Hug your family. It was the second random attack on schoolchildren in the mainland in three weeks. VideoThe surprising benefits of breaking up, Presenter photo claims are clear crisis for BBC. The January 2020 letter sent by the education ministry inviting local education authorities to submit compensation claims for victims marks a step forward, in line with the governments commitment under the Safe Schools Declaration to provide assistance to victims. The ministry should adhere to its commitment to ensure compensation during 2020 by swiftly processing claims, and it should also inform education professionals of their entitlements. They said if they return to find anyone teaching in the school, they will slaughter everyone. As of February, the school remained closed.[122]. In March 2019, at a school in Tbr village in Pissila commune, Centre-Nord region, teachers found a message in Arabic written on a paper in red pen, according to a local official. Soldiers reportedly slept in the classrooms and in tents in the courtyard, constructing fencing around the school. [298] Human Rights Watch interviews with education professional, location withheld, February 9 and April 30, 2020. Human Rights Watch did not find any cases of children intentionally targeted for violence during attacks on schools. They had shot at the building, burned documents and desks, emptied the storeroom, set a fire inside the principals house, and damaged teachers residences.138F[140] A former teacher said: It was so destroyed that we no longer even speak of the school.[141], In some cases, students and teachers fled just before attackers arrived. However, this shared data has not yet included details on attacks on students, teachers, or schools, nor tracked all military occupation of schools, though the education ministry has indicated it collected some data in these areas.[254]. In rural areas, schools often operate under a thatched canopy outdoors. [135] Human Rights Watch interview with witness, Sahel region, March 11, 2020. Human Rights Watch thanks the many education professionals, students, witnesses, and family members of victims who provided testimony for this report, often at great personal risk, as well as the organizations and individuals who connected us to them and interpreted for us. A teacher roughly translated the note: Students pay attention because if we come, we do not know who is a student and who is a teacher. They beat us one at a time, really hard Everyone was beaten, all five of us. Japan sits on top of a huge reserve of clean, cheap power. These attacks have reportedly caused more than 1,800 deaths. Many still struggled with emotional or psychological issues. Phone: 602-551-6594 Attendance: 602-551-6594 Fax: 602-268-9911. . 3-6. Attacks on schools may also deprive students of their right to education, protected under international human rights law, notably the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Human Rights Watch interview with Justine Kielem, president, Groupe dAction pour la Promotion, lEducation et la Formation de la Femme et de la Jeune Fille (GAPEF), Ouagadougou, February 4, 2020. Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District Chief of PolicePete Arredondo said the gunman acted alone and that the crime scene was "still being worked on". [129] Ibid. [281] Human Rights Watch interviews with teachers in Centre-Nord, Nord, and Boucle du Mouhoun, January-March 2020. [49] Human Rights Watch interview with witness, location withheld, February 23, 2020. In January 2020, around noon, armed men burst into a village school in Est region while class was in session. [91] In December 2018, armed men detained a teacher in Centre-Nord region on the road between Boll and Pissila. It is the deadliest primary school shooting in the US since Sandy Hook a decade ago. If victims are required to travel, ensure that transportation, lodging, and other expenses are covered. In March 2019, in the same locality, attackers detonated a private Franco-Arab school[146] that had 90-100 students, ages 8-10. [149] Human Rights Watch interview with former resident of Blhd village (Sahel region), Djibo, February 14, 2020. However, these initiatives have only reached a small portion of schools in regions affected by attacks, leaving many vulnerable. Tell them you love them," he said. [158] Guidelines on Protecting Schools and Universities from Military Use during Armed Conflict, guideline 2 (see Annex V). (Stratgie Nationale de scolarisation des lves des zones a forts dfis scuritaires au Burkina Faso (SSEZDS) 2019-2024), GT-ESU au Burkina Faso, LEducation au Burkina Faso Bref Apercu.. The remaining closed schools were in Centre-Est (46) and Centre-Sud (1).[25]. Speaking on the floor of the US Senate in Washington DC on Tuesday, Connecticut Democratic Senator Chris Murphy begged his colleagues to pass gun control legislation. They did patrols, came and went all day. He noted that soldiers also stayed in the local health center. I was in class when the terrorists came. ", But Texas Senator Ted Cruz, a Republican, rejected the calls for gun control. [268] Human Rights Watch interview with Guy Andang, education-in-emergencies specialist, Plan International, Ouagadougou, February 13, 2020; interview with Karina Pascale Suisse, program director, Danish Refugee Council, Ouagadougou, February 13, 2020; interview with UNICEF education-in-emergencies specialist, Ouagadougou, February 10, 2020; interview with MENAPLN officials, Ouagadougou, February 12, 2020. "The school is currently in a safety protocol due to an incident on campus. Young school children routinely rehearse what to do if a gunman enters their classroom. Others moved to towns to live in groups of children, without an adult family member, putting them at risk of exploitation and violence. [209], A teacher who was attacked by armed Islamists in front of his students said: Childrens schooling was already difficult. In May 2018, armed men attacked a village primary school principal on school grounds in Sanmatenga province. They beat me with a whip, 10 blows on my back. This report identifies several gaps and needs in the response efforts to date, including the insufficient resources, personnel, and infrastructure devoted to schools enrolling displaced students. [187] Human Rights Watch interview with Manssifigui villager, Ouagadougou, January 27, 2019. How did it unfold? Take greater steps to ensure the protection of schools operating in high-risk areas, including by implementing protocols and a rapid reporting and response mechanism (with a hotline) for school attacks, in order to ensure that the relevant authorities are informed, and timely assistance provided. Students have also been killed in other attacks on civilians, including seven students returning from school break who were killed in January 2020 when an explosive device detonated under their public transport bus. In a May 2020 letter to Human Rights Watch, the education ministry reported that 222 education workers had been victims of terrorist attacks, including 12 killed and others who were assaulted, robbed, or had their property destroyed.[35]. Since the first recorded attacks on Burkinab schools in 2017, the number and severity of such attacks have surged. [97] Nonetheless, in 2019, at least two students were injured or killed by stray bullets during attacks on or near schools. One night in October 2019, during attacks on the grounds of two village primary schools in Yagha province, two teachers were restrained and one beaten. One teacher, survivor of one of the worst school attacks, said he experienced severe migraines and described undelivered promises for psychological care: Even teachers who did receive support following attacks said the response was insufficient. Images from a video circulated on social media in early 2019 depict the burning of a school by armed Islamists in Burkina Faso. [53] Human Rights Watch interview with school adminstrator from a neighboring village, Kaya, January 29, 2020; interview with witness from Djika village (Arbinda commune, Soum province, Sahel region), Djibo, February 25, 2020. In 1970, only 1 in 5 children with disabilities was educated in a public school, and many states had One teacher, who described five men arriving on motorcycles, recounted: The armed men captured two teachers, took their phones, bags, and motorcycle keys, and threatened them. The school remained closed in 2019 and 2020. [278], In January 2020, Brice Ouedraogo, the mayor of Pibaore in Centre-Nord region, said: The schools are saturated! [53] A villager who was at his home, some 300 meters away, said he saw around 20 to 30 armed men entering the school. I heard a huge noise, and I found myself in the air. [123] Human Rights Watch interview and correspondence with education professional from Lanfira, Boucle du Mouhoun region, February 17, 2020. https://www.britannica.com/event/Peshawar-school-massacre, International Institute for Counter Terrorism - The School Massacre in Peshawar (Pakistan). [283], In early 2020, the small town of Kaya continued to host tens of thousands of displaced people, and its public schools were far beyond capacity. The attackers, who were armed with grenades and automatic rifles, then went to the classrooms, where they concentrated their fire on teachers and older children. As part of that strategy, the Department of Education (Education) is responsible for coordinating and collaborating K-12 public school cybersecurity efforts with other federal entitiessuch as the FBI and DHS, as well as state, local and tribal entities. [220] A teacher also said he had observed the phenomenon in Est region: In Boucle du Mouhoun, after all schools closed in Toni, hundreds of students relocated to Tougan and other cities. [236] Human Rights Watch interview with Zonabou Ouedraogo, secretary general, FAWE Burkina Faso, Ouagadougou, February 2, 2020; GT-ESU au Burkina Faso, LEducation au Burkina FasoBref Apercu; interview with Karina Pascale Suisse, program director, Danish Refugee Council, Ouagadougou, February 13, 2020. Copyright 1995 - 2023, All rights reserved. Establish a system to follow up with students who have witnessed attacks. [268], The government and aid agencies have helped a number of schools in the five hardest-hit regions develop emergency preparedness and response plans, strengthening their capacity to react to potential attacks. The government took a significant step by adopting, in February 2019, a five-year National Strategy for the Education of Students in Areas with High Security Challenges (2019-2024). Planned initiatives include: integrating displaced children in open schools, setting up temporary learning spaces, developing a condensed curriculum, organizing catch-up sessions and programs, strengthening school security, creating school preparedness and response plans, repairing schools, training teachers to provide psychosocial support to students, and providing psychosocial assistance to teachers. About 11:30am local time (2:30am AEST) on Tuesday the shooting began at Robb Elementary School, in south-west Texas. These cases occurred as individuals were intercepted on the road while traveling, at individuals homes, during diatribes by armed men to village populations, and at schools during attacks or threatening visits. The Safe Schools Declaration (see Annex IV) and the related Guidelines on Protecting Schools and Universities from Military Use during Armed Conflict (Guidelines; see Annex V), which Burkina Faso endorsed in 2017, urge parties to armed conflict not to use schools for any purpose in support of the military effort, while acknowledging that certain usessuch as when security forces are presented with no viable alternativewould not be contrary to the law of armed conflict. As students and teachers fled, the men shot at the building; set an office, administrative materials, and students notebooks on fire; and damaged the principals motorcycle. During one ordeal Ms Copper had a 6ft garden rake wielded at her and a scarf wrapped round her. Enrollment of displaced students in host schools: In November 2019, the education ministry sent a letter to local education authorities requesting schools to enroll displaced students systematically and without fees. It invited host schools to inform the ministry of any supplies and classrooms needed. Some began commuting long distances, exposed to risks on the road. Others described ongoing physical pain or medical issues. [225] Human Rights Watch interview with teacher, Titao, Nord region, February 25, 2020. Students could come and read the text and learn, because it was me they were looking for, and so it was more prudent if I wasnt there.[213], Whether due to school closures, decreased quality of education, or traumatic experiences, thousands of students have fallen behind in their studies or failed exams. [91] Human Rights Watch interview with former Kompienga high school teacher, Est region, March 1, 2020; interview with education official, Bam province, Centre-Nord region, February 1, 2020. The killing of innocent schoolchildren has reignited the debate over guns in America, but has not brought it any closer to a resolution. Members of the National Coalition for Education for All (CN-EPT/BF), the National Union of Basic Education Workers (SYNATEB), and the Federation of National Unions for Education and Research Workers (F-SYNTER), as well as Save the Children Burkina Faso, deserve special thanks. [7] Human Rights Watch interviews with security analysts, Bamako, Sevare and Ouagadougou, 2016-2019. June 2019, https://burkinafaso.savethechildren.net/sites/burkinafaso. The next day, the teacher found that attackers had started fires in three classrooms, damaged five motorcycles, and stolen three motorcycles and a computer. [284] Burkina Faso: number of displaced has increased in the past two months (Burkina Faso : le nombre de dplacs a augment durant les deux derniers mois), RFI, February 26, 2020, http://www.rfi.fr/fr/afrique/20200226-burkina-faso-nombre-d%C3%A9plac%C3%A9s-augment%C3%A9-durant-deux-derniers-mois (accessed March 20, 2020). [52] Human Rights Watch interview with parent of Maytagou primary school student, Fada, Est region, March 2, 2020. This limits the federal role and ability to help schools. [266] Human Rights Watch interview with MENAPLN officials, Ouagadougou, February 12, 2020; interview with Guy Andang, education-in-emergencies specialist, Plan International, Ouagadougou, February 13, 2020. Prior to the Covid-19 crisis, the Burkinab government had reopened at least 840 schools as of early March 2020,[27] in addition to other steps to ensure continued access to education for displaced children and those affected by school closures. "Why are we willing to live with this carnage?". [284] During a visit to a public primary school in Kaya in January, Human Rights Watch observed students crammed four or five to a desk meant for two, in classes of up to 125 students.
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