Strengthening Safe Spaces: Accompanying Basic Education in Unsafe Contexts. An Intervention Framework for Prevention in Public Schools

Abstract

In an education crisis, such as the one affecting El Salvador, public schools struggle to provide a safe environment and quality learning in the face of limited state resources and the challenges posed by pre-designed programs implemented by non-governmental organizations. This article presents the Context-Actions-Relationships (CAR) framework, which proposes empowering public schools facing educational emergencies by emphasizing the local context and the education community. CAR was developed by the research program Education in Situations of Risk and Conflict (ESRC) at the UCA university, which studied the challenges faced by public schools in contexts of insecurity and socioeconomic disadvantage. It found a profound impact on the education process, even when schools seem to be functioning with apparent normalcy. The study also highlights the tensions between, on one hand, the situations of insecurity and the socioeconomic conditions of the schools, and, on the other hand, the design and implementation of school-based prevention programs, which affect their quality and effectiveness. The CAR framework identifies three axes to diminish these tensions: contextualization, participation, and social relations.  These axes are transversal to each phase of a school-based prevention project’s design and implementation. Although public safety in El Salvador has significantly improved, CAR remains relevant for supporting public schools due to the persistent challenges they encounter and the need for empowerment, as they face a lack of resources and the difficult socio-economic situation of their educational communities.