ALM UNDP

Summary:

The INEE Minimum Standards Handbook is the only global tool that articulates the minimum level of educational quality and access in emergencies through to recovery. The aim of the handbook is 1) to enhance the quality of educational preparedness, response and recovery; 2) to increase access to safe and relevant learning opportunities for all learners, regardless of their age, gender or abilities; and 3) to ensure accountability and strong coordination in the provision of education in emergencies through to recovery.

The new edition of the Handbook, Minimum Standards for Education: Preparedness, Response, Recovery, represents the consensus of many practitioners and policy makers working in the field of education in emergencies – the Handbook is the consensus on what constitutes good practice in meeting the educational rights and needs of people affected by disasters and crises in ways that assert the dignity of the affected population.

The Handbook is a tool that can be used by various stakeholders at different levels, including:

• Educational authorities working on, for example,
  education policy, sector contingency planning or direct
  education response to emergencies
• Bilateral and multilateral donor agencies
• UN agencies, NGOs and community based organizations
• Teachers, researchers, academics and consultants working on education in emergencies.

The INEE Minimum Standards Handbook contains 19 standards, each with accompanying key actions and guidance notes. The 19 standards are organized in 5 domains, which are all critical for ensuring access to quality and safe education for all learners in emergencies through to recovery. The 5 domains are Foundational Standards, Access and Learning Environment, Teaching and Learning, Teachers and Other Education Personnel, and Education Policy. The Minimum Standards are founded on the Convention of the Rights of the Child, the Dakar 2000 Education for All goals, and the Sphere Project’s Humanitarian Charter.