Teacher Training: Psychosocial Support

This teacher-training module is based on two years of field experience in Gulu, Northern Uganda. The training started in May 2000, and this training module was developed gradually up to May 2002, and was revised in the autumn of 2003. This programme covers three days of training, and the main objective is to focus on how teachers can give psychosocial support to children affected by war. It is assumed that these children have returned to a more or less normal school environment.

The psychosocial effects of emergency and crisis affect children, youth and adults in various ways, ways that often present a serious challenge to the family, the school and the community. In this module, the participants list the effects of war and armed conflict and analyse in particular how children are affected if abducted or exposed to violence. The terms ‘trauma’, ‘resilience’ and ‘coping strategies’ are defined, based on the participants’ own experiences. One important task for the teacher is to understand the psychosocial needs of a traumatised child, and through role-plays, these needs are demonstrated. The module looks at the role of the school and the teacher when it comes to satisfying these needs. The last part of the module is devoted to the guidance and counselling of children. The participants practise guidance and counselling in pairs.