Culture beats racism and discrimination Erasmus Project

Project Title

Culture beats racism and discrimination

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : School Exchange Partnerships

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2018

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Inclusion – equity; Disabilities – special needs; Civic engagement / responsible citizenship

Project Summary

Both participating schools, the Kelso High School and the Oberschule Ebersbach, put main emphasis on disadvantaged learners (pupils that have special needs due to learning difficulties and pupils with intellectual and physical disabilities). Teachers of both schools wanted to learn new methods in dealing with such special pupils from each other. One focus of this project for teachers participating in this project was the exchange of experience in handling this particular students. Results were exchanged and tested in the teachers’ own school and lessons. If they worked those methods would have been established in the lessons. Unfortunately we could not finish this because of the Covid19 pandemic. The homeschooling and partly teaching in small groups and half classes put an end to the testing of methods. Next February several teachers will meet and try to work on this point. It is our goal to finish this part of the project the following month.
Due to back then current politic events, namely the outcome of the last votes within different European countries, fighting racism and discrimination is an extreme important part of the project. That is why students took a closer look at and deal with the partner’s culture. They found a lot of similarities but also differences. The participants’ horizons and worldviews broadened. They recognized that differences are not bad in general through dealing with a similar culture. The broadening of the horizont worked very well. Over the course of the pandemic the students showed a great interest in and affection for their partners and their families. The majority of pupils are still in contact with their parnters even if thei left school and are working now. They exchange news and talk about the current political situation. In a lot of daily situations students showed through actions and statements that their view on “foreign” things is no longer guided by negative things.
English and German are both taught as foreign languages at the schools and are an important part of them. This is another reason for the cooperation and the project.
Products like videos, wallpapers and others were used in lessons during the project and will be used in the same capacity in different subjects after the project is finished. Exhibitions in both municipalities and the use of the products in primary schools of the surrounding area would have led to a higher degree of fame and more pupils for both schools. Unfortunately this did not take place due to the Covid19 pandemic.
Especially at Kelso High School, where students can choose to quit German after year 3, an increasing number of students continued German as a foreign language.
About 50 pupils at the age between 11 and 18 and 9 teacher of both schools participated in the project. The German pupils are secondary modern school and secondary school pupils. The Scottish students learn at a comprehensive school and have different courses of study.
There were 2 short-term exchanges of groups of pupils. With every activity about 25 pupils were part of the daily routine of the pupils at the twinning school. They spent time with the hosting family and consequently got to know their culture.
The students used and improved their language skills. The motivation to master the language further had positive effects on the lessons. In the aftermath of the visit the pupils spreaded their experiences and the interest of other students grew.
To gain all goals and be able to do everything we wanted to do working-groups were formed at every participating school. They made products that are used by pupils and teachers at both schools. Those working-groups met every two weeks and worked out the products. Important for this were employment of new media as well as the students’ ideas as an important part of the work. In this way the products are interesting for people of the same age. Unfortunataley due to the system at Kelso High School it was difficult to install a working-group. That is why the majority of products had to be done in the normal German lessons. At the Oberschule Ebersbach the working-group met every week and could do a lot until the pandemic started.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 58152 Eur

Project Coordinator

Oberschule Ebersbach & Country: DE

Project Partners

• Kelso High School