Extremism and Democracy

It is the task of the school management to prevent extremist tendencies, to keep an eye on the situation if these tendencies occur and if so, to be ready to take action.

September 11, 2001, had a profound influence on the world. Terror, fundamentalism and extremist views have become more predominant, and extremism has become a main issue in the debate on democracy and freedom of speech.

Extremism has also become a factor in the daily life of some schools. Although actual extremist behaviour is rare, an increasing number of schools experience problematic tendencies.

This involves e.g. racism, or students who exercise social control e.g. by forcing other students to wear special clothes, or observe religious festivals. Some students also warn their fellow students about education in topics such as democracy, sex equality, sex instruction, and evolutionism.

Students with extremist views may be influenced by family, religious guides, school friends, and extremist web-sites on the internet. A few schools have experienced that right-wing, or religious extremist movements have attempted to gain access to the school with the intention to recruit supporters among the students.

Even though any school in theory shall respect different views of the students, the specific school should consider how to deal with extremist views of the students. Especially as the school is responsible for ensuring that no student is subject to compulsion and is personally intimidated to adopt certain values and views by other students or individuals outside the school.

In other words, school managements and teachers around the country shall consider how to deal with extremist statements and actions in and outside the school. The school management has a mission of preventing extremist tendencies, keeping a sharp watch on school activities, and taking adequate measures when problems occur.

These measures may imply:

The school formulates a set of social norms and values regarding social contact between students, and sees to that all students are familiar with these standards.
All teachers know how to deal with extremist behaviour and tendencies.
The school has firm procedures preventing any teacher from having to deal with the issues alone. Thus the school management shall clarify the guideline directions in order to prevent any uncertainty regarding responsibility.
The school benefits from a close and trustful collaboration with the parents

Extremism

The terms is used to describe radical, political views or currents that reject the democratic system, the constitutional state, pluralism, and democratic procedures of creating political solutions without using violence and terror. In a democratic perspective, extremism is the exact opposite to democracy.

Fundamentalism

The term is used to describe literal religious observance that may be connected with a political and/or ideological programme. For example Christian, Jewish or Islamic fundamentalism. The term fundamentalism is often used in a negative context synonymous with fanaticism and irrationality. However it would be more correct to describe the phenomenon as an alternative to the relativistic reading of the scriptures of the secular society and its belief in scientific breakthroughs.

Source: The Great Danish Encyclopedia

Interview

Lise Egholm

Consequence Is the Solution

Well-defined rules and a consequent course of action are indispensable measures when it comes to combating extremism and extremist tendencies. Furthermore a school shall never compromise with the fundamental values of the Basic Education Act, says headmaster, Lise Egholm, of Rådmandsgade Skole at Nørrebro.

On one occasion the extremist movement Hizb-ut-Tahrir infiltrated the Rådmandgade Skole at Nørrebro in Copenhagen via the cricket team of the school. When headmaster Lise Egholm discovered this, she took immediate action. She closed the team temporarily and spoke unmistakable to the students of the team.

“I told them that they can support any movement they want, but these activities are not accepted at the school. Furthermore I told them that Hizb-ut-Tahrir was a bad influence on them,” says Lise Egholm

This approach clearly mirrors her position with regards to combating extremist tendencies in the school. Namely by taking immediate and consequent course of action no matter how insignificant the tendencies or incidents are:

“Both leaders and teachers shall be alert and take action even in connection with minor incidents, as numerous tendencies occur on a small scale all the time.”

Dialogue with Students and Parents

Fortunately, the minor incidents are in majority at the school where 80 percent of the students are bilingual. Palestinian students who cut out the Israeli flag of the class atlas. A student, who refuses to participate in music class, because it is forbidden by the Koran, and afterwards influences his schoolmates. Students, who exulted and waved flags in the schoolyard in the aftermath of the terror attack on September 11, 2001.

When such incidences occur, Lise Egholm or the relevant teacher normally get hold of the student(s) and parents, and unmistakably make it clear that this behaviour will be not tolerated at the school:

“All teachers know the position of the school, and are competent to take on a so-called cultural conversation with the parents. It is a part of our everyday school life. Furthermore the teachers know that they can always contact me for help.”

Lise Egholm warns against the misplaced over-humanistic approach of many teachers towards students who have a different ethnical background.

“I.e. accepting intolerable behaviour on account that they have a different cultural background. This approach is very dangerous, because it favours the most extreme views,” says Lise Egholm, who admits being, on occasions, too over-humanistic herself.

“Perhaps it is a typical Danish mentality. Fortunately, my Kurdish supervisor arrests me when I am about to make this typical mistake. He is very important for our school, because he always sees things in another perspective that me.”

Practical Compromises

Lise Egholm although emphasises that everyday school life is based on dialogue, and that she makes compromises all the time ensuring that everyday school life runs smoothly.

“At a school with so many bilingual students, you have to make compromises,” says Lise Egholm. As an example, she mentions one student who was not allowed to paint human beings in art class, because, according to his father, it is forbidden by the Koran. After having discussed the matter at great length, the father and Lise Egholm agreed that the student was allowed to paint human beings, as long as they were covered a bit by trees and leaves.

“It may seem foolish to agree on that. Though I cannot continue arguing forever, and I did in fact get him to paint human beings. This is an example of the kind of practical compromises I enter into all the time. Then again I never make compromises in relation to the overall fundamental values, which we are obliged to comply with in accordance with the Primary and Lower Secondary School Act.”