1. What role can/do teachers play in creating safe spaces through education in conflicted areas?

First, I believe education is not only about academics and knowledges, especially in these contexts. And creating safe spaces does not only refer to the environment or building that we live. It is within an individual. Teachers play a vital role in creating safe spaces within an individual of each student. Teachers are usually the people who students look up to as students spend most of their days learning at school. With teachers' proper guidances, a student can gain confidence, discipline and resilience, which are the essential foundation for a student.

2. What guidelines do schools in your communities have for the protection of learners, teachers and school infrastructures?

Currently, I am not working at any school. But, the school where I used to teach has a one-on-one counselling session where students can share their personal matters, discuss their education and asking suggestions for the future.

3. What do you think is the best way to advocate for safe schools in such contexts?

In my opinion and also through the previous volunteering experiences, the best way to advocate is to encourage the students understand the value of education well. Providing necessary materials and other supports is essential but my concern is how far can we be able to support a person's life? Therefore, schools in such contexts should focus more in students' motivation and understanding in learning. It would be the best if we can make the students willing to learn with full understanding of education and find opportunities by themselves. I think this would be the best advocacy that would last for long-term too.

4. What more could be done to ensure the safety of schools and their communities?

Giving vocational trainings or job opportunities to parents and knowledge sharing or educational awareness to them. This might sound quite challenging and unnecessary for teachers and schools but I have experienced many students are limited to come to school even if they want to study, because their parents let them work. This is more common in teenagers. This is because families need to prioritise work over study for their daily survivals, and in some cases, some parents are just not knowlegable enough to think education is important.