Challenging Hostile Views and Foster Civic Competences – Sparkling Moves for VET Teachers Erasmus Project

Project Title

Challenging Hostile Views and Foster Civic Competences – Sparkling Moves for VET Teachers

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 : Strategic Partnerships for vocational education and training

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2019

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Quality Improvement Institutions and/or methods (incl. school development); EU Citizenship, EU awareness and Democracy; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses

Project Summary

NEED
Vocational school students paint pictures of Adolf Hitler; a pupil is apprehended for an alleged attack on a refugee shelter. Nevertheless, school administrators believe that this behaviour does not need to be addressed. One don’t want to pick a quarrel, and even “a little Nazi can be a skilled worker”.*
A pupil at a vocational school in Zadar (Croatia) burns a ‘U’ (‘Ustascha’) into the skin of a fellow pupil belonging to the ethnic Albanian minority group. The school management labelled it ‘a game’. After the parents intervened, the Croatian Ministry of Family Affairs has called on school administrators to take note of these problems and intervene.

On the other hand, many school principals and teachers who are explicitly committed to democracy and diversity are threatened, for instance, with hate comments in social networks or by publishing their names and addresses on portals (e. g. ‘redwatch’, Poland).

A problematic phenomenon in European societies is that citizens of the majority (‘centre’) increasingly use an inhumane language when talking about the so-called ‘others’; for example, muslims, jews, homeless, homosexuals. Discriminatory behaviour also occurs more often in vocational schools and business enterprises. Teachers and trainers often face problems: How do I assess the situation? When and in what form do I intervene?

OBJECTIVES
– Enhancing teachers’ knowledge of the political conditions under which ideologies of inequality are possible (e. g. secondary anti-Semitism, anti-Muslim racism)
– Vocational school teachers and trainers in companies use an app to get to know symbols + codes that transport misanthropic attitudes.
– Installation and testing of participative instruments at vocational schools in order to extend the democratic competences of pupils.
– Vocational schools form networks with other actors in order to implement a more democratic school culture and to relieve the burden on teachers.

RESULTS
1. MOBILE APP
Organisations and groups that make use of misanthropic ideologies use codes, symbols, music, etc. to win young people over for their goals. Experts speak of a “world of experience”; that underwent a strategic reorientation a few years ago. Teachers get to know the aforementioned in order to
– hone their attentiveness and to classify the situation at their school
The app contains, among other things, contact data of counselling centres and NGOs in partner countries and thus promotes the networking of democratic actors.

2. BROCHURE + PODCAST
Those responsible in education policy encourage teachers to continue to work for the effectiveness of human rights for all (school educational mandate). Many teachers are insecure about supposed indoctrination due to reporting portals.
The partners develop a 4-language brochure. This
– draws attention to legal documents in each region which encourage teachers to intervene in specific situations
– designates organisations that support teachers
The podcast contains fictitious interviews (teacher + consultant). It gives ideas where to go and how to react – depending on the situation.

3. MODULE: ‘Ideologies of inequality’ as part of further training
Learning goals:
– To differentiate and expand the knowledge, perception and ideas of teachers with regard to ideologies of inequality.
– To stimulate reflection on the alleged opposition of ‘extreme margins’ vs. ‘democratic centre’

4. DEMOCRATIC SCHOOL CULTURE
At the vocational partner schools, pupils – together with external actors – install an instrument of participation. In the several months of debate to achieve a common goal, they learn democratic processes during the settlement of conflicts.
This process is documented in a blog and thus presented to the public in a sustainable and effective way, making it easily accessible to other interested parties.

5. + 6. CURRICULUM for 5-day blended learning FURTHER TRAINING incl. webinars
– Contents: above results
– Application and explanation of the didactic principle ‘conflict orientation’

Nachhaltigkeit
– Open Educational Resources are available on well-known platforms (E+PRP etc.)
– App can be accessed via a link, even 5 years after the end of the project
– Regular offer of further education via School Education Gateway
– Certificate „Europass Mobility“

PARTNERS
Warsaw Centre for Socio-Educational Innovation and Training, PL
Zespół Szkół Poligraficznych, PL
Nansen Dialogue Centre, HR
Vocational School Nikola Tesla Technical School, HR
Democracy Center Vienna, AT
Institute for Didactics of Democracy, University of Hanover, DE

* Fischer, Sebastian: Final report on the evaluation of the Saxon model project: ‚Starke Lehrer – starke Schüler‘. 2018, p. 34

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 276899 Eur

Project Coordinator

GOTTFRIED WILHELM LEIBNIZ UNIVERSITAET HANNOVER & Country: DE

Project Partners

• Demokratiezentrum Wien GmbH
• Tehnicka skola Nikole Tesle
• Zespol Szkol Poligraficznych im. Marszalka Jozefa Pilsudskiego w Warszawie
• Warszawskie Centrum Innowacji Edukacyjno-Spolecznych i Szkolen
• NANSEN DIJALOG CENTAR