UNESCO presents its work on positive school climates and violence prevention at an event organized with the Municipality of Santiago

The event brought together leadership teams from public, government-subsidized private and private schools in the municipality of Santiago, along with authorities from Chile’s Ministry of Education, representatives of international organizations, and national and international specialists. Its purpose was to reflect on the challenges posed by violence in education communities and to share experiences aimed at advancing towards safer, more inclusive and protective school environments. The event also included welcoming remarks by the Mayor of Santiago, Mario Desbordes, who highlighted the central role of local governments in addressing violence in education.

During the event, the scope of the Protected Schools Bill was examined through a presentation by the Regional Ministerial Secretariat of Education of the Metropolitan Region on its origins, implementation and main challenges. Adriana Rodríguez Rosales, a representative of the Monterrey Institute of Technology in Mexico, also shared international experiences concerning the role of schools and teachers in building education communities that prevent and address violence.

In this context, Paula Klenner, a specialist at the UNESCO Regional Office in Santiago, presented the work being carried out by the Organization to strengthen positive school climates and prevent violence in education systems, as part of its joint work with the Chilean National Commission for Cooperation with UNESCO (NATCOM).

UNESCO’s participation in this event forms part of the work undertaken by the United Nations agency with Member States in Latin America and the Caribbean to strengthen school safety policies, with a focus on preventing and addressing violence in education. In this context, UNESCO is leading the implementation of the Regional Action Plan for the Prevention and Response to Violence in Education, a road map developed through an extensive consultation process involving ministries of education, international organizations, academia and civil society organizations.

The Plan seeks to strengthen regional cooperation, promote the generation of evidence, foster public policy dialogue and provide technical assistance so that education systems can develop comprehensive strategies to prevent and respond to the various forms of violence affecting education communities. It also recognizes that a positive school climate is essential to guaranteeing the right to quality education and promoting safe, inclusive and violence-free learning environments.

During her presentation, Klenner introduced the Comprehensive School Safety Framework, a practical tool that proposes a systemic approach to protecting education communities from multiple risks and threats. The framework sets out an approach to school safety that goes beyond the physical protection of schools to incorporate dimensions related to well-being, school climate, mental health and the prevention of all forms of violence. Its relevance to current challenges lies in addressing the wide range of educational disruptions affecting schools and promoting preparedness-focused responses.