“Pestalozzi” In-Service Training Programme for Education Professionals

CoE 2011 1011-1013 Finland

DEMOCRATIC SCHOOL:

Children’s rights and participation in basic education

Dates and place: 11 – 13 October 2011, Helsinki Finland

FINAL REPORT

The Pestalozzi Programme

Le Programme Pestalozzi

DEMOCRATIC SCHOOL: Children’s rights and participation in basic education

The objective to the Pestalozzi workshop in Helsinki 11. – 13.10.2011 was working and sharing

professional experiences together. Helsinki 2011 -workshop focused on the best practices and

activities in teaching and learning about democracy, children’s rights and participation in basic

education especially from the following points of views:

Children’s rights and participation in school’s operational culture

Different cases on how the Rights of the Child are promoted all around Europe

The role of student boards and student associations.

Goals:

Childhood expriseem to have an very important role in terms of one´s predisposition to

become an active citizen

→ Hence it is important:

to notice that the social involvement of young people strongly influence their willingness

for participation and direct the future of our democracy

that the actors who work in order to increase the democratic participation of young and

children are aware of the key findins of recent studies on civil education

that the good practises of children´s and youth civil education are presented and later

spread out

to offer inspiration to educators and other practioners who face the challenges of youth

participation.

General approach and framework:

The general aim of the training activities of the Pestalozzi Programme is to train education

professionals to become multipliers for Council of Europe standards and values in education.

The work was based on three main pillars

Content: Standards and principles as well as project results of the Council of Europe

Methodology: Learner-centered, peer-training, collaborative work on issues of common concerns

to find fit solutions for diverse contexts

Four-fold concept of competences development: Developing sensitivity and awareness,

knowledge and understanding, individual practice & societal practice.

Related Council of Europe Project :

Recommendation CM/Rec(2010)7 of the Committee of Ministers to member states

on the Council of Europe Charter on Education for Democratic Citizenship and

Human Rights Education

Recommendation 1849 (2008) of the Parliamentary Assembly for the promotion

of a culture of democracy and human rights through teacher education

‘Learning and Living Democracy For All’

Expected results:

To strengthen children’s rights and implementation of their participation practices and

activities in everyday school life

To get innovative ideas and share best practices between the participating countries

concerning child activating philosophy and appropriate methods on active

participation in school’s operational culture

Co-operation on fostering child participation with NGO’s and other out-of-school

networks.

The programme consisted of introductory lectures and visits to local school. Co-operative learning

was the working method throughout the workshop. The participants were able to share their

experiences and professional practices with peers from other participating countries.

Programme

Monday 10 October

Arrival of the participants

Check-in at Hotel Cumulus Hakaniemi (address: Siltasaarenkatu 14, 00530 Helsinki)

18.15

Meeting with Mr Matti Pietilä, Ms Najat Ouakrim-Soivio and Mr Marko van den Berg at

the hotel reception. Walk to the restaurant.

18.30 – 21.00

Warm-Up dinner at restaurant Bridges (Hotel Hilton Strand, Stenberginranta 4)

During the dinner participants had the possibility to get to know each other.

Tuesday 11 October 9.00

Meeting at hotel reception. Walk together to the course venue:

Finnish National Board of Education

(address: Hakaniemenranta 6, 00531 Helsinki)

9.30 - 10.00

Group work for Panel discussion

Ms Najat Ouakrim-Soivio and Mr Marko van den Berg

10.00 - 11.00

Introduction to the Pestalozzi programme, the Council of Europe and the

Finnish Education System

Mr Jorma Kauppinen, Director, General Education, Finnish National Board of Education, Chair of

Council of Europe’s Steering Committee for Education (CDED)

11.00 – 11.15

Break

11.15 – 12.30

Children’s rights and participation in Finnish Schools and cooperation with

NGO’s

Interactive Panel discussion:

Mr. Valtteri Aine, President, Union of Finnish Upper Secondary School Students

Ms. Maija Gellin, project director, School Mediation/ Finnish Forum for Mediation

Ms. Inka Hetemäki, Programme Director, UNICEF Finland

Ms. Suvi Tuominen, Head of Youth Services, Mannerheim League for Child Welfare

Mr. Kari Paakkunainen, researcher, University of Helsinki Ms Kristina Kaihari, Counsellor of Education, Finnish National Board of Education

12.30 - 13.30

Lunch at restaurant Lasiranta (FNBE)

13.30 - 14.15

Children’s rights and participation in Finnish Basic Schools

KiVa - a national anti-bullying programme for Finnish schools

Ms Kristiina Laitinen, Counsellor of Education, Finnish National Board of Education

14.15 - 14.30 Refreshments (FNBE)

14.30 - 16.00 Workshop

Ms Najat Ouakrim-Soivio and Mr Marko van den Berg

19.00 -

Departure for dinner from Hotel reception

19.15

Dinner at restaurant Juttutupa (address: Säästöpankinranta 6)

Wednesday 12 October

8.30

Departure from hotel

9.00 - 12.00

Visit to Arabian koulu (basic school with grades 1-9)

Introduction of the school

Pupil’s association at Arabian koulu

Meeting with pupil’s & teachers

Possibility to visit the school lessons 12.00 – 13.00

School lunch at Arabian koulu

13.00 - 14.30 Arabian koulu continues

Meeting with principle Ulla Rajavuori (Helsingin Normaalilyseo and teacher training department )

Meeting with parents’ representative

- parents’ role in Arabian koulu 15.00 –

Free time for shopping etc.

17.45 –

Finnish evening

Departure from hotel National Gallery Ateneum

Main exhibition: The Magic of Lapland 18.00-19.00 dinner: restaurant Saaga (address: Bulevardi 34)

Thursday 13 October

9.00 - 11.00

Workshop (Najat and Marko)

Children’s rights and participation across Europe

Group work continues (9.00 – 11.00)

Summary of what is left on the trip Group presentations from previous issues

11.00 - 12.00

Presentations and conclusions

Report on the European Workshop

Mr Matti Pietilä, Counsellor of Education, Finnish National Board of Education

12.00 – 12.30

Closing of the seminar

12.30 - 13.30

Farewell lunch / FNBE

Departures

List of participants and workshop organizers

Participants:

Albania Ms Ina Kasimati

Cyprus Mr Yiannakis Ioannou

Finland Ms Sanna Puputti

Ms Kaija-Leena Salovaara

Greece Mr Michail Tekelis

Italy Ms Patrizia Passarelli

Portugal Ms Carla Baptista

Romania Daniela Firescu

Serbia Ms Marija Crnojevic

Slovenia Ms Karmen Klavzar

Workshop organizers:

Trainers: Ms Najat Ouakrim-Soivio, Project Manager, Finnish National Board of Education

Mr Marko van den Berg, Ph.D, University of Helsinki

Mr Jorma Kauppinen, Director, General Education, Finnish National Board of Education (FNBE),

Chair of Council of Europe’s Steering Committee for Education (CDED)

Ms Kristina Kaihari, Counsellor of Education, FNBE

Ms Kristiina Laitinen, Counsellor of Education, FNBE

Ms Ritva Järvinen, Head of Development of General Education Unit, FNBE

Ms Paula Mattila, Counsellor of Education, FNBE

Ms Jaana Järventausta, secretary, FNBE

Ms Mirja Kuorttinen, assistant, FNBE

Ms Inkeri Gröhn, secretary, FNBE

Mr Hannu Ylilehto, Head of Information, FNBE

Mr Matti Pietilä, Counsellor of Education, FNBE (Pestalozzi NLO of Finland)

Mr Valtteri Aine, President, Union of Finnish Upper Secondary School Students Ms Maija Gellin, project director, School Mediation/ Finnish Forum for Mediation Ms Inka Hetemäki, Programme Director, UNICEF Finland Ms Suvi Tuominen, Head of Youth Services, Mannerheim League for Child Welfare Mr Kari Paakkunainen, researcher, University of Helsinki Principle Ulla Rajavuori (Helsingin Normaalilyseo and teacher training department) Ms Satu Heikkinen (Chair of parents board in Arabian koulu)

Pretasks

Pretask for participants

The title and some descriptions of it needed to be sent to trainers Mr Marko van den Berg and to

Ms Najat Ouakrim-Soivio before 1.October 2011 by e-mail. Pretask were expected to be ready

before the participants came to Finland before the 10th of October.

Participants were to choose from one of the following pretask options:

Option number 1: How the children’s rights are shown in practice in your school’s or your

country’s everyday life? You can also bring out a project that you have been involved and you can

describe the best practices from your country.

OR

Option number 2: How the children’s participation are shown in practice in your school’s or your

country’s everyday life? You can also bring out a project that you have been involved and you can

describe the best practices from your country.

OR

Option number 3: Explore the main results of the EPACE-study (link to document: Civic education

and youth participation) and consider what are the inclusions of young people and children’s in the

implementation of the key challenges? Which of these challenges appear in your mind when you

are thinking of your school or your country? Give us also some examples.

PORTUGAL_Carla Baptista: ”Option number 2: How the children’s participation are shown in practice in your school’s or

your country’s everyday life?”

The school where I work for about 11 years old, Colégio Vizela (300 students aged between 3 and

15 years) is a humanistic school, which focuses on each student’s individuality and respects his

rights and obligations, values the freedom of action and thinking. It intends to form autonomous,

responsible, critical and supportive citizens, capable of implementing changes for the construction

of a progressively better world. Our school experiences already a democratic organization

between students and teachers.

Our project’s motto is Each student for horizon, because we believe that the learning process must

be pointed to the individual. We believe we must teach in citizenship and not for the citizenship.

Many methods were implemented to develop those ideas:

Democratic Students Assembly was created to develop social values such as responsibility

and solidarity. It meets fortnightly to discuss all matters related to the school’s community,

in answer to students needs. Aims: democracy and social cohesion; students are involved

in an interesting and significant process; develop social values such as responsibility and

solidarity; All school meets fortnightly to discuss all matters related to the school’s

community, in answer to students needs. Every year elections are held. Lists are made

until a certain date. The lists have the following members: President, Vice-President, 1st

secretary, 2nd secretary, a deputy of Culture, Environment, Sport and Justice. After the

presentation of the lists is done a debate. From the day of the debate on begins the

election campaign. After just a few days there is a day of reflection. After a day of

reflection follows the expected elections. Results are reported and the winning lists, after a

few days, present themselves as the responsible for the Students Assembly.

Class Assembly - Each class has its own assembly- Class Assembly; three times a year,

students form a list (president, secretary, culture, environment, sports and justice

deputies). After their proposes / measures being presented and defended they finally go to

votes; the winner list will constitute the Class Assembly “table”; consequently, several

students can try different functions in the democratic process; pupils debate themes,

present proposals…

We have also created a Tutorial system where a tutor is responsible for a small group of

students and can have a closer relationship with each and every one of them, improving

like that, once more, the practice of humanist approaches.

On the other hand, the students work in groups of three or five elements. Depending on

the goals of the learning experiences they may work. Each group of students has one

responsibility: Going out and going in; Calm atmosphere; Classroom cleaning; Requesting

material; Audiovisuals (radio, computers, etc). In the beginning of the process, the group

defines the regulation for their responsibility. Then they read it to the class and it’s

approved. Therefore, the Class Regulation is constituted by the several groups’ documents

/ rules. By the time of changing the responsibility (once each term), the group makes an

evaluation of their performance (good things/things to improve) and deliver it to the new

group that will have the same responsibility. This new group establishes another document

which is read and approved by the class. In this manner, it’s intended that pupils do their

own management of the classes.

Philosophy with children and youth: the "Philosophy with children and youth" (in

partnership with the University of Porto, under the influence of the program proposed by

Mathew Lippman) aims to contribute effectively to develop cognitive skills. Learning to

think as long as the child enters school is undoubtedly an advance in the quality of all

learning undertaken by our students. Developing autonomy of thinking, educating for

citizenship is the ultimate goal of the sessions of "Philosophy for children and young

people." The methodology used in the sessions (ask questions / listen to the other /

contribute to the collective thought / substantiate what is said / relate knowledge / accept

well-founded criticism / build your own thinking) develops the cognitive and emotional

purchases, which in a deep connection between thinking and speaking, contribute to the

development of critical and creative thinking of children and young people, as also to

develop attitudes of mutual respect, tolerance and self-esteem. This project aims to

promote equal opportunity for participation without regarding to race, sex, religion,

political persuasion, or any other form of exclusion; orderly intervention guided by mutual

respect from all participants and by the willingness to contribute to a “common good”, that

is, to make a difference in the community (classroom, school, city, country or family, etc.)

where it is inserted.

ROMANIA_ Daniela Firescu:

Children’s participation- the children’s right to be heard and involved in decision making

1. Children’s participation principles, policy development, awareness-raising measures and rules of

action established by the Council of Europe

2. Description of the main topic: the children’s right to express thoughts, experiences, opinions,

questions and suggestions on issues of integration, identity, diversity, human rights and social

cohesiveness.

3. Child’s rights are law!

Child Rights in Romania- child protection reform in Romania focus on three goals: to reduce the

number of children in institutional care, to restructure the institutions, to develop alternative

services for children in need, substituting residential with family-type care (i.e. professional

maternal assistants, relatives up to the fourth degree, other families, adoption.)

4. Context and content of children’s participation in the life of community, at school and at home.

5. Programs that promote children’s participation in decisions affecting them personally.

6. Recognizing youth as engines for social change: -Children’s capacity to articulate and express

their opinions, to be able to take decisions versus Adult’s prejudices (the children have an

incomplete developed personalities so they are incompatible with citizens status). Adult’s over

protective attitude, adult’s rules: small ages, small decisions; negotiable decisions, non-negotiable

decisions, age criteria.

7. Models of participation- celebrate good practice and expose bad practice. Pathways to

Participation by Harry Shier (2001). Awareness campaign:

-The right to freedom of expression,

-The right to be raised by its parents,

-The right to education

-The right to be protected against any

form of violence, abuse or neglect

8. Democratic schools and active citizenship in Romania:

- introduction of citizenship education in primary school’ curriculum,

-participatory activities: Peer mediation; Youth against violence; Participation, Standards

and Assessment Program

9. Conclusions

CYPRUS_Yiannakis Ioannou:

Students’ Participation in the school community in Cyprus

New curriculum

• Since this September after long-term discussions between the Ministry of Education of

Cyprus, Teachers and Parents’ Committees and students as well, a new cohesive

curriculum has been introduced in schools.

Basic principles of the new curriculum

• Democratic and Human School.

• Three pillars of the curriculum:

Sufficient and coherent body of knowledge.

Developing attitudes and behaviors that distinguish democratic citizenship.

Key attributes, abilities, skills needed in 21st century society.

Definition and characteristics of democratic school :

• Children are treated equally, without any discriminations in order to be prepared for their

common future.

• All children are offered the opportunity to obtain all competencies which distinguish an

educated individual.

• It is organized as to give all children the opportunity to achieve all the objectives of

education.

Definition and characteristics of human school:

• No child is excluded, marginalized, censured, scorned, and is unhappy because he/she is

different.

• There is full respect of human dignity.

• Students experience their childhood and juvenile age periods as the most creative and

happiest periods of human life.

Definition and characteristics of human school (cont.)

• The new curriculum is organized and implemented focusing on welfare that prevents and

eliminates the negative effects that accompany some cases of children

• Children with disabilities, difficult family environment, economic hardship and different

cultural backgrounds are some situations that we emphasize on.

The objective of the new curriculum is to facilitate all students to:

• develop attitudes and behaviors that distinguish a democratic citizen so that:

- he/she can be democratic and socially responsible

- shape and experience in equal conditions

- respect and protect natural and cultural environment

- give rise to personal well-being through self-awareness and ability to demand

adequate health conditions and dealing with a variety of mechanisms encountered in

society.

The importance of schools in society

• Schools consist the nucleus of society as they guide children towards a moral and

successful life.

• They are the microcosm of a bigger society in which a child will spiritually evolve and

develop in a free democratic world.

• The role and aim of a school is to promote dialogue and collaboration amongst all the

members of the school.

The role of student communities in primary schools

• Throughout interaction and co-operation real knowledge is achieved and wisdom is

acquired.

• Interactive activities which democratic schools entail include the elections of a school

council through which all students can be represented.

• Through the participation in students’ councils children have the opportunity to express

their feelings and opinion on a variety of matters.

Encouraging students to participate

• The back-bone of a democratic school that respects its students as creative individuals are

the cooperative teaching approaches.

• Teachers try to offer academic achievement through experience and team-work.

• An example is the cooperation between teachers and students in order to create rules of

good behaviour in both classroom and playground.

• Through these children become aware of the importance of respecting their peers.

Examples of good practices

• There are notice boards where the students can express their needs to their principle for

the betterment of their schools.

• The children of the Primary School of Kokkinotrimithia signed a form requiring the

organization of a talent show where all children could show their talents.

• They have asked to dedicate a day to plant more flowers in their school-yard in order to

beautify the environment where they develop and learn.

• Children are able to take initiatives within their school for instance, asking for recycling bins

to be placed in their school-yard.

• They have the freedom to organise charities to promote the feeling of social responsibility

and sensitivity towards social matters like poverty.

What is the childrens’ achievement

• Inter-depending communication, between teachers and students is established, in order to

achieve a better outcome.

• Students obtain a sense of belonging, individuality and identity in a democratic school

society where all children are equally accepted.

• Within the students’ community, children will be able to face the challenges encountered

in a modern society.

• The structure of democratic schools determines the way children become aware of life,

community and obtain democratic principles.

FINLAND_Sanna Puputti:

CHILDREN’S PARTICIPATION

In our school student body has an active role in many matters. There is a selected group of pupils

from every class and they are like a board or committee, which plans and carries out different

projects or events for other pupils in the school. The younger members of the board are between

6 and 10 years old and they have meetings approximately once in two months. The older

members gather in meetings at least twice in a month so they have more responsibility to

participate. For example in this autumn student body has organized one disco for all school's

pupils and a movie-afternoon for children in preschool age to fourth graders.

Student body is a great way to learn to act in co-operation, think about the matters they want to

make a difference and learn to organize different events. For teacher's point of view it's great to

see pupils act outside the classroom and see how innovative and hardworking they can be and

how they enjoy the given responsibilities. I think it's a challenge to inspire and encourage more

pupils to take part in student body's activity and also as an instructional teacher to find enough

time to guide pupils.

The other organized way to participate in our school is a supportive pupil -system. That means

that older pupils stand as sponsor to younger pupils. For example some selected 9. graders

sponsor 7. graders and make them to settle down in upper level of comprehensive school. Their

purpose is to improve on the good atmosphere between pupils and also organize events to create

team spirit.

I think on the individual level children's participation at school depends a lot on the teachers.

Knowing one's possibilities and responsibilities as a citizen is a important part of every school's

curriculum, but there aren't always clear instructions how to achieve all that. In my opinion the

only way to learn to participate is to participate. It doesn't necessarily have to be politically related

way of participation but in participation also includes learning to tell one's opinion on matters and

especially in social matters or just positive attitude towards active citizenship. Open

conversational culture at school is essential.

I think nowadays most of all this are strongly related to media education. All digital environments

demands same abilities in participation than we try to teach children at school in classroom

situations. There are a lot of different requirements in digital literary that can be brought up in all

participation like collaboration, cultural and social understanding, effective communication or

functional skills.

As teachers we can teach children to improve their skills by using different functional methods in

learning (studies and projects), to handle problems by discussing, to give them positive

experiences in the sense of community. In my opinion the most important abilities are an ability to

dialog, an ability to solve conflicts non-violently, an ability to negotiate, an ability to recognize and

accept difference and an ability to use information and communication technology.

ITALY_Patrizia Passarelli:

Pretask option number 1:

How the children’s rights are shown in practice in your school’s or your country’s everyday life?

You can also bring out a project that you have been involved and you can describe the best

practices from your country.

FAREWORD

The choice to talk about children’s rights leads necessarily us to talk about their involvement

and participation school every day life since the school is the place where they actually

experiment for the first time their role as social actors and where they understand the values and

rights associated with living in a civilized society.

Overall, Italy is characterized by a lack of a genuine culture of childhood grounded in a

commitment to respect children as social actors, taking into account not only the child’s

vulnerability but also his/her capabilities and resources as an active subject in our society. Rather,

what exists is a cultural approach that privileges protection over participation in which the adult

world fails to listen to the children and to fulfill their needs at school and in the family context

itself. Evidence of this state of affairs is reflected in lack of organizations created and managed

autonomously by children and low visibility on specific policies addressing childhood issues.

The cultural confusion concerning childhood and adolescence in my country is also highlighted by

the lack of a consensus on the terminology to be used in the definition of persons under 18 years

of age. The language varies considerably according to the context in which the “minor” (minore in

Italian) is involved. The word “fanciullo” that was used for the official translation of the

Convention on the Rights of the Child is not suitable either to children or to adolescents.

Anyway we must acknowledge that the Ministry of Public Education through the course of the

past years has issued various institutional regulations and guidelines in favour of democratic

school and participation enforcing children’s needs and rights. We can just recall the Ministerial

Directive on Constitutional Culture (D.M. No. 58/96), and the Act of Law 285/97 that represent a

fundamental cornerstone in renewal of the culture of childhood in Italy. The latter has allowed

many associations to implement projects and experimental activities designed to promote the

rights of children. Moreover the Italian model of school integration for disable students enacted

in 1977 with law no. 517 was meant to realize the right to education for everyone sanctioned by

the Republican Constitution (article 34.) .With law no. 517 the model of the inclusive school was

based on educational planning, educational individualization, and evaluation forms instead of

grades; furthermore, specialized teachers (called “support teachers”) were introduced in

classrooms to work with the classroom teacher. The Directive on Student Participation (D.M. No.

1455/06), the “Guidelines for Democratic Citizenship and Legality” (D.M. No. 5843/A3 of 2006)

which refer to the recommendations of the UNESCO and EU directives, all ask that students

actively participate in their civics education and in preventing and countering acts of bullying and

violence.

THE CHILDREN’S RIGHTS AND THE BEST PRACTICES IN MY COUNTRY

For what concerns every day practice in the school system, Law no. 59 of 1997 provided for the

independence of schools, giving them greater autonomy over financial, administrative, technical-

educational and organizational matters. As regards independence of taught content and teaching

approach, the Ministry of Public Education has merely set the objectives and minimum cognitive

standards, while each individual school is required to draw up its own Training Offer Plan, by

establishing content of education and the school hours. This method of regulating the school

system is intended to enable it to respond, as far as possible, to the training needs of its users.

Schools are encouraged to strengthen their links with local communities that have the opportunity

to contribute towards the school plans. This actually has given way to the introduction of

innovative educational and training activities in school programmes towards the implementation

of teaching children about the values of democratic coexistence and active citizenship.

Trying to enforce Italian commitment on the issue of children’s rights the Ministry of Public

Education has carried out many researches promoting projects to support teachers work in all

grades of school facing in particular the emergency of immigration and the difficulties on pursuing

rights to education and non- discrimination for foreign children, let’s just mention the project

“Education to European citizenship” carried out by INDIRE and supported by the MIUR.

Recent steps taken by the Ministry of Public Education have been qualified by these important

aims:

(1) integratio of foreign students into the school and social contexts,

(2) enactment of the intercultural education approach by teachers and principals,

(3) training of teacher on intercultural education issues.

Raising active citizenship awareness and educating children to democratic values is even more

binding in the South of Italy where schools have to face not only old social problems related to

the influence of organized crime and the presence of gypsy, but have also to cope with the

emergency caused by the new wave of immigrants landing illegally from foreign countries on

our shores.

In order to make effective the right to education and make the integration of pupils with

difficulties easier, national, regional and local authorities have also established projects which

have become best practices aiming at promoting and facilitating their reception and integration in

different social contexts .One of these project carried out and supported by the Ufficio Scolastico

Regionale per la Calabria (Regional Education Office for Calabria) called “Cittadinanza e

Costituzione” ( Citizenship and Constitution) aimed at encouraging the direct involvement of

children as social actors raising active citizenship awareness promoting an anti-mafia culture and

helping them develop high democratic values and intellectual standards. The project personally

directed by the Director General of this Regional Office, Mr. Mercurio Francesco, involved many

pilot schools in Calabria well coordinated by a work team dealing with four main modules

(education for lawfulness and democratic participation, active citizenship , environmental

awareness and road safety). The strong point of the project consists in the active participation of

the Student Council, a student delegation whose members are elected within the five provincial

districts of Calabria, who actually is implementing the aims stated in the Statute of Students of the

secondary school, approved in 1998 concerning the children’s right to play a more active part in

the running of their schools.

THE CHILDREN’S RIGHTS AND THE BEST PRACTICES IN MY SCHOOL

The school in which I work as the headmistress is called “Istituto Comprensivo Vico - Gullo” and

includes children aged from 3 to 13 years old. It is located in Cosenza, a rather big city in Calabria

(the region in southern Italy, at the "toe" of the Italian peninsula). The teachers and the staff

try to respond to the children’s diverse needs through providing a wide variety of teaching

approaches that aim at matching the pupils’ individual learning styles and creating positive

learning environment free from bullying and stereotyping. This entails ensuring that all children

have full access to the curriculum and supporting specific needs of pupils that belong to minority

ethnic groups and of children with disabilities and/or learning difficulties. The presence of children

from foreign countries has now become structural in our school, in fact through our school plan

programme we respond to the need for integration and the right to education of non-native

children, who attend regular curricular classes together with their native peers ; the Italian school

system has, in fact, chosen to avoid separate classes because we believe in the positivity of

social interaction between and among peers with different abilities .The richness of effective ,

innovative projects carried out in this cultural framework by the school in which I work is

confirmed by the positive results achieved in our integration policy towards children who

presents peculiar problems related to their particular ethnic family group such as the gypsies and

the immigrants. Many of them have Italian nationality others have arrived to Cosenza more

recently from Eastern Europe and particularly from Kosovo, Macedonia, Bosnia, Montenegro,

Serbia, and some from Croatia and Slovenia. Most Roma work only occasionally and sometimes

live on begging or through micro-criminal activities. Some children live in an illegal «nomad

camps» devoid of any infrastructures (water piping, sewer systems), so that the hygiene and

health conditions in which they live are seriously substandard. In order to address these problems,

some association of volunteers cooperate as cultural mediators with us taking care of children

attendance to school, providing prevention services and assistance in their affair with the public

institutions.

Although the Ministerial Memorandum no. 207 of 1986 makes education for gypsy children

compulsory, and therefore commits the State to developing the facilities necessary for them to

attend school, Gypsy families are reluctant to send their children to school because they do not

see any value in it and they prefer their children to contribute economically to the family. The

decision to introduce gypsy children into mainstream classes has not resolved the problem of

school truancy or non-attendance, and low school performance. In consequence, the Italian school

system is not currently capable of providing an effective education for these children who are

often defined as “too lively” and often do not speak good Italian.

It is in this context that my school has taken part to a Project committed to the inclusion of

migrant and Roma children through their participation to highly motivating school activities

together with native Italian children.

The project called “Io e gli altri” (I and the Others) provided an appropriate environment suitable

to hold a group of children belonging to three different schools of the City and diverse school

grades. It has been structured into three modules concerning the study of the Italian language,

listening to music and music therapy, the performance of a play called “Sentieri Stranieri”

(Strangers Paths). The students experimented motivating alternative activities in which not only

they had the chance to express themselves freely but they also could learn the Italian language in

communicative context and really feel as an active part of a group of peers. The children public

performance in a theatre also represented a good opportunity for migrant families to meet other

families and build relations of trust within the new environment. The project under the care of the

Municipality of Cosenza (our city), benefited from Regional and European funds administrated

for the Region Calabria through the Department of Education (directed by Mr. Caligiuri, Regional

Councillor) and for the Europe through the Structural Funds -National Operational Programme

for the 2007/2013, committed to support initiative in favor of problematical children and

immigrant children participation and also to prevent their early school leaving and the

phenomenon of dropouts.

Within the same prospective , our school has also structured a project devoted to intercultural

education, human rights and education to legality called “Legali al Sud” (To be legal in the South) .

This project starts from the assumption that, even if the Italian education system has lately gone

through many innovation and reforms in the direction of promoting the rights of the Child ,

schools do not yet play a central role in promoting respect for human rights or helping children

overcome the sense of disorientation and dissatisfaction they often experience. Many children,

especially those from different cultures or deprived backgrounds, still often experience schools as

places where they are excluded and discriminated against.

Active partners to the project are experts from University of Calabria (UNICAL) Department of

Sciences of Education, who together with the teachers of the school organize all the activity and

guide the students in their work.

The project is structured into two modules of 50 hours each, the fist one called “Imparare le regole

del gioco” (Learn the rules of the game ) wants to promote the education to an active citizenship

founded on the nation values’ cohesion and appreciation of diversity and legality through the use

of games and simulations. It promotes an educational model aimed to encourage the ability to live

responsibly as an active and conscious protagonist of the community, and to establish with the

whole “human family” relationships based upon solidarity and co-responsibility.

The general objective of the project is to decline the concept of citizenship in a theoretical-

pedagogical key, but to enhance the active role of children as social actors responsibly

participating to the choices and the decisions related to the life within a community interacting

with other people .The education to tolerance, and to the respect of the other and the acquisition

of social behaviour schemes are practically achieved thanks to the use of alternative strategies

such as the cooperative learning and project work based on the assumption that children learn

better by doing. As a matter of fact children visit local institution (University of Calabria, Police

Department, Prefecture, Law Court , City Hall where they meet Assistant professors, the Mayor ,

Chief Officers, etc. ) and simulate situation through the use of Role- playing activities.

The second module called “Parlami di te” (Tell me about yourself) dealing with education for living

together and the valorization of students’ different identities and cultural roots .

Important feature of this module are:

The acknowledgement and maintenance of diversity, as well as the interaction and

integration among pupils, with others promoting dialogue on different religious beliefs,

family ways, gender differences,

future citizenship, founded on the national values’ cohesion and nurtured by diversity,

families’ (especially migrant ones) involvement in their children’s education.

The impact that children’s different cultural experiences have towards their perceptions,

feelings, the relation with their own body and the environment.

Within the experiential group children confront their ideas, stereotypes on themes concerning

diversity and equality, respect of civil rights and value; they also manage their own

lessons/activities on cultural tradition , get to know each other using different means of

communication (interview , writing a story, role-playing, drawing singing songs, etc-), write a story

board on personal experience.

GREECE_Michail Tekelis:

Children’s rights in the Greek Education System: Aspects of an on-going process

Abstract

In our presentation we will present and analyze several aspects of children's rights in the Greek

education system. We will refer to the processes of socialization, the educational opportunities

that derive from the educational policies and are promoted through the curriculum, which

reconstruct the notion, the opportunities and practices of equal participation and access for all

children in the educational process.

Educational institutions, through the initiatives and action, support foreign students, Roma,

students of Muslim origin, children from difficult family environments (poverty, divorce, abuse)

and provide vision and perspective on the value of education as a public good for all children,

ensuring simultaneously equal access to the Greek education system.

Through the implementation of educational programs for vulnerable groups and Zones of

Educational Priority, perspective and the right to equal education for all children is given

regardless of nationality, religion, colour, disability or special educational needs.

The educational policy which is implemented in the Greek education system in recent years, not

only emphasizes the right to equal participation and access for all children in the basic education,

but also creates the conditions for inclusion of all children and educational diversity in the

teaching practice, marking the on-going process towards a democratic, humanistic school.

Today the school does not treat children as consumers of educational goods. On the contrary, it

puts emphasis on the right for children’s participation as active agents in the educational process

and school community through the design of educational activities that are meaningful to

themselves and their education by exploiting the experiences that they bring to school, regardless

of their economic, social and cultural background.

Apart from focusing on the acquisition of coherent knowledge, the priority of educational choices

is given to the development of important skills, such as creativity, the ability of theoretical

thinking, the ability of design and analysis, the great willingness to participate in group work and

to share information as well as the flexibility in searching and finding solutions to various

problems. Actually they are skills which are related to the economy and information society. The

emphasis is placed on the so-called 'key- skills' and it is recorded a gradual shift from the model of

information storage in the children’s minds to their involvement in the educational design of

learning.

In schools that implement the ‘Restated Unified Education Program’, the concept of 'new school' is

related to- but not identified with- the use of Information and communication technologies in

education. In other words, ‘new school’ is linked to specific reforms of education systems which

are supported by the potential productive use of Information and Communication Technologies

(ICT) in the educational process. Essentially, the new school is assessed according to the degree

that refrains from the "…………model of education '. This is something that is attempted today

through the piloting of new curricula and teaching methods. In practice, this becomes evident by

the change of the design of the educational process where the participation of all students is

encouraged and supported, and the peer interaction is utilized as a source of learning and social

experiences.

The goal is twofold. On the one hand, it has to do with the emphasis on the cross-curricular

dimension of adequate and comprehensive knowledge in all scientific fields through the key skills,

which are essential for successful living in the 21st century and on the other hand it relates to the

development of all those qualifications that a man needs in order to be an active, democratic

citizen. The development of the democratic citizen and the focus on key skills for the society of the

21st century through the education of citizenship, shape the future citizen of Greece, the citizen of

the world.

Key-words: children's rights, key skills, vulnerable groups, democratic school, socialization,

participation, interaction, citizenship.

SLOVENIA_Karmen Klavzar:

DEMOCRATIC SCHOOL: Children's rights and participation in basic education

Since the choice about the title of pre-task was left to participants, I decided to

combine all options in the same result – to prepare a thoughtful response to the

question how the results based on previous work about the inclusion of young

people and children into civic education and the participation of youth are shown

after some years of common efforts in the field of education in our state.

When talking about children's rights and how are they can be experienced in

practice in everyday life in some schools in our country, I would like to present a

project which emphasises the fact that every child or every pupil is somehow an

Expert, with their knowledge coming from their own (school) experience (and

therefore they should be heard in this manner).

I would like to present some details about the project whose main purpose was to

help children with learning problems, which was held and organised as a

collaborative action of different institutions in recent years (Ministry of Education

and Sport, Faculty of Education and National Education Institute).

Closing conference of the project 'Pupils with learning problems – how to help and

support them' was held at the end of August at the Faculty of Education in Ljubljana.

When we ask ourselves how the participation of children is shown in practice we

should not forget about different NGO's organisations working with the so-called

'dropout pupils', helping them to re-integrate into the school system or to get a

suitable job. Some achievements of these organisations will be described and

shown.

Speaking and – more important – thinking about the inclusion of young people into

the sphere of civic education lead us to the basics of civic education, civil & human

rights and ethics. Perhaps it is necessary to consider a dialectical approach to the

inseparable notion of »human (or children) rights« and obligations to undrestand

the complexity of this matter better. I would like to point out the historical and

philosophical background of both notions and emphasise special importance of

using them in everyday life (when decisions are made – it does not matter if we talk

about choices and decisions made by policy makers or by the 'average' teacher in

school – if we used to claim: »every child matters« - we shoud be convinced about

it).

ALBANIA_Ina Kasimati:

In our education system in Albania, about 15 years ago began to implement a

project supported by Ministry of Education and the Soros Foundation in the

framework of children’ rights in school and their involvement in her life, “Students’

government. Under this model, students in the class, have voted and elected

senators, and a second vote elected President of the Senate, together with the

Prime minister and ministers. Organization and support of this structure in our

schools were identified by the normative acts of MES, as well as school rules. Also

under this regulation, two senior representatives of the Government of pupils, will

be part of the school board with voting rights equal to every other member.

Currently this organization continues today, as liaison, cooperation of the

management staff, teachers, regional education departments and MES with

students and pupils. To support, promote and protect children’s rights in school, is

also a Youth Parliament and Center of children ‘rights in Albania ( CRCA).

One of the best activities that have been at school about students involvement in

school, that debate was organized by student government and school board

identified problems with school fast food, a business license, but that had an impact

negative food safety, air pollution, safety at school to incineration, explosion using

of gas and electricity. Also being debated even for social impacts, economic families,

students, and transparency of the budget provided by the rent of this business. The

debate was accompanied by a petition to the head teacher as the main

responsibility of the welfare of the school and respect the rights of children in

school. In fact the debate was not easy, as head of the school used the open attacks,

dictionary arrogant and psychological violence against senators seeking persistently

to make their voices heard and be supported.

I was involved in several projects, such as "Far violence, live life." This was an artistic

activity, with paintings, photographs, posters made by students that as an

expression of respect and protection of their right to be not were violated/ The

impact of this activity was the media, after being held in some schools in Tirana and

was organized with the support of MES.

SERBIA_Marija Crnojevic:

STUDENT PARLIAMENTS LEGAL REGULATIONS

The new Law on Basics of Education System came into force in September, 2009

What student RIGHTS concerning education are defined by this law?

personal respect

good quality of received education

respect for students’ personal characteristics

1. support for special talents and affirmation of such talents

2. support for students with disabilities

protection against discrimination, violence, abuse and neglect.

What student RIGHTS concerning education are defined by this law?

right to start the initiative to determine responsibility when student rights

are being violated

ability to exercise all student rights

right to protection and school’s fair treatment of students, even when

students violate defined obligations

right to scholarships, loans, dormitory meals and lodging.

What student RIGHTS concerning education are defined by this law?

provision of timely and complete information on schooling issues, as well as

on rights and obligations

participation in activities of school bodies

freedom to join various groups, clubs

right to establish student parliament.

Student participation in school bodies under new Law

participation in school board activities

participation in activities of school bodies

participation in activities of student parliament.

Structure of student parliament

Two representatives of each class

Three representatives of each grade/year

Members are elected each school year by students from each class

Members of parliament elect the chairperson.

Parliament elects two student representatives to participate in school board

activities.

What is the students’ role in student parliament activities?

1) They give opinions and suggestions to school bodies concerning:

• school rules of conduct

• student safety measures

• annual plan of school activities

• sports and other activities.

What is the students’ role in student parliament activities?

they discuss the relationship and cooperation between students and

teachers, and the school environment

they actively participate in the development planning process and school’s

self-evaluation

they inform other students on student parliament activities:

- school development plan

- school curriculum and selection of textbooks

- extracurricular activities.

What is the role of members of student parliament in SCHOOL BOARD activities in

elementary schools?

attendance

participation in activities

no right to vote during decision-making.

What is the role of members of student parliament in SCHOOL BOARD activities in

high schools?

Attendance and participation in board activities:

when proposals for financial plans are being prepared

when school’s financial plans are being adopted

when management report, financial statements and excursion report are

being adopted

when applicants for the position of school principal are being invited

when making decisions on complaints and objections.

Which students participate in decision-making by school boards in high schools?

student parliament elects two students of legal age

they are members of a high school’s extended school board.

On which issues do these students make decisions?

1) adoption of bylaws:

statutes, rules of conduct, manuals ...

2) preparation and adoption of:

school curriculum, development plan, annual plan of school activities, evaluation

and self-evaluation.

Why is it important to include students in decision-making process?

it improves discipline

if students participate in adoption of rules, it is more likely they will comply with the

rules

it improves students’ learning and achievement

motivation is greater if they are given the possibility to choose what

and how to learn

students take responsibility

it is useless to talk of democracy, if we do not practice it

students gain experience in creating a democratic environment.

Preconditions for successful operation of student parliament

democratic election process

1. documents which provide for parliament operation should be prepared and

adopted

2. students should be informed about the importance and role of student

parliament and election process

3. all grades/classes should have their representatives

4. students should be nominated for student parliament based on the principle

of voluntary participation and equal opportunity for all.

Preconditions for successful operation of student parliament

principal, teachers, parents, ministry and local community should provide

conditions and support

1. school should provide place and time for operation of school parliament

2. representatives of student parliament should attend meetings of school

bodies

3. training concerning student parliament operation should be provided for

students, teachers, support staff and parents.

Preconditions for successful operation of student parliament

operation of student parliament should be public

student parliament sessions should be open to all interested persons

procedure for providing information on parliament operation should be well

developed

duties should be clearly assigned

monitoring/evaluation and self-evaluation procedure should be developed.

Preconditions for successful operation of student parliament

various/relevant activities of student parliament

1. most students should perceive student parliament as a place where they can

protect their rights, start initiatives and solve problems within the school

2. activities included in student parliament’s activity plan should be adjusted to

students’ needs

3. student parliament activities should be incorporated in school documents

4. student parliament should analyze its operation and plan further activities

based on such analysis.

A SUCCESSFUL student parliament?:

A PARLIAMENT WHICH ENABLES THE STUDENTS TO EXPERIENCE DEMOCRACY IN

SCHOOL!

FINLAND_Kaija-Leena Salovaara:

How Children's participation are shown in practice in your school's or your

country's everyday life?

At school:

Children take part in their daily work through co-operative learning. The main aim is

to teach the children evaluate their own skills and use them in the best way:

engage students to participate actively in the learning process

to guide the students to share responsibility for their own and their partners

learning

encourage pupils to learn and share knowledge together, instead learning

alone , compete or pledge the knowledge

to develop students cooperation, social, interpersonal and problem-solving

skills and attitude

to develop students' self-esteem, motivation, and to raise all pupils

quantitatively on better learning.

Student council

In most elementary schools there are student councils

represents students and organizes co-operation

which has representation from each grade levels

o student election

supervised by a teachers.

In Finland:

Finnish Children's Parliament

Aims: Children and adults work together

to develop new means for discourse between children and adult decision-

makers

to create evolving methods for children to have an influence within our

society

to support the development of independent and independently-thinking

citizens who believe that they can affect the society around them.

to provide as many Finnish children as possible with the opportunity to

experience co-operative participation and influence, as well as to enhance

children's media, democracy and lobbying skills.

The decisions made by children concern the practical aspect of children's rights. For

example, children create definitions and models for parliamentary activities, suggest

the best manner for implementing the nutritional recommendations proposed by

adults for the Finnish school system, and demand that adults propose

recommendations to prevent bullying and teasing in the schools.

Methods:

A virtual parliament

constructed online for the use of the Finnish Children's Parliament.

provides representatives with a place, independent of time and location, to

interact and further their activities.

The Board and Committees of the Children’s Parliament

o meet weekly online in chat rooms, and discuss issues and prepare for

future plenary sessions. The children carry this work out using

written agendas. The Chairmen of the Board and Committees

gradually assume their roles in leading the Committees, the Board

and the Parliament.

The members of the Children’s Parliament

o discuss issues online in their own discussion forums, respond to

surveys submitted by decision-makers, and hold a two-week long

online plenary session.

The Board and all of the children meet also in person, and the next physical

plenary sessions for all the children involved will be held in five cities.

Tampere will host the physical plenary session in 2011.

The Local Children’s Parliaments in Finland

The first county based children’s’ parliament was founded in Tampere in 2001. The

Children’s Parliament in Tampere has consolidated its’ position and it has taken

numerous initiatives in Tampere’s public administration. The schools take a vote on

representatives for children’s parliament every second year. The main aim is to help

to create culture of democracy to the comprehensive schools.

Every child

should be heard, get information about the matters which concern him

should be able to participate and influence on decision making

should learn the principles how to influence on a democratic society

should experience how to be important and respected in his own

community.

Nowadays there are more than 20 local children´s parliaments in Finland.

The Finnish Children’s Parliament Foundation

The Finnish Children’s Parliament is maintained by the Finnish Children´s Parliament

Foundation.

Task is

to be an uniting element of the children’s parliaments

to help the counties to found children’s parliaments

introduce into attitudes and declarations and further the progress of the

taken initiatives

to improve and to dersify interaction between public administration, schools

and the pupils

to offer consultation and produces material about the influence skills.

The aim is

to progress the international cooperation about developing democracy

education in comprehensive schools

to communicate between different countries and continents.

The Children’s Parliament Foundation has five full-time and one part-time

employees, as well as more than 60 adult volunteers carrying out support work as a

part of The Children´s Parliament Association.

In the early phases of our activities, the Ministry of Education set a target of 50

towns for participation. Altogether, however, nowadays the Parliament has

representatives from nearly 200 of Finland’s 342 municipalities, altogether 380

representatives.

Workshop -results

Task on workshop-session 11.10.2011 Every group member will present their pre-task to the other members of the group 2) While presenting your work tell the others at least:

The theme/ subject you were working with? Why did you choose this theme/subject? What kind of experiences you have had in your school and/or in your country?

3) While discussing and listening the presentations the group will raise three similarities and three differences they have found. 4) Do the poster that will also present either the identity of your group or its’ members. 5) Present the group work for the other participants. 6) Common discussion about the similarities, differences and experiences.

Similarities:

Our basic values:

Our challenges:

Questions on final workshop-session 13.10.2011:

1. Would you take some Finnish or other countries practices at home with you? Which ones and why? 2. Which of your own practices might be valuable to the other countries/schools/participants? Why? 3. Summary of what is left on the trip?

Then with your group: 4. Discuss with your group members of your reflections. 5. Team discussion from previous issues.

Group: Yiannakis Ioannou(Cyprus), Marija Crnojevic (Serbia), Carla Baptista (Portugal), Sanna Puputti

(Finland) and Daniela Firescu (Romania):

Group: Patrizia Passarelli (Italy), Karmen Klavzar (Slovenia), Mikhail Tekelis (Greece) and Kaija-

Leena Salovaara (Finland):

Feedback

Feedback of the workshop was asked on thursday 13th October on workshop summary by the following questions. Participants marked their opinion by the following scale: 5 = excellent, 4 = good, 3 = satisfactory, 2 = below average, 1 = poor

Average mark

The pretasks were 4,5 Did the content of the workshop meet your expectations 4,8 Did the content of the workshop meet your needs 4,5 Overall planning 4,9 General quality of lecturers 4,6 General atmosphere of the workshop 4,9 Documents and teaching materials 4,7 Accomodation 4,8 Food 4,8 Social activities 4,7 Organization of the workshop 4,9

Participants were also given the possibility to express their ’roses and twigs’ of workshop.

Personal comments and opinions of Helsinki 2011 workshop:

“I’d like to thank that you realized my plans to learn more & touched the reality of education system in Finland. I’m so enthusiastic from the visit at the Arabia-school (normal for you, but not normal for us). I know that when I’ll be back to Tirana I need to stay for some days like a stupid& after to wake up and start to do what I learned about in this workshop. I’d like to give your mark 4 (not 5) – for only one reason: I expected some practice examples (in classroom) how the school that visited has applicated the methodology against bullying. Many roses from social activities & dinners.

“The workshop managed to give me tools, techniques, information but most of all real experiences to bring home, to share with my colleagues, to put in practice with my students. The weak point of this is that it gave us mostly a general approach. We didn’t have enough time to go in the heart of some topics. Roses for organizers – great job, great trainers, great opportunity to meet interesting people, to learn, to improve. Kiitos!”

“I thank all of you for the warm hospitality and for the excellent organization. Just one complain: The workshop should have been longer so that we could have had more time for sharing our personal experiences and best practices from our countries. It was a pleasure to have known all of you and to get to know how your school system actually works and the successful practices you have shared with us. Thanks for this big experience. I hope there will be other opportunity to see each other again and to keep in touch!”

“The workshop was very well organized and the organizers very good. They managed to succeed the combination of running all the program formally and at the same time being friendly and warm with the group. They brought up their difficult role with success. Many thanks to Finland for giving me the chance to be part of this programme.”

o “Thanks to our lovely and talented leaders, you make it happen! o this workshop raised my awareness of the necessary of children participation, gave

me new points of view and very good ideas also to my private development o I will send my teachers to a workshop like this in the future”

o “Good feelings of mutual co-operation and co-working

o the good will to include each and everyone of us (thing about differences also) o flexible planning and good results of common work

o group dynamics

o ‘Finnish spirit’ o no hard feelings at all……….Thank you – all of you!”

“The atmosphere was great! Workshop was really well organized. There could have been even more group work.”

“I think that we all told already what we had. But once more, this was excellent workshop and very useful. I’m going back home with a large experience and I want to point that I am very happy, because I met a new colleagues and friends all over Europe. Thank you for all!”

“I had very important and interesting experience from this workshop. Especially from visit to Arabia –school. Many thanks for the arrangement to visit the school.”

“I think that for me it was very important to know better new real methods how to develop democratic-humanistic schools. The people of organization were very, very, very nice and attentive towards all participants.”

Thank you all!

Let’s keep in touch! As a matter of fact that started immediately. Since 13.10.2011 there is a new page in

Facebook by the name of PESTALOZZI HELSINKI: https://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/176973499050964/

Opetushallitus Finnish National Board of Education

PO Box 380, FI-00531 Helsinki, FINLAND puh./tel. +358 40 3487555, faksi/fax +358 40 348 7865 etunimi.sukunimi@oph.fi • firstname.lastname@oph.fi

www.oph.fi www.edu.fi