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Description
The project addresses the problem of peer-on-peer abuse and the lack of education on discrimination issues in Małopolska and Górny Śląsk schools. Classes on equality in schools are held intermittently. In 2020, Katowice and Kraków designated a few thousand or up to ten or twenty thousand PLN on classes to raise awareness of discrimination issues in schools. Meanwhile, the problem of violence in Polish schools is alarming - the percentage of young people who have experienced peer-on-peer violence, including emotional abuse, is as high as 15%. The governing majority is running a hate campaign targeting any equality initiatives and minorities. The situation in Małopolska is especially difficult. Persons who incite hate towards LGBT people and discredit concepts of human rights have been appointed to education authorities. Although the teaching community is subjected to intimidation, a large group of people continue to feel the need to counteract exclusion and hate speech. The Project Promoter will devise an online discrimination awareness course available during and after the project. Multimedia materials such as films, podcasts, graphic materials, and content-related materials will be produced for the course. Under the project, the Project Promoter will hold seven training sessions for a total of 140 people. The participants will also have access to content-related, psychological, and legal consultations. Two open expert seminars will also be held to supplement the training. At the end of the course, the project participants will conduct lessons on discrimination at their schools. The project is intended for teachers in Małopolska and in Górny Śląsk, and for pupils. Teachers will improve their competencies and motivation to conduct discrimination awareness classes. Awareness in the school community with respect to discrimination and peer-to-peer violence will improve, pupils will become more mindful of these problems, and the school itself will become a safer place.
Summary of project results
The project addresses the problem of peer violence and the lack of anti-discrimination education in schools in Malopolska and Upper Silesia. Equality education in schools is still marginal. Until 2020. Katowice and Krakow have allocated from a few to several thousand zlotys for anti-discrimination education in schools. Meanwhile, the problem is alarming - up to 15% of young people have experienced peer violence, including psychological violence. Until recently, the ruling majority waged a hate campaign against all equality initiatives and minorities. In the Malopolska region, the situation was particularly difficult, as the post of education superintendent was held by a person who incited hatred against LGBT people and discredited the idea of human rights. Although the teaching community was intimidated, there was still a large group of people who felt the need to get involved to counter exclusion and hate speech.
As part of the project, the promoter organised the ''Academy of Anti-Discrimination Education'' course, which was delivered in a hybrid format. An e-learning platform was created for the course and multimedia (videos, podcasts, graphics) and content materials were developed. A total of 7 hybrid trainings were delivered to teachers, educators and psychologists. The training was based on a course on the e-learning platform and two-day face-to-face meetings in Oświęcim. Each course lasted five weeks in total. The project produced a lot of educational materials: 50 video clips, 10 podcasts, 100 graphics with quotes on anti-discrimination education. During the online course, participants worked individually and in small groups on tasks based on a set of teaching materials and multimedia. They also had access to content and psychological support. At the end of the course, they delivered anti-discrimination lessons in primary and secondary schools, libraries and educational centres. A two-day conference on education and integration was also organised for a group of 40 graduates.
The project was aimed at teachers, educators and psychologists from Malopolska and Upper Silesia, as well as students. A total of 112 people benefited from the project. Teachers strengthened their competences and motivation to teach anti-discrimination education. The school community has become more aware of the phenomena of discrimination and peer violence, pupils have become more sensitive to these phenomena and the school itself has become a safer place. In the face of political pressure from the previous government to limit anti-discrimination education, the project became an important support for school staff from the Malopolska and Silesia voivodships, offering them a comprehensive training programme.