“Safe to Learn: Building Inclusive and Resilient Schools in Mongolia” Project Launched in Khovd Province

Save the Children in Mongolia’s “Safe to Learn: Building Inclusive and Resilient Schools in Mongolia” project, funded by Save the Children Hong Kong, has been underway in Khovd Province since January 2026. The official opening ceremony was held on February 4, 2026, at the Civic Chamber of the Khovd Province Governor’s Administration Office. The project will be implemented across 18 schools and 18 joint teams in the Bayangol, Bayanzurkh, and Chingeltei districts, as well as Gobi-Altai, Khovd, and Bayan-Ulgii provinces.  

It aims to strengthen the sustainability of child protection mechanisms in school settings by ensuring that relevant ministries and agencies adopt and promote the laws and programs developed by Save the Children in Mongolia. The project also seeks to equip teachers and students with the knowledge and skills to prevent, identify, and respond to child rights violations including peer bullying and to prepare school, district, and local officials to deliver trauma-informed services and respond effectively to child protection concerns. 

The project launching ceremony was attended by Khovd Province Governor M.Amarsanaa, Deputy Governor M.Bayart, representatives from the Khovd province’s Department of Education, Authority of Child and Family Development Protection, Governor’s Administration Office of the Jargalant Soum, target schools, joint team representatives, and Save the Children in Mongolia management and staff.

 

At the event, L.Bayan-Altai, Country Representative of Save the Children in Mongolia, and M.Amarsanaa, Governor of Khovd Province, formally confirmed their cooperation by signing the MoU.

L.Bayan-Altai, Country Representative of Save the Children in Mongolia, said: “A child protection project has been successfully implemented in Khovd Province over the past three years. This new project will give children the chance to learn and grow up in a safe environment through a range of dedicated activities. It will bring together teachers, staff, child protection and education specialists, joint team members, students, parents, guardians, and government agency staff, running from January 2026 for three years.”

M.Amarsanaa, Governor of the Khovd province, said: “Since the ‘Establishing School-based Child Protection Mechanism in Mongolia’ project was implemented in our province, child protection work in schools has improved noticeably, and coordination within joint teams has strengthened. Parent, teacher, and student participation has grown, and the school-level child protection system has become more stable. I am pleased that the ‘Safe to Learn: Building Inclusive and Resilient Schools in Mongolia’ project builds on this solid foundation. I am confident it will deliver broader, lasting results and represents a meaningful investment in creating a safe and supportive environment for every child in our province.” 

 

E.Oyunmaa, Child Protection Program Officer of the Save the Childrenin Mongolia,introduced the project’s goals to those in attendance.

B.Tserendavaa, Head of the Khovd Province Department of Education and Science, underlined the project’s value: “This project will make a real contribution to strengthening child protection at the school level and boosting the engagement of teachers, students, and parents. We are committed to sharing the good practices and methods developed through this project with other schools across the province to ensure results that last.”

D.Tunjee, Head of the Department of Family, Child, and Youth Development of Khovd Province, spoke to the project’s relevance: “There is a genuine need to improve the accessibility and coordination of child protection services in our province. Continuously building the knowledge and skills of joint team members is essential to detecting risks early and acting quickly. This project will strengthen the joint team’s ability to apply practical methods and provide psychological support, and will make inter-organizational cooperation more effective.”

The target group for the project includes teachers and staff of general education schools, child protection and education specialists, joint team members, students in grades 6-12, parents, guardians, and local government staff. It is worth noting that between 2023 and 2025, Save the Children in Mongolia successfully implemented the “Establishing School-based Child Protection Mechanism” project in Khovd Province.