Description
The project aims at diagnosing, monitoring and preventing discrimination of the non-believing minority in schools of Lubelskie. Its objective is to prevent discrimination and indoctrination connected with lessons of ethics and religion, school events, educational and pedagogical principles and practices. Beneficiaries of the project will also include religious minorities - and in general, all people encountering educational practices infringing schoolchild dignity, the rights of children and the right of parents to bring up their children in line with their own view of the world. Elaboration of informational materials for parents and teachers, working out diagnosis for school directors, trainings for school directors and local government officials and a social campaign enhancing awareness of social diversity and equality of rights forms are planned in the frame of the project. The activities are focused on deepening the awareness of schoolchildren and their parents in the field of human rights (and in particular rights of children and schoolchildren), enhancing assertiveness of the group in their contacts with teachers and educational authorities.
Summary of project results
"In Poland, schools are insufficiently religiously neutral and are infiltrated by catholic content in terms of both school community life (e.g. catholic ceremonies organised in schools), and the very school space (e.g. catholic symbols present in schools). The principle of secular school is also breached by insufficient access to lessons of ethics which should form an alternative for children not participating in lessons of catholic religion. The verdict of the European Court of Human Rights in the case Grzelak vs. Poland led to implementation of new regulations in this field. Though schools are obliged to organise lessons of ethics (even if only one child wants to attend them), not all educational institutions implement the new requirement and parents are not aware of the existing regulations in this field. The aim of the project was to counteract discrimination in schools on the ground of religion/belief in Lubelskie voivodeship and enforcing the regulations on access to lessons of ethics. The implemented activities led to increased number of schools in Lubelskie voivodeship where lessons of ethics are organised (from 36 to 108). Under the project, parents were informed on the obligation to organise lessons of ethics on the part of schools through special web page, distribution of informational leaflets in schools in Lubelskie voivodeship and billboards. 300 parents and schoolchildren were also supported in the process of organising lessons of ethics. The support was given through telephone conversations and email correspondence. In addition, a report was prepared to summarise results of questionnaire survey among heads of schools (233 persons participated in the survey) and recommendations for schools were developed. Seven antidiscrimination workshops were also organised for 85 persons employed in educational institutions. Beneficiaries of the project were 300 persons who received support in enforcing the obligation on the part of schools to organise lessons of ethics and 85 persons employed in educational institutions who participated in the antidiscrimination workshops."
Summary of bilateral results