The Study on Operationalizing Child Protection in Sri Lankan Schools: Awareness and Practices

The purpose of this study was to determine and compare the strategies, challenges faced, and experiences of science teachers and the scientific performance of students among rural and urban schools in Liliw, Laguna. This study aimed to answer the following questions What is the profile of science teachers in terms of Type of School where they teach, Age, Years in Teaching, Teaching Position, and Educational Attainment? What are the Strategies of Science teachers in rural and urban schools? What are the Challenges Faced by Science teachers in rural and urban schools? What are the Experiences of Science teachers in rural and urban schools? What is the level of performance of Grade 6 pupils in Science? Is there a significant difference between strategies, challenges faced, and experiences of Science teachers and the level of pupils performance in Science 6 in rural and urban schools? Is there a significant difference between the level of performance of pupils from rural and from urban schools? Is there a significant effect between the profile of the Science teachers and the level of performance of pupils in Science 6 from rural and urban schools? Is there a significant effect between the strategies of Science teachers and the level of performance of pupils in Science 6 from rural and urban schools? Is there a significant effect between the challenges faced by Science teachers and the level of performance of pupils in Science 6 from rural and urban schools? Is there a significant effect between the experiences of Science teachers and the level of performance of pupils in Science 6 from rural and urban schools? The respondents of the study were the forty-two (42) Science teachers and two hundred and fifty-two (252) students from the different urban and rural schools in the district of Liliw in Laguna. A descriptive survey method was employed in this study. The following were the significant findings of the study There is a significant difference between strategies, challenges faced, and experiences of Science teachers and the level of pupils performance in Science 6 in rural and urban schools There is a significant difference between the level of performance of pupils from rural and urban schools There is a significant effect between the profile of the Science teachers and the level of performance of pupils in Science 6 from rural and from urban schools There is a significant effect between the strategies of Science teachers and the level of performance of pupils in Science 6 from rural and from urban schools There is a significant effect between the challenges faced by Science teachers and the level of performance of pupils in Science 6 from rural and from urban schools and, There is a significant effect between the experiences of Science teachers and the level of performance of pupils in Science 6 from rural and urban schools. Based on the results gathered from the study, the following are being recommended: The strategies, challenges faced, and the experiences of teachers should be brought into consideration in improving the education system in the Philippines since they have an impact or influence on students academic performance, particularly in Science Discrimination between the performances of students from rural and urban is highly discouraged since there is no significant difference between where the school is located, whether rural or urban and, Implementation of such programs for teachers and students that are related to Science is recommended.

Existing literature has shown a disparity between the career aspirations of students from rural and urban schools. Unfortunately, no study has been conducted to investigate the differences in the career aspirations of senior secondary school students from urban and rural schools in Eswatini. Therefore, the purpose of the study was to compare the career aspirations of senior secondary school students from rural and urban schools in Eswatini. The target populations were Form 4 students, from eight schools in Eswatini: four rural and four urban schools. A total of 280 students were sampled. A questionnaire was developed and used for data collection. It was validated by three experts in the Department of Agricultural Education and Extension, one professional in the career guidance field, and one career and guidance teacher. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Findings revealed that the students from both rural and urban schools had their career inspiration to become medical doctors. However, the career aspirations of the students from rural schools were higher than those from urban schools in a few areas. Thus, the study recommends that career guidance and counseling officials should assist students from urban schools in careers where they have low aspirations. Keywords: career aspirations, comparative analysis, Form 4 students, rural school, sources of aspiration, urban school

Child abuse and neglect (CAN) remains a pressing issue worldwide, with teachers often being the first to notice signs of abuse in children. This study aims to compare the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) regarding CAN among primary school teachers in urban and rural areas of Telangana, India. The primary aim of this study is to assess and compare the KAP among teachers from both rural and urban schools about CAN. A cross-sectional study involving 400 primary school teachers (200 urban, 200 rural) were selected through stratified random sampling. An 18-question survey assessed demographics and KAP related to CAN. Data were analyzed using SPSS 25.0, with Chi-square tests. The awareness, attitudes, and practices of primary school teachers regarding CAN reveal stark differences between urban and rural settings. Urban teachers demonstrated statistically significant higher levels of knowledge and attitude in handling CAN issues compared to their rural counterparts. The study calls for quality-focused standardized training to enhance teachers' confidence and knowledge about CAN, regardless of geographic location. Collaborative efforts to integrate the best practices into teacher education are essential to improve the handling of child abuse cases and ensure the protection of vulnerable children. Clinical Significance: This study underscores the critical need for improved and standardized training for teachers to effectively handle CAN and highlights the importance of establishing robust support systems to encourage reporting and ensure the protection of children. CTRI NO.: CTRI/2023/11/060167.

School principals were surveyed in rural and urban Nebraska schools to compare policies and procedures on school attendance, and to contrast the use of disciplinary procedures for attendance, violence and substance abuse. A survey was sent to a 50 percent random sample of Nebraska schools. Respondent school addresses in metropolitan statistical areas (MSA) areas were categorized as urban, and non-MSA respondents were classified as rural area schools. Of the 680 surveys mailed, 464 (68.2 percent) completed surveys were returned. Overall, 86.2 percent of respondents were from rural schools and 13.8 percent from urban schools. A list of disciplinary problems and procedures was reported for a first-time offense by rural and urban schools. Both an "occasional attendance problem" and a "chronic attendance problem" were most frequently addressed through parent contact in both urban and rural areas. For "fighting with another student," rural schools most commonly reported discipline by teacher, followed by discipline by principal and parent contact. In urban schools, discipline by principal was most common. For "using drugs other than alcohol or tobacco at school" in both areas, disciplinary procedures included parent contact and short-term suspension. A list of disciplinary problems and procedures was also reported for a second-time offense and third-time offense. For "fighting with another student," the most commonly reported procedure was discipline by principal and parent contact for a second-time offense, followed by short-term suspension and long-term suspension for a third-time offense. For "using drugs other than alcohol or tobacco at school," for a second time offense was long-term suspension and semester expulsion for a third-time offense. Principals were also asked in an open-response format, what program or procedures were currently in place to prevent violence in their school. Common responses were "conflict resolution training," followed by "the Boys Town social skills and behaviors model" and "a zero tolerance policy." School principals generally reported similar disciplinary actions for most disciplinary problems. For recurrent offenses and for serious problems, principals generally used tougher disciplinary procedures. Some of the discrepancies in disciplinary actions, however, suggest the need for consistent enforcement and communication of policies for both urban and rural schools.

To ensure inclusive, equitable quality education, and encourage educational opportunities for lifelong learning worldwide; the United Nations set sustainable development goals (SDG) to achieve quality education. Thus, using SDG 4 quality education and system theory, this research seeks to identify the effects of educational management on quality education in rural and urban primary schools in Ghana. Moreover, the mediating role of internet facilities in educational management and quality education relationhsip has been discussed. Thus, 745 urban and 471 rural head teachers and teachers from Ghana participated in an online survey. The data was compiled and executed by structural equation model using SPSS-AMOS. The result reveals that educational management has a positive effect on quality education in urban and rural schools. In addition, urban schools have more quality education than rural schools. Although internet facilities have a positive effect on quality education their absence weakens the quality of education in urban and rural schools. Moreover, it is recommended that the Ministry of Education should arrange professional training for supervisors and head teachers to boost their monitoring and supervision strategies. Furthermore, Parents Teacher Associations can provide funding to support the monitoring and supervision activities to achieve success. Lastly, quality internet facilities should be built with limited charges in rural and urban schools.

This study aimed to explore the gap regarding technology integration between urban and rural schools based on theWill Skill Tool model. This study was guided by three main questions: 1) Is there any significant difference in termsof technology availability between rural and urban elementary schools?; 2) Is there any significant difference interms of teachers’ attitudes, competence, levels and experiences in technology integration between rural and urbanelementary schools?; 3) Is there any significant difference in terms of students’ attitudes, competence andexperiences in technology integration between rural and urban elementary schools? This was a survey study with 275teachers and 293 students as participants in southern Taiwan. Half of the participants came from regular urbanschools and the other half were from disadvantaged rural schools. T-tests and Chi-Square tests were done to examinedifferences. The results showed that there was a significant difference in technology availability between rural andurban schools, including the number of interactive whiteboards, desktops in labs, notebooks, netbooks, and tabletcomputers. There was also a difference in teacher overall high-tech integration level between rural and urban schools.Urban teachers reached the level of “familiarity and confidence” but rural teachers only stayed at the level of“understanding and application of the process.” Teachers’ experience, purpose and difficulty in technologyintegration between rural and urban schools were also slightly different. In addition, there was a difference instudents’ experience and preference in using technology to learn, especially using interactive whiteboards in learning.

The study aims to examine methods for developing technology to bridge the learning gap between rural and urban schools by adapting to changes in the educational environment and meeting the demands of modern education. It describes the design of a technology and a method for creating a language-focused educational environment based on the factors mentioned. This method uses a structured approach to describe business processes, enabling subject matter experts to present situations as an organized sequence of events while simultaneously detailing objects directly related to the process. The study surveyed 1,926 teachers from urban and rural schools across several regions in Kazakhstan, with an average participant age of 39.9 years. It used a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative and qualitative analysis, and processed data through MS Excel and Statistica/R software. Data collection was conducted using Google Forms on the Google Cloud Platform. As a result of the research, the authors propose psycho-pedagogical technology "5F" to bridge the learning gap between rural and urban schools. The technology is based on evaluating five functions of building a language educational environment in urban and rural schools. The five functions are "Problem and conflict assessment", "Analysis of the school’s educational system organization", "Development of an action plan", "Implementation of the project solution based on a tutorial", "Marketing of project results". These functions were identified during the decomposition of the language learning environment and its interaction with the external environment. This technology adapts to changes in the educational environment, meets modern education requirements, and effectively identifies and addresses real-world problems and tasks related to language teaching and learning in specific schools. This study also provides insights into the language educational environment in Kazakhstan, highlighting significant disparities between urban and rural schools in assessing language preparation, resource availability, and the integration of technology. The findings of the study demonstrate that reliance on personal test materials rather than standardized assessments raises concerns about the objectivity and validity of language proficiency evaluations.

Introduction: Adolescents can be key driving forces in building a future of dignity for all. They are an important resource for any country. Reproductive health covers all aspects of adolescent health. In order to lead healthy, responsible, and fulfilling lives, and to protect themselves from reproductive health problems, youngsters need adequate information about the physical and psychological changes that take place during puberty, menstruation, pregnancy and childbirth. Methods: A comparative survey was conducted among 90 randomly selected adolescent girls from urban and rural schools of Bankura, West Bengal. Information was collected by administering structured knowledge questionnaire and 5-point attitude rating scale. Results: The findings revealed that 46.67% of girls from urban school and 51.11% of girls from rural school had excellent knowledge score and 65.56% of adolescent girls from urban school had positive and 61.11% of girls from rural school had fair attitude score towards reproductive health. There was no significant difference in knowledge score (t = -0.555 at p > 0.580) but significant difference in attitude score (t = 4.98 at p < 0.00) was there. There was a weak positive correlation found between knowledge and attitude scores of adolescent girls in both urban (r = 0.46) and rural (r = 0.335) schools. No significant association was found between knowledge and attitude scores and demographic characteristics of adolescent girls in both schools. Conclusion: The study concluded that there was a gap in the level of attitude of adolescent girls of urban and rural schools. So there is a need to educate adolescent girls regarding some aspects of reproductive health.

Introduction. A significant number of migrant children in Russian schools from cities and rural settlements of Central Asian countries makes it relevant to study the possibilities of supporting their academic motivation, taking into account national and cultural characteristics. The aim of the study is to identify the features of academic motivation of adolescent students in rural and urban schools of the Fergana region. Materials and methods. The study involved 576 teenagers from urban and rural schools of the Fergana region. Methods: "Questionnaire of academic self-regulation of primary and middle school students SRQ-A", "Children's questionnaire of the optimistic style of explaining successes and failures", "Multidimensional scale of satisfaction with life of schoolchildren", "Scale of depression, anxiety and stress". Mathematical and statistical processing of the obtained data was carried out using the Kolmagorov-Smirnov K-S criterion, cluster analysis of the k-means method, the Kruskal-Wallis H-criterion and the Mann-Whitney U-criterion. Results of the study. Students of urban schools have higher rates on the scales of "cognitive motivation", "motivation for self-development", "identified motivation" and "introjected motivation". Using cluster analysis, motivational profiles of students in urban and rural schools were obtained. Motivational profiles of students in urban schools: a) with predominant external motivation; b) with predominant internal motivation, c) students whose learning activities are influenced by both external and internal factors. Motivational profiles of students in rural schools: a) with a high level of both internal and external motivation; b) with an average level of internal and external motivation; c) having a low level of internal and external motivation. A comparative analysis of the identified motivational profiles using the H Kruskal Wallis and U Mann-Whitney criteria made it possible to identify the characteristics of life satisfaction, an optimistic style of explaining the reasons for successes and failures, as well as the level of depression, anxiety and stress among adolescent students in rural and urban schools in the Fergana region. KEYWORDS Discussion and conclusion. The level structure of the learning motivation of rural schoolchildren can be explained by the appearance in their motivation profile of the "Alienated" group - teenagers with a low level of external and internal motivation, when the educational environment does not serve as an environment for satisfying their current needs and is not controlled by the people around them due to the fact that they do not see the importance of the child's education. A group of urban and rural teenagers “Value-oriented towards education” was identified - with a high level of external and internal motivation, whose values of obtaining education are supported by the adults around them.

The purpose of the research is to assess the intra-environment indices in urban and rural secondary schools. In the course of special studies there was given the hygienic assessment of the climate, illumination and air quality of classrooms. In classrooms in rural schools microclimate indices were established to fail to meet hygienic requirements mainly on the temperature and humidity parameters. In rural schools, the temperature was decreased to 16-17 °C in 19.0 ± 8.6% of classrooms, humidity was elevated to 63.1% in 25.7 ± 7.4% of classrooms. Among urban schools the humidity in 49.6 ± 4.4% of classrooms reduced to 23.3 ± 0.3%, in 20.8 ± 5.4% of offices it was increased to 71.9 ± 0.9%. The coefficient of the natural illumination in rural schools has been reduced to 0.86-1.4% in 33.9 ± 14.2% of classrooms. In 25.1 ± 2.3% of classrooms in urban schools the level of natural light ratio was below the normative values and varied in the range of 0.32-1.3%. It is noted that in the offices of informatics natural light indices are significantly lower than in the classrooms for core subjects. The artificial lighting in urban schools was found to be lower than hygienic standards on the desks by 1.9 times, 2.2 times - at the board. There were obtained statistically significant handshaking health problems of urban schoolchildren due to intraenvironmental factors. The c dimate in surveyed gyms in rural schools is different in the low temperature and high humidity. The hygienic assessment of the air pollution classrooms’ medium was executed for a range of chemicals: formaldehyde, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, particulate matter. Concentrations of formaldehyde; nitrogen dioxide, suspended solids in the air in classrooms in urban schools appeared to be higher than in rural schools. Carbon monoxide concentrations in classrooms in rural schools was found to exceed their values in urban schools. The air in classrooms of the one of the cities was found to be differed by a specific atmosphere for its chemical - hydrogen fluoride, in concentrations exceeding the maximum allowed concentration by 3-3.5 times.

The purpose of this study was to explore secondary school students’ mathematics engagement focusing on the cognitive, affective and behavioural engagement domains. A total of 387 students (186 male and 201 female) from the urban and rural secondary schools in Pahang, Malaysia, were randomly selected. There were 158 students from the urban schools and 229 students from the rural schools. Descriptive analyses for mathematics engagement domains revealed behavioural engagement had the highest mean (M = 3.74, SD = .63), followed by cognitive engagement (M = 3.56, SD = .43) and affective engagement (M = 3.48, SD = .47). The mean for students’ overall mathematics engagement was 3.56 (SD = .46). Further analyses showed there were significant differences in each of the engagement domains in mathematics learning (affective, cognitive and behavioural), where students in the urban schools showed significantly better in the mean scores for affective, cognitive, behavioural domains and the overall mathematics engagement as compared to the students in the rural schools. Similar findings also showed there were significant differences in the overall mathematics engagement mean between the genders. The findings indicated girls were significantly better than boys in all (affective, cognitive and behavioural) of the engagement domains in mathematics learning. It was also shown girls had higher overall mathematics engagement mean as compared to boys. However, the study also indicated the overall students’ mathematics engagement was at a moderate level. Besides, the rural school students did not show high mathematics engagement as compared to the urban school students. Further analyses showed girls significantly had better mathematics engagement as compared to boys. Hence, it is recommended that in order to optimize students’ mathematics engagement, they should be actively engaged in more participative learning activities in mathematics classrooms. Focus should be given to rural schools and also among the boys.

Throughout the world, educators are struggling to shift their delivery of services to children with disabilities from a segregated to inclusive approach. This shift creates substantial opportunities and challenges. This is particularly true in poor urban and rural schools. Although our experience is based in rural and urban schools in the United States, we know that poor rural and urban schools throughout the world face similar issues as inclusive education takes hold. This article describes a framework for building more effective and successful schools in poor rural and urban communities called “Whole Schooling.” In addition, we identify the multiple barriers to inclusive schools, articulate the commonalties and differences between poor rural and urban schools, and describe specific strategies for utilising available resources to build more effective and successful rural and urban schools in which inclusive education is a central component.

This study concerns competitiveness in Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) performance between two different schools in Kedah, Malaysia, focusing on Mathematics scores. There are two different schools selected namely SMK Sungai Layar and SMK Bandar Sungai Petani. SMK Sungai Layar is a rural school while SMK Bandar Sungai Petani is an urban school. The objectives are to determine which schools between urban and rural schools perform better in mathematics subjects and classify students' performance on Mathematics subject using Fuzzy Logic. It is found that the performance of urban school was better than the rural school. As for rural school, the performance was moderate. The percentage of Mathematics value for SMK Bandar Sungai Petani is higher than SMK Sungai Layar. The number of students from an urban school who got a good score was double from the number of students from rural schools. The results show that the students from the urban school have excellent flexibility and reliability in Mathematics subject.

PurposeDeveloping countries in many parts of the world have experienced a disturbing trend in the differential pace of economic development among urban and rural communities. These inequities have been observed in education systems in Asia, Africa, and Latin America where researchers have documented differences not only in resource allocation but also in the academic performance among students in urban and rural schools. Recently researchers have shifted their focus from examining financial and physical resources to investigating the nature and impact of differences in human resources. The purpose of this paper is to examine differences in school organization processes associated with learning-centered leadership and teacher learning among urban and rural primary schools in Thailand. Teacher trust and teacher agency were proposed as possible mediators of leadership effects on teacher learning.Design/methodology/approachThis study employed a cross-sectional survey design. The authors collected survey data from 1,011 teachers and 60 principals in 30 urban and 30 rural primary schools in Thailand. Multi-group confirmatory factor analysis, structural equation modeling, and bootstrapping were used to analyze the proposed model of leadership and teacher professional learning. More specifically, data analysis was aimed at determining the nature of relationships among the constructs in the conceptual model and whether patterns of leadership and teacher learning differed in urban and rural primary schools.FindingsThe results affirmed a model whereby school leadership exerted significant indirect effects on teacher learning in both urban and rural primary schools. Data analyses determined that the path of leadership effects moved through trust to agency and then to teacher professional learning. Thus, while the authors found a strong direct effect of leadership on teacher trust, there were only small direct effects of leadership on teacher agency and no meaningful direct effects of leadership on teacher professional learning. Thus, the research affirmed a full mediation model of leadership effects on teacher learning. Finally, the study also affirmed that the measured variables were perceived as significantly stronger in the urban schools than in the rural schools.Social implicationsThe research expands on prior research on the “achievement gap” in Thailand by demonstrating the existence of a similar “human resource gap” when comparing urban and rural school leaders and teachers. This study implies that addressing the gap in student achievement will require action aimed at building the capacity of the principals and teachers who work with the rural pupils.Originality/valueThese results suggest differences in the quality of human resources between urban and rural primary schools in Thailand. There may be potential benefit to be gained from providing training focused on “learning-centered leadership” for principals and middle level leaders, as well as expanding access to quality professional development opportunities for rural teachers.

Introduction Body mass index BMI is a simple tool used to screen body weight and assess whether the body weight is healthy for your body size. In the post COVID-19 era a new normal has been established. A high BMI augments the risk of various health hazards. In developing countries both obesity and undernutrition in children is a burning issue.Objective The current cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the BMI of urban and rural school children and to compare their BMI.Methodology Five schools were selected 3 urban and 2 rural and a total of 1191 students from these schools were screened and assessed for their BMI.Results On comparison urban school boys were more underweight 85 than rural school boys 79 while among rural and urban school girls urban school girls were more underweight 77 than rural school girls 63. Among urban school girls 3294 1.02 were obese while among rural school girls 1195 0.5 was obese. About 68454 14.9 urban boys 50248 20 rural boys 65294 22 urban girls and 70195 36 rural girls showed healthy weight BMI.Conclusion Unlike the common concern about obesity in Indian school children this study indicates that underweight is more prevalent especially among urban school children boys and girls compared to rural school children.