Professional Development Workshop

16 – 18 May 2019 | Limassol, Cyprus

Changing school culture • Towards a democratic school

WORKSHOP 1 (WS1):

Promoting the culture of equality and shared responsibility in schools

Workshop Leader: Sophia Arnaouti, CY NA Staff in School Education

WORKSHOP 1 (WS1):

Promoting the culture of equality and shared responsibility in schools

Description This workshop will enable participants to work with non-formal education activities which

they can then adapt and implement within their classroom. Further, at a meta-reflection

level, they will discuss on the methodology, as well as skills, values and attitudes they can

cultivate through these activities. The workshop will focus on working with children

between the ages of 6 and 8 years old, as educators often face challenges on deconstructing

complex issues such as equality and responsibility when working with early primary school

students. Finally, this workshop requires the participants to think, act and engage into

playful, yet meaningful activities.

Introduction & Introductions (10’)

Who is in the room?

Introduction to the workshop: We often face challenges when trying to deconstruct

complex concepts such as equality, justice, peace etc. when working with early primary

school students. Therefore, this workshop is dedicated on understanding the logic behind

designing simple, playful, age-appropriate and experiential activities to engage the

classroom in discussion and enable the students to comprehend these concepts.

Basic principles for designing activities

- Age-appropriate

- Challenge only as far as students can handle

- Consider the physical, cognitive and emotional, and social development levels

- Debriefing is the most important part of any activity

- Play is a great means for learning

- Any other unique characteristics of your students and the classroom as a whole

- Adapt according to the children’s needs, learning styles, level of understanding

- We can learn through senses and emotions equally as through our minds

The Not-so-Fair Challenge

Description of the activity

Participants are divided into 4 – 5 teams and are given a bag with building blocks. We

present to them a built tower and explain that they will have 15 minutes to copy the design

and build a tower identical to the prototype. We don’t reveal that some bags do not contain

all the necessary building blocks to copy the tower. The teams will soon realise this unfair

distribution and will start calling it out. It is important to remain firm and just respond that

this is how the game is and none is allowed to make changes.

Debriefing

This game or any other similar has no significant impact, unless we dedicate enough time for

debriefing. On the contrary, the absence of discussion could leave students with the wrong

assumptions. Debriefing enables students to reflect on the activity, analyse and articulate

the main ideas and make general conclusions.

Many concepts can be explored through this exercise, for example opportunities and

potential, inequality, unfairness, unfair distribution of resources and wealth (at a local or

global scale). Use guiding questions first for students to express how they felt and then go to

more in-depth discussion on the concepts.

Guiding Questions

How did you feel during this activity?

Was it difficult to accept this unfairness?

Did you try to resolve it? How?

Has there been a case in school where you felt there was unfairness or unequal

treatment? Has there been a case beyond school?

Do you know of situations where children are treated unfairly or unequally? In your

country or in other countries?

Is there any way that you can react to this situation? What can you do?

How can children in your country express their opinion regarding what is important

to them or regarding any injustice they face?

Are there any people or institutions responsible for this? How can you reach to them

De-roling

Often children get very deep into their role and have strong emotions, especially when they

feel that something is unfair. As soon as you conclude the game, if you see that they are still

in unrest, then dedicate 5 minutes to do a de-roling exercise. The aim is for them to get out

of role and stabilize their emotions.

Closure

It is suggested that closure brings together all the conclusions from the exercise, any general

assumptions and, very importantly, ideas for action. It is essential for students to feel that

they can take action upon serious issues and understand that participation is the

cornerstone of active citizenship.

Follow – up

Lasting impact in the cultivated knowledge, skills, values and attitudes cannot be achieved

through a single activity. It is important to add more activities, related or connected to each

other, creating a series under the same theme.

Theoretical Framework

Children’s Developmental Levels

Find out more

Five Phases of Experiential Learning

The experiential learning cycle is comprised of five phases: Experiencing – Reporting –

Reflecting – Generalising – Applying.

This methodology of experiential learning permits children to develop and change

knowledge, skills, attitudes and values in a safe environment that is both challenging and

fun. Because it validates the child’s experience and encourages children to take

responsibility for their own learning, experiential learning enhances participation, self-

reliance and self-confidence. Each phase of this cycle honours children’s lived experience

while challenging them to articulate, observe, reflect, question and draw conclusions.

Find out more

The Convention on the Rights of the Child

The Convention on the Rights of the Child emphasizes that not only adults but also children

have the right to participate in all aspects of the life of the community as an essential aspect

of their citizenship.

Article 9: to participate in proceedings regarding the child’s guardianship or custody

Article 12: to participate in decision making in “all matters affecting the child”

Article 13: to express opinions and to acquire and give information

Article 14: to hold views in matters of thought, conscience and religion

Article 15: to associate with others

Article 23: the right of a child with disabilities to “active participation in the community”

Article 30: the right of minority or indigenous children to participate in the community of

their own group as well as the larger society

Article 31: to participate fully in cultural and artistic life.

Child participation in democratic procedures

The traditional understanding is that children are ‘non-citizens’ or ‘pre-citizens’ in a society.

While the Convention on the Right of the Child recognizes parents’ rights to their children’s

custody, education and representation (Articles 5 and 18), it also introduces the principle of

the child’s best interest, which establishes limits to parental rights in the interest of their

children (Article 3).

According to Brian Howe, a Canadian children’s rights advocate, although children are

legally citizens by birth or naturalization, they are often neither recognized nor treated as

citizens. “They tend to be either ignored as citizens or regarded in an adult-centric fashion

as citizens of the future rather than of the present.” Howe identifies two main reasons for

this attitude: children’s economic dependency and psychological immaturity. He points out

that other economically dependent groups such as stay-at-home parents, retired people,

university students or adults with disabilities are not denied their citizenship. He concludes

that children have a right to citizenship as “citizenship is about inclusion, not economic

independence”.

Children indeed lack the cognitive development, maturity and self-control of adults.

However development is an ongoing, lifelong process and the cognitive development of

children increases when they are treated with respect and provided with age-appropriate

opportunities for their autonomy and participation as citizens.

According to national law and to the UDHR, children have rights and responsibilities similar

to those of adults. But they also have differentiated citizenship: the CRC recognizes

children’s need for specific protection (e.g. from abuse, neglect, economic and sexual

exploitation), provision (e.g. of basic needs such as health care, social security or to a quality

standard of living, as well as the right to a name, identity and nationality) and to

participation in all decisions affecting them. These rights are to be exercised in accordance

with the evolving capacities of the child, as are the child’s responsibilities as a citizen.

Children, like adults, must respect the rights of others and obey the law, but their level of

responsibility and of legal accountability is age-differentiated.

Role of the School

Schools reflect the challenges facing society as a whole. Thus they frequently have to deal

with issues related to the threats and challenges to our democratic societies such as

socioeconomic crisis, migration, information disorder and the rise in violent extremism and

radicalisation leading to terrorism. While dealing with these challenges, schools are called to

cultivate the core democratic values of education.

In democratic societies, children and young people have the right to be heard and not to

feel afraid to express themselves. Schools have a key role in upholding this principle. At the

same time, students need to be aware of both their rights and responsibilities.

Learning about human rights and democracy is a fundamental first step

for becoming an informed and responsible citizen. Students also need

to participate in activities such as debating and community work. Skills,

knowledge and critical understanding must be coupled with the

attitudes and values that form part of a democratic culture. All this

should be promoted through a whole school approach.

Education for Democratic Citizenship

Education for democratic citizenship refers to an educational process that seeks to ensure

that children and young people become active and responsible citizens who are able and

ready to contribute to the well-being of the society in which they live. The three aims of

education for democratic citizenship are 1) to provide political literacy: knowledge of

political and civic institutions and social problems; 2) to develop needed skills such as critical

thinking, cooperation and active listening; and 3) to promote values and attitudes that lead

to active participation and engagement in community life. This complex approach

differentiates education for democratic citizenship from the traditional civic or citizenship

education, which concentrates on providing knowledge and focuses on loyalty and

responsibilities.

The best way to educate children in active citizenship is to provide them with practical

possibilities to experience active participation in their direct environment. They can learn

about their rights and responsibilities and enjoy the competency of contributing to decisions

at home, at school, in children’s clubs and in local organisations. In these roles they also

experience multiple belonging and the complex and dynamic nature of citizenship.

Competences for a Democratic and Peaceful Society

The above model was developed by the Council of Europe in an attempt to provide a

description of the competences that need to be acquired by learners if they are to become

effective engaged citizens and live peacefully together with others as equals in culturally

diverse democratic societies.

The current model aims at enabling educational systems to empower learners as

autonomous social agents, who are capable of choosing and pursuing their own goals in life

with the framework that is provided by democratic institutions and respect for human

rights. Equipping them with these competences through the educational system, alongside

taking action to tackle structural disadvantages and inequalities, is crucial to ensure the

future health of our culturally diverse democratic societies and the empowerment and

flourishing of all young people who live within them.

The competences fall into four broad categories: values, attitudes, skills, and knowledge and

critical understanding.

Find out more

Ladder for children’s participation

Participation of the citizens in their

government is thought to be the

cornerstone of democracy, and it

can take place through different

mechanisms and forms, and at

various levels. Several models of

participation have been developed,

the earliest and probably the most

well-known being Sherry Arnstein's

ladder of participation (1969).

Arnstein identified eight levels of

participation, each corresponding

to one rung of the ladder, with

little or no citizen participation at

one end to a fully citizen-led form

at the other. The higher you are on

the ladder, the more power you

have in determining the outcome.

The bottom two rungs –

manipulation and therapy – are not

participative and should be

avoided. The next three up –

informing, consultation and

placation – are tokenistic; they

allow citizens to have a voice and be heard, but their views may not be properly considered

by those in power. The final three steps – partnership, delegated power and citizen control

– constitute real citizen power and the fullest form of citizen participation.

Arnstein's model was further developed by Roger Hart and adapted to the issue of children

and youth participation. Hart stated that participation is a fundamental right of citizenship7,

because this is the way to learn what being a citizen means and how to be one. Youth

participation can also be seen as a form of a youth-adult partnership. There are different

degrees to which youth can be involved or take over the responsibility, depending on the

local situation, resources, needs and level of experience. Hart's ladder of participation

illustrates different degrees of involvement of children and young people in projects,

organisations or communities.

Find out more

Resources

Council of Europe, Compasito: Manual on Human Rights Education for Children

Council of Europe, Compass: Manual for Human Rights Education with Young People

Council of Europe, Competences for Democratic Culture: Living together as equals in

culturally diverse democratic societies

Council of Europe, Living with Controversy: Teaching Controversial Issues Through

Education for Democratic Citizenship and Human Rights

Council of Europe, Free to Speak, Safe to Learn: Democratic Schools for All

Council of Europe, Digital Citizenship Education Project