COMENIUS SCHOOL DEVELOPMENT PROJECT
EUROPEAN
SCHOOLS ARE DEMOCRATIC SCHOOLS
Five schools from the United Kingdom, Romania, Portugal, Italy and Germany in one COMENIUS project. The five partner schools are:
HAGLEY PARK SPORTS COLLEGE from Rugeley, Staffordshire, England/UK
COLEGIUL TEHNIC MATEI CORVIN from Hunedoara, Hunedoara County, Romania
ESCOLA SECUNDARIA DO CASTELO DA MAIA from Maia, Portugal
SCUOLA SECONDARIA DI I GRADO “VENISTI”, from Capurso-Bari, Puglia, Italy
PETER-SCHÖLLHORN-SCHULE from Neu-Ulm, Bavaria, Germany
Coordinating school of the project
How the project started:
In 2003 to 2006 the coordinating school was working in the COMENIUS School Development Project “Feel-Good-School” together with the Romanian partner school and three more partners from France, Lithuania and Spain. By the end of the project the decision to go on with another COMENIUS project was made.
The schools from Lithuania and Spain decided to join us in this project after the first project year – which now has turned out to be impossible according to the new rules set up for COMENIUS. The French partners unluckily couldn’t go on – a decision drawn by the French national agency.
But new partners were soon asking to join us. Simon Ascroft from “Hagley Park School” in Rugeley, England contacted Claudiu Voinia, director of the Romanian partner school “Colegiul Tehnic Matei Corvin” in Hunedoara. “Scuola Secondaria Di I Grado Venisti” from Capurso-Bari, Italy and “Escola Secundária Do Castêlo Da Maia” from Maia, Portugal found our ad in the very helpful “COMENIUS Space” Internet site. All five partners applied successfully for the project “European Schools Are Democratic Schools” – so our work could start in September 2006.
“EUROPEAN SCHOOLS ARE DEMOCRATIC SCHOOLS”
The idea behind the project:
The statement “European Schools Are Democratic Schools” has not yet been proved. How democratic are our schools? To which extend do they follow democratic rules? What’s the definition of “Democracy at Our Schools”?
The COMENIUS school development project with the same title wants to compare different schools in Europe to find out where the common democratic grounds and what the differences of democracy understanding at the different institutions are. Further more it wants to elaborate a common democratic standard for all participating institutions. The creation of a students’ parliament is as well planned as a contract between the three partners at school: Students – parents – teachers (representing the institution).
Some of the questions which have to be answered are: To which extend can democratic rules be introduced and used in classes according to the age of the students? How can democracy work between partners on different levels like students and teachers and where are its limits? How can we integrate our minorities at school in a democratic system and thus create identification with our different school societies and with Europe? What has to be included in our democratic rules to insure better education and to fight xenophobia/racism?
At some of the project meetings students’ delegates of all partner schools will have the possibility to create common democracy projects. The participating institutions will work together and exchange ideas and experiences by constant use of the new media – the creation of a common internet platform is foreseen.
Some pictures from the first project meeting in Maia/Portugal in October 06:
Comenius team at work On top of the Town Hall A visit to the Mayor of Maia
In a Classroom Presentation of the different partners and their educational systems
The teams at work A private invitation Presentation
In Porto
Project meeting 1 in Maia, October 2006:
- Brief overview of the socio-cultural and educational contexts of Escola Secundária do Castêlo da Maia / tour through the school houses and classrooms
- Presentation of the national educational system of Portugal
- The legal obligations of Escola Secundária do Castêlo da Maia/organisational structure
- Brief debate about the definition of Democracy in School / common concepts? >> different points of view / no students’ representatives in Bari >> has to be established with the new school year
- Presentation of all partner schools and their respective educational systems to all teachers and to the students’ representatives + the Regional Education Authority Vice-Director at a staff and students’ representatives meeting
- Developing the students’ questionnaires (a vital point for our future work)
- Visit at some classes of the school, presentation and discussion with the students
- Cultural programme around Maia and Porto
- Meeting with Bragança Fernandes, mayor and head of the Municipal Council on Education
- Final evaluation of the week’s meeting > positive results / decision: more time to breathe in between the workshops, as working in a foreign language sometimes needs more energy/efforts compared to the English participants
- Final evening with the teachers from Maia inside the school
Project meeting 2 in Neu-Ulm, December 2006:
- Presentation and comparing of the different house rules in all partner schools with the astonishing result that neither in the German nor in the Italian house rules the rights of students (and teachers) are mentioned) >> homework: five rights of the students
- Tour through the school house and some classrooms
- Presentation of all partner schools and their respective educational systems to all teachers at the staff meeting
- Meeting with the students’ representatives (a short presentation of their work and a discussion with the COMENIUS-team) >> decision: a short film (with the participation of the students) of each partner school to give a presentation of their everyday school life to the other partners
- Meeting with the school social workers and presentation of their work
- First works on the contract/constitution
- Developing the teachers’ questionnaires
- Meeting students from Portugal and Italy (from the PSS)
- Cultural programme in and around Ulm/Neu-Ulm and excursion to Franconia, a neighbouring region in Bavaria
- Final evening with the colleagues from Neu-Ulm in the school kitchen
Peter-Schöllhorn-Schule Comenius team + students representatives Albert Einstein
Comenius team at work On top of the Cathedral Tower View over Ulm and Neu-Ulm
UK versus PSS student An excursion to Würzburg
Project meeting 3 in Capurso/Bari, March 2007:
- Visit of both school houses in Capurso guided by headmaster Cataldo Tanzella and deputy headmaster Mariangela Maiocco and the Comenius team of the school
- Work on the evaluations of the questionnaires for students and work on the evaluations of the questionnaires for teachers
• comparing the different situations the 5 partner schools are in
• consequences for the schools
• consequences for the project
- Meeting with staff and pupils of primary school “San Domenico Savio” in Capurso
- Meeting with staff and pupils of primary school “San Giovanna Bosco” in Capurso
- Presentation of the partner schools and their respective educational systems to the colleagues in Capurso
- Planning of the project’s activities for the rest of the school year in all partner schools
A very warm welcome at school In a classroom
The students’ concert In Alberobello The primary school chorus
A visit to the Mayor of Capurso
- Finalising the application form for the next two project years
- Meeting with Giuseppe De Natale, mayor of Capurso, at the town hall and presentation of the main ideas behind COMENIUS
- Cultural programmes and excursion to nearby places
Project Meeting 4 in Hunedoara, May 2007:
- Tour through the ten school buildings of Colegiul Tehnic Matei Corvin
- Project work:
• Reports about the latest events at all partner schools (Project days)
• Presentation of the documentation of the last meeting in Capurso
(> DVD from PSS, Neu-Ulm)
• What themes are urgent for our schools still this school year?
• Joint Activity Report
• Elections of the students’ representatives at all partner schools
• Themes for the next school year
• Tasks for the students’ representatives at the meeting in December 2007 > Action Plan
The Comenius team at work Continuation in the coordinators room An interview to the press
The RE classroom Students at work A special classroom
At the inspectorate in Deva Presentation of the school systems Martin Hodby at work
On the Bridge of Lies in Sibiu The Corvin Castle in Hunedoara Folk dance at school
- Project work:
• The role of the student working parties
• Evaluation of the first project year
• Evaluation of the project week
- Visit to the School County Inspectorate in Deva
- Visit to the mayor at the Town Hall of Hunedoara
- Excursion to Sibiu, the cultural capital of Europe 2007
• Visit of the Dumbrava Open Air Museum
• Visit of the city of Sibiu
- Dinner and social evening together with the colleagues from Hunedoara at the school’s hall
In between at the partner schools:
- Making of the COMENIUS-Corners/Boards in all partner schools
- Presentation of all partner schools on the COMENIUS-Boards
- Introduction of the “opinion” letter boxes for students
- Carrying out the students’ questionnaires and their evaluation
- Carrying out the teachers’ questionnaires and their evaluation
- Evaluation of all questionnaires from all partner schools
- Publishing the results of the students’ questionnaires on the COMENIUS board/corner
- Reports to staff and head teachers about the work and results of the project
- Staff meetings about the project and the results of the questionnaires
- Work on the project presentation for the schools’ websites and the official AEDE website
- Teaching students about partner institutions and countries
- Work on the continuation of the project for the next two school years
- Reports to and in the local press/media about the project
- Carrying out of project days/week
- Films on DVD and PowerPoints about the partner schools and their project days/week
Results of our Partnership so far:
- Start of strengthening the democratic “habits” at school: discussion about the evaluation of the students’ and teachers’ questionnaires and their consequences for every participating school in the staffrooms
- Decision to lead the students to develop democratic structures: students council in the community of Capurso
- Awareness of the European partners in all partner schools (students and teachers)
- Awakening of the interest in the different partner schools and the work on students’ presentations of their schools for the partner schools
- More knowledge about the different school systems
- More knowledge about the partner schools, their conditions of teaching and learning, their regions
- Good presentations of the COMENIUS-project in regional/national press and even on local TV (Portugal)
- Development of teaching and learning resources
- Improvement of the English ability of participating colleagues and increased motivation to use English
- Increased awareness of the partner schools’ native languages
In order to guarantee the meeting of the students
representatives and their work together at the COMENIUS meeting in Hunedoara
/ Romania in December 2007 to be successful, we’ve worked out an action
plan – shown
on the next page - for the preparing of this meeting. As many students
already look forward to the chance of meeting new friends from the partner
schools we hope and believe that this work will be an efficient one.
ACTION PLAN – SHORT TERM
FOCUS: Activities for Students during the December 2007 meeting
STARTING POINT |
TARGETS (OBJECTIVES) |
STRATEGY(Actions) |
WHO |
BY WHEN |
RESOURCE IMPLICATIONS |
MONITORING(Who, what, when?) |
EVALUATIONSuccess criteria |
Students to discuss lifestyles and activities of teenagers in their country. Production of a tourist guide. Production of a logo for the project Produce rights and duties for an ‘ideal’ European school |
To discover the different/similar traditions and customs of participating countries. To improve English skills. Multicultural Respect To increase awareness of their own local environments To increase the ability to communicate. To improve English skills. Multicultural Respect To give students and institutions a common identity To improve English skills. Multicultural Respect To understand basic democratic systems. To allow students to voice their opinions on their lives. To improve English skills. Multicultural Respect |
Students to prepare presentation before the meeting, using PP:
Prepare at home/school the structure/information to be included in the guide.
Students to bring a flag and school logo. Discussion at meeting to decide on a common logo. Students to produce a list of five rights and duties that they believe they should have, before the meeting. At the meeting, students to vote for the five rights and duties they believe are most important. |
Comenius students with some teacher help. Comenius students with some teacher help. Comenius students with some teacher help. Comenius students with some teacher help. |
November 2007 November 2007 December 2007 at meeting November 2007 |
Computers Powerpoint pack-age Time Photos Sample leaflets Internet Books Photos Flags School logos Computer Dictionary Copies of rules in each school Dictionary Computer |
Send to coordinator by middle November 2007 Send to coordinator by middle November 2007 Students to discuss during meeting. Teachers to check final product. Email five students rights and duties to coordinator by middle of November. |
Students to understand different/similar lifestyles in each country. Powerpoint presentation to be included to final report. Students to understand different/similar lifestyles in each country. Production of a final tourist guide of all partner institutions. Production of a final logo that can be used as an identity for students. Production of T-shirts with the new logo for students teachers. An ‘ideal’ list of five rights and duties for our new Democratic School! |
This report is going to be continued during the course of the project..
In case you want to know more details about the COMENIUS Project “European Schools Are Democratic Schools” or the previous project “Our School as an Educational Zone – a Multicultural School – a European School – a ‘FEEL-GOOD-SCHOOL’”, please don’t hesitate to contact the project coordinator:
Reinhold Popp
bobbypopp@gmx.net
Thank you for your interest in European (school) work!
P.S.: I’m sure your national AEDE section can help you a lot to encourage and guide you on your way to a successful COMENIUS project. In case you need support – just contact your national AEDE section. If you don’t have one – as in still a few European countries – get together and create an AEDE section in your country.
Reinhold (Bobby) Popp, member of the EBB/AEDE