Upper Secondary Education

Thus both academic teaching, other school activities, and the social life, form part of the democratic education of the upper secondary education.

A main perspective of upper secondary education is the cultural and educative aspect, and it is thus a significant objective of the education that the students become competent and authoritative citizens in a democratic society.

The above-mentioned objects clauses make it clear that it is not sufficient to focus only on theoretical teaching of democracy. Democracy shall also be an integrated part of all other school activities as well.

Equal and respectful dialogue between authoritative citizens constitutes the foundation stone of a democratic society. If the democratic dialogue shall functions in practice, it is a necessity that the citizens acquire the sufficient knowledge and insight into social matters, and moreover are able to argue in favour of the acquired insights in order to contribute to the development of the society. Thus both the academic teaching, other school activities, and the social life of the school, form part of the democratic education of the general upper secondary education. The academic teaching provides knowledge, insight, and linguistic competences, so that the specific student acquires a self and universal understanding, and the ability to express himself. Furthermore debates and reflections provide an opportunity for meeting alternatives views that call for respect.

All subjects form thus part of the democratic education, and in certain subjects, the concept of democracy constitutes a specific theme in the curriculum. Several parts of the curriculum of social studies state that the objective of the subject is to stimulate the students urge and ability to participate in the democratic debate, and, through various working methods, and the educational content, enlighten the students in relation to the democracy and the development of the society. Consequently, several schools have implemented educational courses that are finalised by genuine democratic procedures, e.g. panel debates and consensus conferences. Besides social studies, history and religion also provide an obvious opportunity for dealing with the concept of democracy and integration in various ways, and thus contributing to the students’ intercultural competences. In connection with the educational reform of the general upper secondary education, the concept of democracy, human rights, and the legal system, were united more closely, providing an excellent opportunity for dealing with the concept of democracy in a broader, among others global perspective.

The majority of the general Upper Secondary Schools inserted in the fundamental values document that the education is based on democracy, and consequently, the students are involved both with regards to student participation on the teaching, and the school life in general. Thus the students are often represented in the various councils of the schools.

Several of the examples of the next chapter have the school as a local democracy as the overall theme dealing with the students participation on the organisation of the teaching, homework, and educational environment. The schools aim to support the students’ joint ownership and sense of responsibility, both with regards to the individual and common educational courses. One of the examples illustrates three general Upper Secondary Schools that have embarked on a common project focussing on the collaboration between student and teacher teams, and on student influence in relation to organisation, implementation, and evaluation of the teaching.

General Upper Secondary Schools of today are characterised by a significant diversity amongst the students. Thus given the various ethnic, cultural, and educational backgrounds, it is most important that the education is based on intellectual freedom, equality, and democracy, in order to ensure that all students can assert themselves, and fully benefit from the teaching. Moreover, the diversities provide an excellent opportunity for the students to acquire the intercultural competences that are required in a global world. The catalogue of examples illustrates how treating diversity as a resource in the school can contribute to broaden the students’ understanding of others and themselves. Other examples deal with “changing the cultural patterns and the negative social heritage”: How can a tutor arrangement help especially the ethnic students, who have a non-academic background, in the transition from the Primary and Lower Secondary School to upper secondary education, and how can the teacher help especially the less qualified students in their personal and academic development.

The chapter is concluded by a contribution by Ole Thorup, former rector at Avedøre Gymnasium, who writes about teaching democracy and redefining the objectives and values at a “Danish multicultural school.”

Examples

Give the Students a Joint Ownership to Their Upper Secondary School

Avedøre Gymnasium

In connection with a project on democracy in social studies at Avedøre Gymnasium, the students formulated a wish for increased influence on a number of central daily issues. This led to the arrangement of two democracy project days in 2003 and 2005 where these matters were debated:

The first democracy project day was held in 2003, and was organised by a group who assembled students and teachers from the activities committee and the development committee, and students from the students’ council. The objective was to initiate a process where the students gained the desired influence on school matters, if it was possible. In connection with the democracy project day, the students were divided into 25 groups crosswise of the various classes based on birth day. Each group was backed up by two teachers and a student of the preparatory committee during the debates, and all groups were assembled in the school canteen.

The day was opened with a speech by Manu Sareen, politician from the Social-Liberal Party, and film presentations focussing on the lack of democracy at the school, produced by students from the film classes. The group debates were centred around a number of question/issues, which the preparatory committee had prepared. At each table lay a stack of slips containing a question. Hereafter a slip was drawn, and when the issue had been fully debated, another slip was drawn, and so on. Written records were taken.

All groups handed in a written record, which was coordinated by the preparatory group, and afterwards hung up on bulletin boards in the lobby.

At the end of the project day, all the school committees presented themselves, and afterwards the students had the opportunity to sign up for the committees.

It is most important to ensure that the results of the project days do not fall into oblivion, and that financial resources are available to carry out projects. E.g. extra teachers in the homework café, or arrangement of student locations with personal computers etc. With regards to the democratic processes, it is vital that the students shall observe and learn that their initiatives bear fruit.

In the fall of 2005, two day projects were held on joint ownership to the school, and in connection with the last project day, financial resources had been allocated to initiative projects, that were singled out via a referendum in all classes based on the debates and the following coordination.

The Class Meeting

Avedøre Gymnasium

Numerous Upper Secondary Schools have scheduled compulsory class meetings, where the students debate school issues that are relevant to them. The following model has been applied at Avedøre Gymnasium since 2002.

At Avedøre Gymnasium, class meetings are held four times a year. They are scheduled at the beginning of the school year, and take place at different week days, and always in the lesson before lunch. The class meeting focuses among others on student participation, teacher-student-relations, working morale, educational environment, remissness, school locations, and subjects.

The class meeting is organised by a class committee, consisting of the class teacher, and possibly one of the other teachers of the class, and two or three students: it is recommended that the representative of the students’ council participates. The class committee gathers before and after the meeting. At the first gathering, the agenda is prepared, and at the gathering after the class meeting, the minutes are coordinated with the intent of implementing the meeting results. The teachers do not participate in the class meeting, but the class can invite them if it is considered necessary by the students, though the class teacher always participate in the first meeting in the basic year to assist the conduct of the meeting.

The Great Meeting

Rysensteen Gymnasiun, Copenhagen

Rysensteen Gymnasium in Copenhagen naturally attaches great importance to school democracy and student participation. At the web-site, it is stated that the conversation between two equal parties constitutes the essence of democracy, and that all citizens are worth listening to. Democracy is about dialogue and conference, and finding reasonable solutions. Consequently, Rysensteen Gymnasium organizes once a year a great meeting where all students and teachers are assembled in order to debate issues that the students find relevant. E.g. smoking policies and arrangement of timetables.

Experience shows that the students’ council often is isolated in relation to the other students, and lacks knowledge of the concerns and views of the other students. Thus a great meeting is an excellent opportunity to involve all students in relation to issues that concern all students and teachers. Furthermore the students become aware of the possibilities of exerting democratic influence on school issues.

Firstly, the specific classes agree on this year’s issue. Secondly, the classes debate the issue in class, and, subsequently, the representatives of the students’ council hand in the minutes of the debate, which is used to ensure that all views are dealt with at the meeting, and to prepare the agenda for the great meeting. The representatives are in charge of preparing and running the great meeting, and ensuring a free democratic debate.

All teachers and students are assembled at the great meeting, where the participants vote on the various proposals submitted by the students in relation to the overall topic. The participant are handed a red and a green card, which are used to reject or accept a proposal.

The students are very committed in the debates. They are doing an excellent job conducting the meetings, and the school believes that the great meeting contributes to the fine atmosphere of the school. The great meeting has not yet been evaluated, but it will be examined in connection with a larger evaluation process taking place in the course of the school year 2006-2007.

Student Responsibility and Democracy

Århus Statsgymnasium

In order to strengthen student responsibility and democracy at Århus Gymnasium, the school initiated in 2002-2003 a democracy project aiming at ensuring both continuity and the quality of the work of the students’ council with the intent of creating a higher morale among the students with regards to the social life and the physical environment of the school. Formerly, the students’ council gathered at weekly meetings during the lunch break, but it was difficult to be efficient due to the number of participants (one or two students from each class), and time trouble (thirty minutes). Furthermore the students’ council also gathered for a longer interval during lections to deal with arduous issues.

The motive force of the democracy project was the so-called democracy committee, consisting of three teachers and a varying number of students of the students’ council. It was important to make sure that the new committee was also constituted by the rank and file members of the students’ council as well as leading members. The democracy committee also collaborated with the joint committee of the school, which is responsible for the code of conduct etc, and an “Information Officer.” Furthermore the work profited from the electronic conference system, which was used to inform the committee and the students’ council, and exchange of views between the various bodies.

In order to focus on democracy, among others the first-hand democracy issues at the school, the democracy committee arranged in March 2003 a (half ) project day on democracy. The committee had prepared twenty themes, which the teachers and students debated crosswise of class and subjects. The following themes were e.g. debated: Why is it easy for the students’ council to get support for single issues, for example smoking policies or cutbacks, while the daily lengthy work in the students’ council, and in the other committees rarely arouse major interest? The boundaries of democracy? Is it acceptable to force another country to adapt your (democracy) system? How democratic is the EU? Etc. The project day went very well.

Engaging the students in the planning of the form and content of the teaching has been attempted in four of the classes. It was typically put into practice like this: A group of students (three to six) joined up, and meet with teachers after school to debate the curriculum, teaching methods, materials, examination form and syllabus etc. The project has been evaluated very positively by the students, and continues in several classes.

Inclusive the knowledge and Experiences of the Students

Avedøre Gymnasium

The teaching shall always be organised so that the students can associate it with the experiences they already have. This also applies to multicultural Upper Secondary Schools where the bilingual students should be considered a positive resource, who can contribute to new perspectives in relation to the teaching. In the middle of the nineties, the number of bilingual students reached one third, and in certain classes, more than half of the students were bilingual. Thus the school decided to call itself a multicultural Upper Secondary School, which required new didactic considerations.

Routinely, history teaching often commences with the Viking Age, but at multicultural Upper Secondary Schools, it can be a good idea to commence the course with e.g. the Arabic expansion and the Crusades. Both themes are linked to European history, but also provide an opportunity for inclusive the bilingual students, and rich opportunities for putting our present days into perspective.

The essence and the curriculum of history teaching with regards to the past, the presence, and the future perspectives, are continuously changing nationally and internationally, and the history teaching shall reflect this. Thus the history course can e.g. take on connected themes like “Us and them,” “Developing democracy and human rights,” and “the Communist collapse,” in order to focus on the new world order and the new enemies.

In relation to up to date conflicts, it is most valuable when students have the opportunity to acquire contemporary information on the circumstances of the countries and areas they read about in the newspapers. As an example, Turkish students could enlighten the class on how history teaching is conducted in Turkey, providing a fine occasion for debating the present history teaching in Denmark.

Further information:
The article Teaching Strategies in the Multicultural Upper Secondary School. A Pragmatic Approach to Cultural Values and the Democracy Project by Kirsten Jensen. A contribution to the publication The Resources of Diversity. Teaching in the Multicultural Class. Upper Secondary Education and Single Subject Courses. The Ministry of Education, 2004.

In the year 2000, Avedøre Gymnasium/HF published a leaflet describing how the Upper Secondary School had dealt with the increasing number of bilingual students at the school. One chapter describes the social life of the school, and integration of bilingual students. In another chapter, the teachers of the various subjects describe educational challenges and consequences in relation to the altered student population: Ole Thorup and others (editors): Black and White. Bilingual Students at Avedøre Gymnasium/HF. Avedøre Gymnasium/HF, 2000.

Student Teams and Student Participation

Risskov Amtsgymnasium, Århus Statsgymnasium, Amtsgymnasiet in Paderup

The three Upper Secondary Schools conducted in the school year 2005-2006 a pilot and development project on student teams. Each class appointed a student team with the intent of increasing student participation in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of the teaching. The student teams are responsible for:

• Ensuring student participation in the planning of the curriculum
• Ensuring that the social life of the class functions well
• The contact between students and the teacher team
• Contributing to the agenda of the meetings with the teacher team. The agenda /issues are prepared with the class
• The contact between students and the student counsellors with regards to common issues like study methods etc.

Student teams can thus be perceived as natural furtherance in relation to the above-mentioned, because the three Upper Secondary Schools aim at benefiting from the students’ experiences in relation to the teaching, and provide the students the opportunity to gain influence on the teaching etc.

A seminar has been held by the three schools in order to exchange good ideas and experiences.

Amtsgymnasiet, located in the city of Paderup, furthermore arranges each year a democracy seminar where the students’ council, the rector, and a teacher representative participate. At the seminar, the role and the perspectives of the students’ council are debated within the context of the school structure. The students’ council has excellent opportunities to gain influence, because it has two seats in all the committees of the school.

An Expanded Tutor Arrangement

Vestfyns Gymnasium

Vestfyns Gymnasium has in numerous years applied older students as tutors to support the new students in the transition from the Primary and Lower Secondary School to upper secondary studies, as contact persons, and to brief the new students on working habits, and preparation. The purpose of the expanded tutor arrangement is in two parts. One part concerns the education of a small corps of tutors. The second part concerns activities to relieve the transition form the Primary and Lower Secondary School to upper secondary studies with regards to students, who have a non-academic background, although all students in the first year receive the offer.

In collaboration with psychologist Lene Iversen, the school prepared

• a short educational programme focussing on among others:
  • How to identify problems among the students
  • The importance of role models
  • The role of the voluntary corps members
  • Ethics and professional secrecy
• Continuous supervision of the tutors
• Consultation and evaluation.

The school divided the 24 tutors, so that each new class had two tutors from the second year group, and two tutors from the third year group. The tutors signed up voluntarily, and in their application, they were asked to state the reasons why they wanted to become a tutor, and to estimate the significance of the tutor arrangement. On the basis of the applications, 24 (34 students had made an application) were selected. During the intro period, the tutors participated in:

• The first school days
• The introduction camp
• The introductory meeting of the student counsellors regarding preparation and working habits
• The first parent-teacher-meeting
• The consultation after the arrangement of the Association of Student Counsellors in Funen.

For many years, it has been a permanent job of the tutors to be very visible in connection with the reception of new students from the very first school day, and to help the new students arranging a banquet and entertainment in the class before the introductory school festival where all students at the school are invited. Furthermore the tutors are responsible for supporting the student counsellors in connection with the introduction of working habits.

The new strategy also comprised other assignments in the course of the autumn, where the student counsellors were responsible for announcing and supporting the activities, as well as coaching the tutors, but not the direct contact to the new students.

The tutors played a role in connection with the introductory camp, where themes like “the good student,” and “the good education” etc. often are introduced. Another interesting theme is “domestic matters,” where the tutors really could come in handy.

Furthermore the tutors played a role at the first parent-teacher-meeting. Issues related to the school transition, and which the school previously had debated in groups at the parents’ days, could be taken up again. Moreover the meeting provided an opportunity to present the expanded tutor arrangement as a focus area in relation to the school start, and an offer to students and parents.

Both tutors and the new students were pleased with the arrangement. According to them, the arrangement has been very helpful and has bridged the class distinctions, and the relation to the school as a whole (teachers, the subjects etc). Although students report that they have not directly utilised the tutors, they have proven to play an important role in terms of creating self-assurance among the new students.

Changing Cultural Patterns and Democracy

Holstebro Gymnasium/HF

The overall objective of the project “supportive education” is to back up students, who have a nonacademic background, among others ethnic students. A higher preparatory examination class was chosen as the project class, because numerous students here have a non-academic background, and the drop-out rate of this youth programme is traditionally high. In order to support the students from the beginning of the school start, it is important to start in the first year of the youth programme.

The project concept:
Exploiting the Marte Meo-method in relation to the interaction between teachers and students, and students and other students.
The basic notion of the project is as follows: “The Marte Meo-method has proved to release development potentials in relation to the interaction between parents and children, thus the method should also apply in relation to releasing interaction and communicative potentials in relation to the interaction between students and teachers, and students and students.”

The Marte Meo-method contains concrete instructions on how to support and confirm the initiatives of children, and how the adult properly practices positive management. The development project has utilised the method in the context of youth education.

The method helps the teacher to focus on the contact with the students. The teacher will be motivated to create a good atmosphere, which is a precondition for learning, and perhaps be more prepared to support extraordinary initiatives from an insecure student. Furthermore the teacher will be more aware of applying an open and inclusive body language and tone of voice, encouraging the specific student to participate in a dialogue based on confidence and trust.

The concrete method is based on filming teaching situations, and analysing social interaction on the basis of the principles of the method, in order to give proper feedback to the filmed teachers and classes. The feedback is naturally based on the Marte Meo-methods, and as merely positive scenes are shown, it will boost the self-esteem of the teacher, and serve as an inspiration for the future. The students are generally very interested in seeing and debating teaching scenes. The positive examples serve as an inspiration for future dialogue, and the class has a change to debate the positive outcome of social interaction based on confidence and trust, which is a precondition in relation to ensuring that all students feel free to open up. The students are also presented with non-positive scenes showing inadequate behaviour in the e.g. the class. Experience shows that the students are very interested in debating educational practices, and that the method can contribute to improve the social atmosphere in the class so that all students fell free to speak up.

Further information:
Steen Elsborg, Ulla Højmark Jensen, Peter Seeberg: Development and Research in Social Interaction. The Project on Changing Cultural Patterns 2004-2006.Report 3. Published by Syddansk Universitetsforlag, 2006.

Contribution

Ole Thorup

Democracy – A Process Towards Integration in the Educational System

By Ole Thorup, former rector at Avedøre Gymnasium

Democracy as a project

In the beginning of the 1980s the first bilingual students enrolled at Avedøre Gymnasium. At present approximately 40 percent of the students are bilingual, and this percentage share has been constant in recent years.

A pragmatic approach to cultural values is practical and essential at multicultural schools. The fundamental values and the cultural background of the specific student shall be considered with regards to the teaching and the general school culture. The more multicultural a school is, the more important it is to focus on the fundamental values of Danish school culture, which in its essence is based on democracy and democratic values.

Experience shows that the students’ knowledge of democracy (regardless of ethnicity) is very weak when they enrol for upper secondary studies. The factual knowledge of democracy and different political systems are generally very weak.

This also applies to the knowledge of the content of the human rights. The youngsters praise democratic freedom rights, but they regard mostly these as an individually given right, and not as part of an overall political project, which requires constant negotiation and struggle.

Students who have little knowledge and experience with democratic decision-making procedures are more easy targets for populist and undemocratic groups. In order to ensure a democratic development, the students shall learn to defend and further develop the democracy, and the school system is a key player in this context.

The management shall ensure that projects on democracy, human rights, political systems, citizenship, and collaboration, form part of the various subjects, and initiative regular common projects on these themes. Furthermore it is vital to ensure a democracy culture in the class room. I.e. the students shall participate in the decision-making procedures regarding the content of the teaching, working methods, likewise the students shall learn to communicate and debate in a democratic fashion.

The students shall participate in the democratic decision-making procedures of the school, which requires active support by the teachers, because only very few students have practical experience hereon from e.g. political youth organisations. Information about the organisation chart and the committee structure of the school is a compulsory part of the introductory course, but the students moreover need support to ensure that the representatives of the students’ council and the other committees genuinely represent the general views of the class.

In this context conducting class meetings a couple of times quarterly is e.g. a possibility to put these matters order. At class meetings the students learn to prepare an agenda, conduct a meeting, and takes minutes. Normally, this will also require the support of a teacher as contact person.

It is important to assist the students’ council with the required knowledge and organisational support. Thus it may be beneficial to appoint a teacher to assist the students’ council in order to ensure that it is in compliance with the organisational demands of the school board and the management. In recent years there has been a growing tendency of refusing to join the students’ council and the other committees, and the bilingual students never participated in the organisational work. This development has changed due to an active effort by the coordinator of the students’ council and the class teachers to ensure that bilingual students are represented in the democratic bodies of the school. The bilingual students have personally benefited from the work in the students’ council, and presently, several classes are represented by bilingual students, who also serve as positive role models. The efforts pay off. In the school year 2004-2005, the two student representatives of the school board were both bilingual students.

The democracy project shall function in practice, which requires an active effort by the management to ensure active participation and engagement of the coordinator of the students’ council and the class teachers, and support and acceptance from the entire teaching staff. Extra financial resources are also required to ensure the implementation of the democracy project. Furthermore the management shall create the basis for democratic decision-making allowing deficient resolutions.

A Multiethnic Danish School

Since the beginning in 1973, a significant number of the students have had a non-academic background, so the teachers are used to organize the teaching in accordance with a culturally very mixed student population. Nevertheless, the new bilingual students were considered a special group with particular problems, and very different compared with the ethnic Danish students.

As the number of bilingual students rose during the 1980s, it became evident that there was a very significant academic gap in the group of bilingual students, which called for educational efforts. During the period, the teachers debated language problems, cultural differences, and not least the fundamental cultural values. Which cultural diversities were acceptable, and which were not acceptable?

The school established two groups crosswise of ethnic background. A group consisting of academically skilled bilingual and Danish students, and a group consisting of lesser skilled bilingual and Danish students. The social and familial background of the bilingual students is very diverse, and is not immaterial whether their parents come from Bosnia, Turkey, Iran, or Pakistan. Furthermore it is not immaterial whether the family has roots in modern city, or in a traditional peasant society – or from a Danish perspective – a family of fishermen in Northern Jutland. In relation to the academic career of the students, the social and familial background plays a far superior role than the ethnic background.

Thus the school decided to focus on the following aspects in relation to the future work:

The student population consists of different groups. A large well-functioning group consisting of bilingual and Danish students, and a smaller group consisting of bilingual and Danish students who have a number of mutual problems, e.g. language problems, insufficient faculty of abstraction, and insufficient knowledge of surrounding communities, culture, and general code of conduct.

The school shall treat all students equally, and embrace equally the cultural heritage of the bilingual students. The school culture shall build on high academic standards, community, differentiated teaching, and equality.

Considering all students as valuable human beings constitutes the most important fundamental value of the school. All students shall meet the same demands, in order to avoid that the ethnic students are marginalised and sustained in the role as problematic individuals.

The school shall provide the students with knowledge, skills, and competences that prepare them for participation in a society in constant development. Thus the school shall focus on the fact that the students population consists of 21 different national languages, and at least an equivalent number of different cultural backgrounds.

Altered Objectives

On the basis of the above-mentioned, the school had to alter its objectives. The objectives of the school now clearly states that:

• The school is a multicultural Danish educational institution based on Danish cultural school values.
• The school shall develop the students’ international perspective, and their ability to associate with others crosswise of cultural background.
• The school shall ensure academic integration, so that students, who have different cultural background, acquire the same positive attitude and awareness of the significance of knowledge, and thus are capable of contributing, and benefiting from the teaching on equal terms with the Danish students.
• The educational attention of the teachers regarding the understanding of words and concepts of the specific students shall be heightened.

Concurrently with the stipulation of the new objectives, the school declared in an explicit way which fundamental values and codes of conduct the school was based on. I.e. tolerance, openness, respect, and dialogue and decision-making based on democracy. After long discussions, the school agreed on a new set of rules regarding the code of conduct. The first two sections are as follows:

• All individuals shall respect other persons, their views, and their basic beliefs.
• Violating conduct towards others shall not be accepted.

Dialogue

Cultural clashes are naturally part of the daily school life at multicultural schools. The constant demands regarding student participation, decision-making, personal reflection, and argumentation, may confuse bilingual students. Some students may fell that their traditional values are threatened, and some respond by taking on fundamentalist views to preserve the old family traditions, and the religious norms and values. In order to prevent this, the school shall constantly be prepared to enter into dialogue with the students, and argue against fundamentalist views, which are often a catalyst for internal cultural and religious control amongst the various bilingual groups.

It is important to tell the students that we are all in the same boat, and that the school is based on mutual respect and democracy. The academic teaching however constitutes the key area with regards to dialogue and democracy. The teachers shall make it clear that academic progress is equivalent of personal development, and furthermore explain the students that there exists numerous ways of comprehending the world, and the traditional comprehensions are important to know about. The academic teaching strengthens the language and the faculty of abstraction, and in the classroom the teachers have the opportunity to debate general aspects regarding the education.

The dialogue shall ensure that the students adopt the fundamental values of the school, and thereby creating the opportunities for democracy, development, and change. Some fundamental values are indefeasible in accordance with the code of conduct, which e.g. concerns:

• Boys’ attitude and behaviour towards girls.
• The school is a secular institution, and thus the school has not established facilities to say prayers.
• Fundamental values and views are debated in the basic courses, religious issues are debated in the religion course, and major philosophies of life are eventually debated in study groups.
• The physical surroundings are likewise important. Thus we make a great effort to keep the school proper and clean.
• The school festivals and other social arrangements shall be organised so that all students (regardless of ethnic background) can participate.

The Educational Foundation

The debates regarding the new social circumstances and objectives of the education made it clear that the atmosphere, engagement, and recognition of the specific students, are absolutely vita aspects with regards to the adoption of the fundamental democratic values, and the personal development. The specific student shall define himself or herself, and decide his or hers future path in life. Thus the education shall be organised so that each specific student and teacher fells that their personal integrity is respected, is able to recognize himself or herself in a historical and socio-cultural context, and understands the educational perspectives.

The school shall thus create a school environment that respects the various cultural values, so that each student may form his/hers own identity. Furthermore it is important that the students shall learn that they hold a responsibility in relation to their academic and personal development. It is likewise important that the teachers reflect the fundamental values of the school, and organise the teaching in accordance with the cultural and ethnic diversity of the student population.

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