Description
The project in a response to the growing problem of discrimination and violence motivated by prejudice in polish schools and to the lack of knowledge and competences among teachers on how to counteract discrimination. The program “School of equal treatment" aims at educating and activating teachers in the field of preventing and combating discrimination, as well as related violent behaviours in Polish schools. It is project-based - each of the direct recipients, after relevant training, will be responsible for preparation and implementation of anti-discrimination project tailored to their local conditions with the participation of local institutions, informal groups, local leaders and schoolchildren. All teachers participating in the initiative will meet in Warsaw. The most active participants will be given the opportunity to deepen their knowledge and program further activities during the Summer Anti-discrimination Academy, organised for teachers and their pupils. The final result of the “School of equal treatment" will be a booklet presenting examples of good practices and recommendations for anti-discrimination activists.
Summary of project results
About 4,000 foreign children attended Polish schools in 2007 and this number is expected to grow. Schools are not always adequately prepared to counteract discrimination and to teach in classes that are socially diversified. Independently from the absence of systemic solutions, a number of problems originates from insufficient skills of the teaching staff. The project aimed to strengthen teachers' competences at all education levels within counteracting discrimination and responding to the cases of unequal treatment and school violence. In the result of the project antidiscrimination activities were initiated in sixty educational establishments all across Poland. Two weekend conventions for teaching staff from all over Poland were organized and covered the strengthening of the following competences: identifying incidents related to discrimination, responding and counteracting discrimination, managing conflict situations and designing equality activities in educational establishments. After having been trained, the participants planned and executed antidiscrimination initiatives in their schools and local communities with the support of the trainers. School projects covered a variety of subjects and made use of various activation tools and methods. Equality Week under the aegis of the city mayor was organized in Gdynia. A live library was organized in Jasło and a Tolerance March in Rumia. Many schools have developed and adopted Equal Treatment Codes. The schools that participated in the project have received an Equal Treatment School badge during a wrap-up conference in the Polish parliament. The most active students and teachers took part in the Summer Antidiscrimination Academy during vacation time. The final deliverable of the project, targeted at people intending to tackle antidiscrimination theme in schools, was a brochure in which project participants shared their experience and provided valuable guidelines on the initiation of antidiscrimination activities in local communities and educational establishments. The beneficiaries of the project amounted to 60 teachers and 37 students who participated in educational activities. Partner organization had an advisory role in the project and used its many years of expertise within fighting prejudice and hate crimes.
Summary of bilateral results