Catalogue of examples

The Primary and Lower Secondary School

The everyday school life shall be pervaded by a fundamental democratic mindset, which is also stipulated in the objects clauses of the Primary and Lower Secondary School and the Private Independent Schools.

Primary and Lower Secondary Schools and private schools have a key position in relation to teaching students the principles of democracy. Besides systematic teaching of the formal democratic decisionprocesses and basic rules, the everyday school life shall be organised so that the students experience how democracy function in practice.

Teaching both theoretical and practical democracy is characteristic of the Danish school system. Teachers of history and social studies have a special obligation in relation to teach the students about basic procedures and the pillars of democracy, which is stipulated in the curriculum of the two subjects. Furthermore students must be aware of the dangers of departing from the principles of freedom of speech, religious freedom etc.

The everyday school life shall be pervaded by a fundamental democratic mindset, which is also stipulated in the objects clauses of the Primary and Lower Secondary School and the Independent Private Schools. Thus Danish students will in the course of their school life be introduced to the principle of social rights and duties, and they will learn that they have a personal responsibility for the community. In the course of their school life, they will also discover that they are free individuals, though only to a certain extent out of regard for other individuals. Democratic behaviour is based on equality and mutual respect.

Creating an everyday school life where social and cultural differences are respected constitute another key aspect of the education in democracy, though it is vital that the school maintains discipline and cracks down on statements and actions that go against fundamental democratic behaviour.

The following examples treat schools who have initiated special projects on democracy and democratic values that go beyond the prescribed basic curriculum.

The examples refer among others to theme-weeks dealing with democracy, human rights, tolerance, freedom of speech and citizenship. The examples illustrate that the awareness of citizenship and democracy of the students are strengthened by teaching formal democratic structures and by debating fundamental values in a multicultural society.

There are example of schools that attach great importance to student influence on the teaching, and wish to stimulate the students’ urge to comment on both educational matters in general and other aspects of school life. Class meetings and student councils provide e.g. an excellent opportunity in relation to practising student democracy. In this context it is vital that student council is a democratic organ in coherence with the everyday school life.

A democratic debate stipulates comprehensible guidelines directions regarding dialogue routines, both in relation to the teaching, and not least between students. Some examples focus on strengthening the social life in a specific class by preparing rules on social interaction. The term respect is often mentioned – especially in connection with conflict resolution, and handling of extremist views.

The chapter is concluded by contributions from headmaster Palle Kristensen from Søholtskolen at Brøndby Strand, and headmaster Henning Grønborg from Bakkeskolen in Esbjerg. The two schools attach great importance of teaching students how to interact democratically. Fundamental values, rights and duties shall be comprehensible, and the integration task has a high priority. The contribution focuses on how to handle statements and actions among the students that violate fundamental values regarding tolerance, respect and equality.

Examples

Democracy and Cultural Understanding

DIA Privatskole, Copenhagen

DIA Privatskole is an Arabic-Islamic private school located on the border between Nørrebro and Østerbro in Copenhagen. According to the objects clause of the school, the school wishes to create a humane, but authoritative educational environment where students from different social backgrounds and different nationalities have an opportunity to develop personally and socially, and attain harmonious relations to class mates and a positive view of the Danish society.

In order to strengthen the students’ democratic sense of belonging, understanding of their own role and opportunities in relation to participating in the democratic society, the school in 2006 decided to integrate the objectives in both social and academic teaching.

DIA Private School also teaches the students how to debate in a proper manner and behave formally in a gathering or a group of people. To promote the sense of responsibility, a students’ council has been established which gathers every month. The older students of the students’ council must e.g. assist teachers on playground duty.

In February 2006, DIA Private School held a feature week on democracy concentrating on the following themes:

1.-3. grade did theatre/role playing. The students acted minor families where the children had joint influence on for example deciding where to spend their summer holiday, or how to furnish the new house. Friday the students acted these role plays in front of the parents. Their parents were generally very content with the feature week.

At 4.-6. grade, a school paper was e.g. completed containing interviews with students and teachers who expressed their views regarding improvements of the educational environment of the school. The students also visited Christiansborg (the Parliament), which significantly interested the students.

At 7.-9. grade, the students formed “political parties.” The students were divided into groups in order to create a political party and promote this party in front of the other students from 7.-9. grade. Hereafter, “elections” were held in the classes. The school had also invited the local politician Peter Schluter who debated social aspects with the students. The atmosphere in the hall was fine during the meeting, and the students were very inquisitive.

The school experiences that the feature week has contributed to make the students aware of the fact that they personally can gain influence and responsibility in the society, if you comply with the fundamental democratic procedures.

Friendship Classes:
DIA Privatskole believes that it is very important that the students interact with the local community and the rest of the country. Accordingly, DIA Privatskole has contacted other schools – and has established friendship classes with among others Ollerup Friskole, Carolineskolen, and Bordings Friskole (the school has without result attempted to establish friendship classes with Primary and Lower Secondary Schools)

When two classes from fourth grade of the DIA Privatskole and Ollerup Friskole meet, differences and similarities in the students’ daily family life were among others debated, and when two classes from seventh grade got together, freedom of speech was on the programme.

Both aims and means are continuously evaluated by the employees and the students in collaboration with their teachers. The objects clause on democracy will be integrated in the specific objectives for all age groups by the end of 2006.

The Juvenile Parliament

Fuglsanggårdsskolen, Virum

Having experienced that students often find democracy and politics boring, a group of teachers of Fuglsanggårdskolen in Virum decided that one class should join the competition of gaining seats in the Juvenile Parliament of Folketinget (the Danish Parliament) in April 2005.

To join the competition and gain seats in the Juvenile Parliament, which is assembled every second year, the students shall prepare and introduce a Bill. In connection with the preliminary exercises, which are based on teaching material of the Department of Information of Folketinget, the students are divided into groups, consisting of three students, who choose a party to represent and a main issue. At Fuglsanggårdskolen, the students prepared an election speech, election posters, and recorded an election film. Finally, Folketinget chooses 60 of the proposals submitted, and invites three students from each winning class to join the Juvenile Parliament. Thus 178 students gain a seat in Juvenile Parliament. Seat 179 is attributed to the Chairman of Folketinget. The final gathering takes place in the Hall of Folketinget.

The Bill of the students stipulated that all students should have a computer. During the course of preparing the Bill, the students e.g. calculated the number of students in question, and contacted computer manufacturers like DELL and IBM etc.

The project was sustained by the fact that Fuglsanggårdskolen is a flexible school, which makes it possible to draw on several teachers their special competences, and organise the teaching with total focus on the project for a period.

In retrospect, the teachers estimate that the project gave the students a completely different and uplifting experience, and as result the students now have a far superior understanding of politics. The students are more eager to bring something up for discussion, and teachers feel that it has become much easier to approach matters from a political angle. In connection with later projects, the students did e.g. not hesitate to contact local politicians, and it appears, in general, that the students are more open towards the political system.

Besides arranging the Juvenile Parliament, Folketinget also offers the opportunity of being “A Politician for a Day.” In the basement under Christiansborg, a visiting centre has been established, where the students can participate in an advanced role play centred around a mini version of Folketinget, complete with the hall of Folketinget, the lobby, committee rooms, and parliament member offices.

Further information:
Further information regarding the offers of Folketinget for senior classes is found at the Child and Juvenile Portal of Folketinget: www.ungtinget.dk

Democratic Education

Marie Jørgensens Skole, Odense

Marie Jørgensens Skole, a private Primary and Lower Secondary School in Odense, has designed the course General Education and Democracy, after the school and the school board in many years have focussed on fundamental values. The school had come to the conclusion that the fundamental values of the youth of today do not constitute a general set of values passed on from earlier generations. Instead life is conditioned by separate choices, and thus often disconnected from a greater set of values.

In order to prepare among others the students for these future choices, the school have decided to design a course named General Education and Democracy. The course shall teach the students to form their own personal judgments, and to debate with others in respect of conflicting views. The course deals with debating attitudes and views in relation to each age-group with one lesson a week from pre-school to tenth grade.

The course is based on oral discussions, where fundamental values are debated, views formed and tested with the teacher in charge. The teacher shall naturally express his or hers personal views.

A syllabus for the course has been prepared to be evaluated and revises every year. The course is currently being evaluated by teachers and students. Furthermore the parents, who have also embraced the course with great interest, and find it innovative, will also be involved.

The students are engaged in the course and eager to contribute. By debating and examining different views and attitudes – issues they also bring home for further discussion – the students become more capable of handling a complex world.

Further information:
The syllabus of the course General Education and Democracy is found on the web-site of the school. We have joint responsibility, Article in the periodical Free Primary and Lower Secondary Schools, June 2005.

Democracy in the School

Carolineskolen, Østerbro, Copenhagen

At Carolineskolen, a Jewish private school located at Outer Østerbro in Copenhagen, they have an objective of teaching the students to have confidence in themselves, express their personal views, and joint responsibility through the daily school work in the class and in the students’ council. As a consequence, in 2001 the school decided to prepare a written document on how to deal with the objective at the various age groups.

The document describes the general objectives in relation to treating democracy at the various age groups. The 15 teachers of the school prepared the goal setting on the basis of a working paper drafted by the deputy headmaster. The central starting point of the document is: 1. Democracy is a way of life – a certain way of interacting socially. 2. Democracy means freedom and responsibility for personal choices. 3. Knowledge is a precondition for democracy. This leads to the following general objectives:

Concrete objectives have been formulated in relation to three different levels: A: Pre-school class; B: third, fourth, fifth and sixth grade; C: seventh, eighth and ninth grade.

The goal setting has contributed to the fact that joint participation of the students has become an integrated part of the school culture. The school estimates that the efforts have meant that the students’ democratic debating skills have improved significantly.

Further information:
Objectives for the three levels are printed at the web-site of the school under “Democracy.”

Education in Citizenship

Stevnsgade Skole and Sjællandsgade Skole, Nørrebro, Copenhagen

For a long period a minor group of students expressed a conflicting attitude towards the school and the local community, and the teachers experienced a tendency of developing a counter culture in contrast with the fundamentals values of citizenship. Consequently, the teachers at Stevnsgade Skole and Sjællandsgade Skole decided to stop this negative development, and have initiated a course (pilot project) in order to strengthen the sense of community, joint responsibility, inclusion, and develop and culture of citizenship.

The ambition of the project is partly to bring the negative atmosphere to an end, reflected by derogatory language, mobbing, and a lack of respect, and partly to hinder more students from leaving the school. The objective is to create a school which, both now and in the future, has accommodation for and represents the great ethnic multiplicity of the local area, focussing on citizenship on the basis of the numerous human resources of the school.

The educational methods of teaching citizenship are based on concrete experiences in relation to the education in topics and procedures of citizenship by means of recognizing.

At the annual Citizenship project week, the students deal with various aspects of citizenship; multiplicity, conflict resolution, human and children’s rights, duties, cultural differences, the conditions of minorities, identity etc.

So far the schools have agreed on the following themes for the different age groups. Moreover, the theme citizenship is integrated into all aspects of the annual course of study of the teachers. The objective is that the students get through all themes during their school course, and finally receive a citizenship certificate.

Further information:
The project runs from 2005-2007. Material is found at the web-sites of the schools.

Socratic Dialogue Groups

Heimdalsgades Overbygningsskole (HGO), Nørrebro, Copenhagen

Heimdalsgades Overbygningsskole (HGO), at Nørrebro in Copenhagen, in 2002 commenced a triennial pilot project on Socratic Dialogue Groups. The school had just been appointed as a pilot school with emphasise on project organising and joint student responsibility. Thus the teaching is to a large extent organised thematically, focussing on training the students to form personal judgements and improve debating skills. In this context, values and differences in values will to a large extent be in focus. On this background, the school believed that there was a need for creating a formal setting for debating values and attitudes.

The Socratic dialogue group is an ethic way of communicating which is immediately based on personal experiences and conclusion of cultural differences, but which aims at creating an “investigative community,” that goes beyond personal attitudes an cultural differences. The dialogue is based on specific basic rules.

The participants are not allowed to involve outside authorities in the debate. The students suggest issues to debate, e.g. “What is faith?”, “What is a good friendship?”, “What is a good upbringing?”. The most popular issue is chosen. In the event that the students cannot agree on one issue, a voting is held.

A facilitator and an observer also participate in order to help the progress.

The students of the multi-cultural school have learned a great deal about their fellow students across different cultures, and have been offered the opportunity for a better understanding of different views and attitudes. Thus they have gained new insights. Moreover, the method gives the students an opportunity to touch some of the complicated issues that youngsters often muse on, but generally are too blunt to talk about. The rules of the method make it legitimate to talk about these issues.

Further information:
Finn Thorbjørn Hansen: Socratic Citizenship. On Ethics and Democratic Education on Multi-cultural Sschools. The periodical Uddannelse (Education) No. 8, 2002. Published by the Ministry of Education.

Education in Democracy – Strengthening the Students’ Council

Abildgårdskolen, Odense

Education in democracy can e.g. be realized through the students’ council, because it provides an opportunity to work with democratic procedures in practice. Abildgårdskolen in Odense has in recent years attempted to strengthen the democracy by strengthening the students’ council. Partly because the school wanted to take the objective of teaching democracy seriously, and partly because the students had a request for extra meetings in the students’ council and gain more influence on some of the aspects of the school.

Up to 2003, the contact teacher should convene the council, decide on the agenda, head and take minutes of the meeting. Hereafter, the students’ council decided to hand over these tasks to the chairman and vicechairman. But as the chairman and vice-chairman attended ninth grade, and at the turn of the year no longer had enough time to fulfil their tasks, it was decided that all the members of the students’ council should take turns at it. Thus the role of the contact teacher is more that of a coach who can intervene if he considers it necessary.

It has also been important to find issues that will give the students a sense of success, and demonstrate efficiency with regard to themselves, their fellow students and the school. In 2004 the members participated in the organising of a friendly football festival, and in the school year of 2005-2006, the students’ council participated in the preparation of the educational environment report of the school. Thus it is not only a matter of teaching students how democracy works, but also a matter of looking after the interests of the students through the students’ council. In order to be successful, it is vital that the students’ council becomes an integrated part of the democratic work that pervades every aspect of the school culture.

The school respects the students as democratic associates, and already in pre-school class, the school commences to train the students regularly in debating common issues. During the introductory period, it may concern the step-by-step training. Older students debate e.g. the environment of the class. The students shall learn to take the class meeting seriously as the forum where you debate and identify issues concerning the contentment of the specific student and the general environment of class. At the class meeting, the students get formal training in heading a meeting, preparing it, taking minutes, and carrying out the resolutions.

According to the school, having a committed contact teacher and a supporting headmaster is not adequate. Formal and regular training, and preferably in a multi-cultural context, is necessary. Otherwise, informal ways of debating take over.

The course has been evaluated because it formed part of a research and development project by employees of CVU Fyn/Odense Seminarium. In this connection, it is estimated that the students, to a higher extent, listen, speak in turns, and are aware of and notices the conclusions of the debates. Furthermore the students’ council has decided that only one of the two persons appointed as chairman and vice-chairman may come from ninth grade, and that this person is up for election in January.

The students’ council is always on the programme at the staff meetings, and approximately every third month the students’ council is placed on the programme for discussion. A well-functioning students’ council requires wide support from all teachers.

Further information:
A working list on the students’ council is found at the web-site of the school. Read also the article by Jens Peter Christiansen and Stefan Ting Graf at www.folkeskolen.dk about the contrast between teachers’ and students’ perception of the students’ council – Students’ Council – A Unique Opportunity

Class Meeting – An Opportunity for Understanding Democratic Processes

Vestre Skole, Odense

At Vestre Skole in Odense a teacher has regularly held class meetings with the students since their early ages. The idea came because it was a so-called difficult class. Originally, the class meetings were held with the teacher totally in charge. But in connection with a democracy project, the teacher decided to let the students to a still higher degree conduct their own meetings. This was successfully carried out from sixth grade and further on.

The class meetings were conducted twice a week for the duration of 15 minutes. The meetings have a clear and well-defined form. At each meeting, a chairman, a rapporteur, and a “policeman” are appointed. The rapporteur is primarily responsible for ensuring that the students do not interrupt each other, speak properly to one another, and has also the right to call for a timeout in relation to the process. So far the teacher has carried out this assignment.

The students have the opportunity to bring up issues, and they are all together responsible for reaching a possible resolution. In the class there is a list where the students may submit any issue they wish to discuss, and at the class meeting, the student who has proposed to bring up the issue must give an account of the issue in question. If the class fails to reach a solution, the teacher will inform the students on the circumstances, e.g. when it has to do with the rules of the school.

The method has contributed to creating a superior environment in the class, and most remarkable, the quiet and bilingual students have now become visible and are not afraid to speak up. The efforts have united the class, who wanted to resume the class meetings after a pause, because new problems had occurred. All in all, the number of conflicts has decreased due to the common understanding that has evolved during the public séances in the class.

In relation to debating political topics – in the subject history the students e.g. discussed an eventual lowering of the age limit in connection with political elections – it became apparent that the students had developed a superior understanding of the different views of the political parties.

The attempt to involve the students in the process of conducting the class meetings has been evaluated, because it formed part of a greater research and development project conducted by employees of CVU Fyn/Odense Seminarium.

Further information:
Jens Peter Christiansen and Stefan Ting Graf – The Class Meeting – Democratic Conflict Resolution and Development of the Community – at www.folkeskolen.dk, and in the periodical Unge Pædagoger No. 4/5, 2005.

A School Free of Mobbing Creating Opportunities

Vejlby Skole, Århus

On the basis of a memorandum from the students’ council, Vejlby Skole declared in 1999 that it was a school free of mobbing. Ever since it has been the official politics of the school that it will not tolerate mobbing, that it intervenes when it occurs, and that it develops instruments to carry out the objective. The school has focussed its effort of eradicating mobbing in close relation to other initiatives, e.g. order in class, and development of the inclusive school.

Declaring the school free of mobbing does not mean that it does not exist. But the school consequently intervenes each time it occurs. Due to the fact that the school has prepared a plan regarding prevention, and a plan on how to intervene, the teachers know to handle the problems.

The school has gradually developed a number of instruments to support the vital effort of preventing mobbing:

Social education forms part of the timetable, which means that all teachers are obliged to deal with social education at class meetings. A tool kit to enhance the social competences of the students has been prepared. It is a commented list consisting of different instruments to be used in relation to the efforts of combating mobbing at the introductory period of school attendance, at intermediate level, and at the final years of compulsory schooling.

In each class a set of rules on good conduct is prepared and revised once a year. The school has also implemented friendship classes. Thus a pre-school class has a friendship class at fifth grade, a class in first grade has a friendship class at sixth grade and so on. This ensures that the youngest students always have friend among the older students.

Finally, an Anti Mobbing Council, AMC, has been established consisting of two representatives from each of the classes from sixth grade and further on, and which is responsible for keeping in touch with the youngest classes. The council meets with the teacher who is responsible for the efforts once a month, and eventual problems both in the young and older classes are reported. These students also attend other arrangements outside the school and they are thus challenged in many ways.

The plan which takes effect in the event of mobbing has four stages:

• Firstly, the CCC teacher (conduct, contact, contentment) commences a conversation with the involved students. The conversation is systematically built up and is very efficient. Most cases end at this level. • The next stage engages the class who agree on how to solve the problem. Only few cases reach this stage. • The third stage engages the parents actively in solving the problem. This takes place at the school office. • At fourth stage, the case is handed over to the social authorities. The last two stages have not yet been utilized.

A CCC teacher is responsible for ensuring that the school maintains its objectives. It has also proved necessary to constantly revise the efforts. The school conducts an evaluation of the extent of mobbing once a year, based on an inquiry form prepared by the National Council for Children. Based on empirical methods, this evaluation can illustrate to which extent the efforts bear fruit.

In 2002 Århus Kommune passed a bill on school politics to ensure all children a safe daily life: It states that all students shall fell that the school is a place that promotes community and protects them from mobbing and other kinds of violation. In 2003 Århus Kommune prepared a tool kit to deal with mobbing. It contains different material, among others inspiration to preparation of an action and contingency plan, and inspiration for activities and education.

Further information:
At the web-site of Vejlby Skole is among others a status review and a description of the tool kit. The tool kit of Århus Kommune is found at www.aarhuskommune.dk.

The School for All Children in the School District

Bakkeskolen, Esbjerg

The efforts of Bakkeskolen in Esbjerg were motivated by a resolution by the local authorities stipulating that all schools shall make an effort to create the inclusive school. The objective is to create an inclusive local school that respects and embraces all students who live in the local area of the school. Thus the school has undergone a process where the concept of education was made wider in relation to students with specific needs, and where the school had to alter the organisation of the teaching to achieve the objective.

Throughout the process of creating the inclusive school, it has been an objective to alter the organisation of the education so that the specific class and student would have fewer teachers. In order to strengthen the academic learning, the school has established year group teams, subject teams and a number of academic centres that provide academic support in relation to the year group team. The year group team is responsible for all basic teaching, including special needs education and Danish as second language as the Law stipulates that Danish as second language is a dimension in all teaching. The teachers shall be ready to meet the students and not the opposite. All resources lie with the year group team that is responsible for organising the teaching in accordance with the specific individual needs of the students – using differentiated teaching and alternating formation of teams.

The academic centres shall assist the year group team with academic resources, and they are also responsible for taking initiatives in relation to educational development and implementation of central projects. Furthermore the school allows the teams to allocate teacher resources across the specific year group teams if necessary for the benefit of an early and preventive effort.

The school puts great efforts into ensuring that the students master Danish, and is constantly focusing on reading. Subject teams for all subjects have been established focussing on subject themes and didactics, and not least evaluation of the teaching. The team sets annual objectives to be evaluated in the course of the year. The evaluation is systematic and in writing and must be followed up.

In order to comply with the objective of inclusive all students in the school district, the school holds every year a briefing session where the management and parent representatives inform the future parents about the school politics. The school experiences that an increasing number of parents from the school district now choose to enrol their children at Bakkeskolen.

Furthermore the efforts are evaluated once a year by the educational team, and the last evaluation was conducted by the means of a questionnaire examination among the teachers. Moreover, the school has experienced that destruction of property at the school has diminished substantially indicating that the students fell a joint responsibility in relation to the school.

Although the school is planning to significantly enhance the educational latitude, it is expected that approximately five to six percent of the students will still require special needs education. But they will not qualify for special needs education before the preventive initiatives have been applied and afterwards considered inadequate. Furthermore the school warns politicians against the inclusiveness trap that arises in connection with insufficient resources and competences.

Further information:<
Henning Grønborg: Challenges in the Class Room. The periodical Uddannelse No. 7, 2007. Published by the Ministry of Education.

Rules of Good Form

Bryndum Skole, Esbjerg

In continuation of the school policy of 2005-2008 of the Commune of Esbjerg, which states that the schools within the district of Esbjerg shall develop a democratic culture, Bryndum Skole made the decision to commence the project rules of good form starting from the beginning of the school year 2005-06. The project was prepared by a working group in cooperation with the educational council and the council for security and co-operation, and was finally approved by the school board.

The new school year begins with a theme week in which all school classes debate and complete a list of rules to be hung up the class. This list functions as a framework of reference for eventual debates in the future. At the parent-teacher meeting in August and September, the headmaster will present the project for the parents and encourage them to back up the school.

It is a well-known fact that the school will not tolerate extreme behaviour. For example, deliberately disturbance of the teaching, threatening or violent conduct, obscene and insulting language towards schoolmates or personal, or destruction of property. In case of violation of the rules, the parents will be contacted in order to prepare a concrete plan of action for their chid. At the worst, older students may face expulsion from the school.

During the preparation of the project, the school has held a day seminar in order to ensure that the personal is consonant in spite of different levels of tolerance, and to make them aware of the fact that they all hold a common responsibility in relation to the common decisions and tasks, and finally ensure that the personal improves their mutual communication skills with regards to maintaining the common decisions.

Further information: The leaflet Rules of Good Form at Bryndum Skole is found at the web-site of the school.

The Good Class

Valhøj Skole, Rødovre

Respect is a key word in the Primary and Lower Secondary School defining the students’ request for personal integrity. Thus the class teachers of a sixth grade at Valhøj Skole in Rødovre decided to introduce the conflict resolution seminar “When Is Enough, Enough” in their teaching.

It is essential that the teachers are aware of the social interaction in the class. However the different social roles of the students can be difficult to break down. Thus a conflict resolution seminar is a fine instrument because it provides new perspectives on firmly cemented social patterns among the students. At the seminar, they had to learn to become better to express their feelings, and stand up against insulting remarks or actions that violate their integrity. This is achieved at the seminar by letting the students play someone else.

The seminar has brought about a common frame of reference that the class often turned to in the aftermath of the seminar. It furthermore brought about a number of common rules that mean that the students have become to better to listen, and not to interrupt one another, the class is more keen to keep the class tidy, and issues regarding asocial behaviour are debated at the class meetings.

The students are now also more aware of the role of the teacher, and respect that she is responsible for the academic welfare and the overall social circumstances of the class.

All in all the seminar has provided the class with instruments for maintaining focus on creating a sound school environment, and not the least, the teacher has now a basic frame of reference that she can always refer to.

Further information:
Information on the conflict resolution seminar “When Is Enough Enough” is found at the web-site www.inet-spf.dk.

Formation of Respectful, Helpful and Subtle Ways of Communicating

Hellig Kors Skole, Copenhagen

In recent years the language of students has changed. It has become more rough, and students use expressions that are very insulting. Consequently, Hellig Kors Skole at Nørrebro in Copenhagen has decided to combat this development.

The school experienced more and more that conflicts among the students were related to international conflicts, and that an increasingly number of bilingual students expressed their anger with regards to asocial behaviour and discriminating remarks etc. Thus it is vital that the school creates confidence and dialogue among the students, and that the teachers relate to international issues, and contribute to cope with international issues.

Students are often foul-mouthed in connection with aggravating conflicts, which often expresses helplessness. Thus the teacher shall step in and make use of e.g. conflict resolution methods, and deescalating language (non-violent communication). Accordingly the school has prepared a plan of action focussing on developing respectful, helpful and subtle ways of communicating.

The school has prepared a working document named Language Usage at Hellig Kors Skole, which describes the effort of the school in relation to developing respectful, helpful and subtle ways of communicating.

The document was prepared by the management of the school on the basis of debates among the teachers at staff seminars, and later approved by the educational committee and the school board in March 2005. Furthermore the content of the document has been debated in the school classes and in the students’ council.

The efforts of the school will be evaluated internally in the autumn of 2006.

Further information:
The working document Language Usage at Hellig Kors Skole is found at the web-site of the school.

Democracy, Equality and Tolerance

Søholtskolen, Brøndby Strand

Søholtskolen in Brøndby Strand experienced that a number of Muslim students began to show a problematic behaviour. They had a significant lack of respect towards parents and teachers, began to sabotage the teaching, and had a very aggressive behaviour. They paid much attention to how other Muslims were dressed, whether they observed the Ramadan, and those families, who did not behave correctly, could potentially receive threatening letters. The CCC teacher (conduct, contact, contentment) received telephone calls with complaint about something specific teachers had said in class. Parents-teacher meetings could be invaded by persons who had no relations to the students. At the same time the school learned that Hizb-ut-Tahrir was recruiting in the area. Consequently, the school decided to initiate a multi-faceted strategy in order to combat extremist views.

The school immediately commenced a coordinated effort. The teachers began to study the material of Hizb-ut-Tahrir that circulated at the school, and talked about it internally with the perspective of being capable to argue against it in class. The school convened meetings with the parents to brief them about what took place in the local area. Furthermore the school began to cooperate with the ethnic council, local police authorities, and housing associations in the area. In the preliminary phase a number of initiatives were implemented in order to deal with the problems to the extent they would occur in the future.

The initiatives comprised:

1. Systematic briefing of the parents by arranging meetings for the parents and sending out letters.
2. Preparation of a document stating the fundamental values of the school, hereunder the views of the school in relation to a substantial number of practical questions.
3. Maintaining focus on the problem.
4. Contacting the families whose children the school estimates are in the corner.

On the basis of a resolution by the school board, the school chose to arrange an educational a project week on respect for all classes in seventh grade with the intent of debating democracy, equality, tolerance, and intellectual freedom. After a common start where the teachers explained the concept of democracy and their perception of the concept of respect, the students worked in various workshops with painting, decoration, film, newspapers and fair play. The school also invited the parents to join the activities during the week.

All in all, the course has contributed to establish a common standpoint at the school, and the abovementioned problems have diminished. Moreover, the plan of action has made teachers more confident in relation to eventual problems in the future.

Further information:
The plan of action with regards to extremist behaviour is found at the web-site of the school under “Information”/”Handleplaner.”

Contribution

Palle Kristensen

Henning Grønborg

Democracy and Integration in the School

By Palle Kristensen, headmaster at Søholtskolen in Brøndby Strand, and Henning Grønborg, headmaster at Bakkeskolen in Esbjerg.

Søholtskolen in Brøndby Strand has 500 students of whom 82 percent are bilingual. Bakkeskolen in Esbjerg has 580 students of whom 67 percent are bilingual. Many of the students come from countries where democracy has never existed, and thus a number of fundamental values we consider natural are under pressure in the melting pot consisting of many different cultures and religions.

We have considered how one best institutes the education in the Primary and Lower Secondary School in order to ensure that the students will understand and observe the ways of democracy.

In the Primary and Lower Secondary School, the term “education in democracy” is rarely used. However, we believe that students shall learn how democracy works via the teaching and the general practices of the school. It is a complex matter, and there are no simple solutions.

The management is responsible for preparing the vision of the school and formulating its fundamental values in collaboration with the school board and teachers. Thus the school ensures that the efforts of all parties rest on a firm foundation, and that they all have the same objectives. Furthermore it is important that all parties have a common understanding of what high-class education means. We are focussing on the academic, personal and social competences of the students, which mean that the teachers and the management shall upgrade their expertise hereon, so that they are competent to implement the objectives of the inclusive school.

The narrative aspect is similarly important. Each school projects a story, and the management must contribute to the evolvement of the story. Our school tells a story of social commitment, caring for the weak, and a strong wish for social mobility. “We Can Do It” is our motto, and this has a self-increasing effect.

Another central aspect is a positive, trustful, and respectful collaboration between the various institutions – parents, the school, and leisure time facilities. A sound many-sided collaboration between these will prevent numerous misunderstandings, and aims at establishing a smooth transition from day-care-centre to Primary and Lower Secondary School/leisure time facilities.

When the students start in the Primary and Lower Secondary School, it is important that the school presents the fundamental values and the daily routines of the school, so that both students and parents understand the purposes of the daily procedures and routines of the school. Furthermore, the school shall also emphasise the rights and duties of all students.

An early effort is a key slogan at our school. We make a huge effort to elucidate the fundamental social norms, and we assume that this is the reason why we rarely spend money on repairing damages property. In order to establish the best possible teaching at multi-cultural schools, it is essential that consensus exists regarding the basic code of conduct. In this context the efforts of the school management have vital importance.

Proper order in class is another vital importance aspect with regards to establishing the best possible teaching. In some cases an early effort regarding social norms proves to be inadequate. Hence external authorities can contribute to originate personal responsibility among the students via social education. In the event of asocial conduct, an instant and consequent intervention is crucial, and here the management plays an important role.

The Inclusive School

Students who have a different cultural and social background are often considered a liability instead of a resource, which may seem illogical in these global times. Thus we need to introduce educational processes that benefit from the students’ knowledge and understanding of different cultures and religions, which will improve the general teaching of all students, and boost the self-assurance of the bilingual students. Preparing general objectives and carrying out evaluations are essential instruments with regards to didactic considerations, and the trend in these years goes towards an increased focus on these instruments that are becoming an integrated part of the school culture. This is to the benefit of all students, and will most likely especially be to the benefit of the bilingual students. At multicultural school, it is essential that Danish as second language is an integrated dimension in all courses, which requires supplementary training of social educators, teachers, and management.

It is important to avoid that the demands regarding stage and final objectives of the bilingual students are lowered, which happen at some educational institutions. The specific school is responsible for ensuring the best possible education, and in the event that the expectations are lowered, it can have a negative prophetical effect in accordance with the Rosenthal effect, and thus make it impossible to create equal opportunities and break down the social legacy.

An inclusive educational practice is a must. Recognition has a positive effect on all people, and social educators, teachers, and leaders are responsible for looking after the specific student. The task of the teachers is to accentuate their strong sides and not their insufficiencies.

Unacceptable Conduct

Bakkeskolen often experiences cultural conflicts such as completely unacceptable conduct by parents and specific students towards our female teachers. In these cases, the management needs to intervene immediately and make it clear that the school will not tolerate a violation of equality of status and intolerant conduct.

Most recently we have experienced tendencies of social control. Bilingual parents, who have accepted that all their children at school attend Christianity, e.g. suddenly take their children out of the course, because a more fundamental Islamic priest has been inaugurated in the district, even though their older children have attended the course during their entire school life. We also experience that Muslim students use a very brusque tone towards other Muslims. “You are not a real Muslim” is a much said expression, and this is an unmistakable example on the disregard for Danish culture and Danish values. In these cases, it is important that the teachers and management step in immediately and make it clear that such conduct will not be accepted in the school.

Søholtskolen has experienced numerous dramatic incidents. After September 11, 2001, and the war in Iraq, a polarisation between Muslims and Christians has arisen. The radical Islamism has made progress, and there are many quarters where the majority of inhabitants are Ethnic Danes in the area. This creates a foundation for extremist views and an eventual rejection of the society and Western/Danish values, which to a great extent complicates the integration process.

The school has experienced that a number of students took on a most disturbing changed conduct. They began to guide/pressure/threaten their Muslim classmates to show “proper Muslim conduct,” and “praise Islam.” Moreover prayer caps were used to demonstrate the right attitude and send the right signals. Extremist fundamentalist views were proclaimed, provocations against teachers in and outside the class room were made, and numerous students showed in several cases a rigid, reserved, disrespectful, and impertinent attitude conduct towards their teachers. The above-mentioned conduct has been new to us at the school, and when we ask the students where they get their ideas and views from, they point e.g. to different places in the local housing association.

We have been very concerned, and have made the decision to brief the parents on the problems we become aware of. We are responsible for briefing all involved parties, and have introduced numerous instruments in an attempt to solve the above-mentioned problems.

We have held a week on respect where we debated democracy, equality, tolerance, and intellectual freedom, and the general fundamental values of which the Danish Primary and Lower Secondary School is based on in accordance with the Primary and Lower Secondary School Act. Furthermore we have put down in writing the fundamental values of Søholtskolen, and added the paper to the school plan. We have told about our experiences and suspicion of recruitment of students by religious fundamentalists to the local community and to the local authorities. All classes have held obligatory teacher-parent meetings to inform about the problems. We have cooperated with the school board, the ethnical council, the local police, and the housing associations. Furthermore we try to keep our eyes and ears open in relation to the students in order to stop the development of a fundamentalist wave.

We also encourage the parents to keep an eye on their children, especially the older boys. Where do they spend their leisure time?, and with whom do they associate with? The parents shall be open for dialogue with their children, and pay attention to what they say and generally grapple with in their daily life.

Children are easily influenced by their classmates, often to an extent that can frighten adults. We must stand shoulder by shoulder in the attempt to stop the spreading of fundamentalist thoughts. If we fail to do so, we may in a few years experience that deep-rooted gaps have arisen in the local area between youngsters and their parents, between the sexes, and between different ethnical groups.

Parents hold the overall responsibility for the children. They know them the best, and have the greatest opportunity to push them in the right direction. Take the negative development seriously both right now – and in the future.

This page is part of the electronic publication "Learning democracy"
© The Ministry of Education 2008