent environment at ECD centers and in the foundation phase in primary schools. In South Africa, ECD is defined as a term indicating the procedures under which children from birth to nine years of age grow and flourish emotionally, morally, socially, physically, and spiritually. The chapter focuses on Pre-Grade 1 to Grade 3 environments. It also addresses the roles that relevant stakeholders can play in support of school leadership in the creation of a violent-free environment. The research is guided by Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory. Since early childhood is a sensitive and impressionable stage in children's lives, a living, supportive atmosphere as well as an enabling social setting is essential to ensure their complete development. This requires the involvement of all stakeholders (school governing bodies), especially members of the schools' leadership teams in considering policy.

School Teachers as Non-Violent Role Models

For a long time in South Africa, schools have relied heavily on corporal punishment as a means to bring law and order in the classroom. This culture of using violence has bred angry and militant children who are not afraid to stand tall and defiant of the teachers meting out this punishment. This chapter will challenge teachers to view the traditional way of using violence to restrain children against viewing new ways in which they can become role models where distressed learners can receive care and support. It will also show the benefits of a caring teacher as it adds to emotional wellbeing and social wellbeing of children which are important in the total outcomes of all children. This chapter will provide teachers with useful knowledge encouraging positive role modelling which fosters positive imitation by children. It is evident that environmental factors and interpersonal relationships will play a big role in achieving this goal; therefore, Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory will play a pivotal role in defining the role of the teacher.

Developing a Culture of Nonviolence in Schools

Violence is a common occurrence in schools and poses a threat to education as a vehicle of economic development and economic freedom. The chapter aims at discussing factors that can promote the development of a culture of non-violence in schools. However, it is important that causes of violence in schools be understood before making suggestions on how to make schools safe for our children. There are numerous factors that contribute to school violence such as the curriculum, poverty, teachers, students' home life, the external environment of the school, and socio-economic factors. The authors argue that collaboration between different stakeholders is important if schools wish to reclaim their former glory of being centers of excellence and agents of social change. This chapter suggests that it is through education and empowering children, parents, teachers, and the community at large that we can achieve a culture of peace and non-violence in schools.

Early Exposure to Domestic Violence and Implications for Early Childhood Education Services

This meta-analysis drew statistical data from the Victims of Crimes Survey (VOCS) and gleaned empirical insights from the literature to present a comprehensive discussion about the extent of early childhood exposure to domestic violence and the effects on children's developmental trajectories. Bandura's social learning theory and the intergenerational transmission of violence were adopted as guiding theoretical perspectives to highlight the dangers of early exposure to violence and to elucidate the importance of raising children in safe and stable homes and schooling environments. Findings show that many South African children are severely affected by domestic violence, with far-reaching implications for their future holistic development and life chances. The chapter recommends that universities should ensure their early childhood education qualifications are socially relevant and contextually grounded. Similarly, practitioners should initiate and play a leading role in multi-stakeholder preventive interventions on domestic violence.

Pastoral Care and Counseling in Early Childhood Years

Children experience varying degrees of violence at a tender age compelling the need for pastoral care, an antique model of emotional and spiritual support. Pastoral care is regarded as individual and communal patience in which people trained in pastoral care offer support to people suffering from anxiety, pain, loss, and other traumatic circumstances. Neuroscience submits that most learning occurs in the early years making it imperative that during this period a conducive environment is created for maximal cognitive, social, emotional, and spiritual development of the child. This can be achieved through non-biased pastoral care support for the victims and perpetrators to ensure repentance, forgiveness, and sustainable transformation thereby creating a non-violent society. While pastoral care has its roots in Christianity, ways of integrating it with other religions are essential in a multi-cultural and multi-traditional society. This chapter explored the challenges and benefits of pastoral care.

Improving Student Classroom Behavior Through Nonviolent Classroom Management and the Implementation of Emotional Intelligence for Educators

This chapter explored nonviolence classroom management tools and the self-actualization of emotional intelligence (EI) focused on education in the United States (U.S.). The purpose of this chapter was to convey to educators that their attitude or behavior can negatively or positively affect student engagement and classroom management. The aim is to create an atmosphere of positive reinforcements for students to develop and grow, using EI as a tool to examine classroom behaviors. The authors discussed the behavioral problems and facets many present-day schools in the U.S. are confronted with on a daily basis. The implementation of positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS) as nonviolent interventions for classroom management is covered. For comparisons, research directions were explored from a universal perspective to include multinational countries. The chapter concluded with a summative conclusion to include thoughts on improving student classroom behavior through nonviolence classroom management and implementing EI for educators.

Constructivist Approach for Creating a Non-Violent School Climate

In this chapter, the authors present the use of a constructivist approach in the teaching process that encourages effective teaching processes and, as such, works as a preventive disciplinary measure for ensuring a non-violent school climate. The constructivist approach emphasizes students' active role in the education process as well as their capability of developing their own knowledge by themselves based on experience and previous knowledge. Teaching processes and tasks should be individualized for each student; therefore, all students have a chance to succeed since the tasks are adapted to their capacities. The constructivist approach is designed in such a way that, by the rational use of its principles, elements, and provided forms of work, the possibility of violent behavior is reduced to a minimum.

Developing a Culture of Nonviolence Through Cultural Humility Professional Development

Nonviolence is a way of being, one we should begin building in early childhood. Early childhood development centers and schools can and should play a critical role in cultivating the spirit of nonviolence through curriculum, program design, parent-teacher interactions, peer-to-peer role modeling, and every interaction with children. Early childhood education (ECE) can play a pivotal role in supporting attributional development of both teachers and families in cultivating the spirit of nonviolence. This intrapersonal and interpersonal development is essential for the creation and sustainability of a culture of nonviolence in ECE programs. In this chapter, the author examines nonviolent attributes at the intrapersonal, interpersonal, and institutional level to create a culture of nonviolence from the inside out. Special attention is paid to the attribute of humility and how cultural humility principles and practices foster the skills of and commitment to nonviolence. Recommendations for promising practices and professional development are provided.