Description
The project has a nationwide scope and concerns the issue of unequal treatment on the basis of gender in terms of the contents of teaching materials, and in particular the choice and interpretative strategies of obligatory reading materials in elementary and middle schools. The planned activities are aimed to sensitise the participants and persons involved in education, as well as to introduce the gender perspective into teaching curricula of Polish language and literature lessons. The project will consist of: carrying out a qualitative analysis of the contents of the reading lists of Polish literature classes; creating a list of texts presenting non-stereotypical models of masculinity and femininity; carrying out a social campaign about masculinity and femininity in school reading lists. In accordance with the principle “nothing about us, without us” students, teachers and representatives of non-governmental organisations and institutions connected to education and gender equality will be involved in these activities.
Summary of project results
"Teaching content contributes to reproducing and preserving harmful gender stereotypes. For many years, non-governmental organisations have highlighted and documented many aspects of the problem (e.g. analysis of teaching programmes and of the contents of handbooks), but so far nobody has dealt with the set of required school readings. The project aimed at taking into account content related to gender equality in Polish language lessons in primary and secondary schools, and was focused on how school readings are selected and discussed with students. As a result of the activities led under the project, teachers were supplied with educational tools sensitive to gender problems that let them discuss with students school readings taking into account the principle of gender equality, and indicate a set of additional readings presenting non-standard models of manhood and womanhood. Under the project, a report documenting the problem of reproducing harmful gender stereotypes in school readings and the ways in which they are discussed with students was prepared. The report was based on a quality analysis of school readings, information gathered during a competition for school students on their favourite fictional character, and an opinion survey led among teachers. Using ten scenarios of Polish lessons proposing a critical evaluation of gender patterns and norms contained in school readings that were developed under the project, test lessons were led in schools. An alternative school reading list was also prepared, presenting characters of both sexes in a way that is free from gender stereotypes. Beneficiaries of the project are 3 female teachers and 143 school students of both sexes."
Summary of bilateral results