WORKING TOWARDS AN OPEN AND INCLUSIVE ETHOS IN EDUCATION – GOOD PRACTICES IN EDUCATION FOR REFUGEES
Examples of casestudies and goodpractices at Gimnazija Franca Miklošiča, Ljutomer
Sonja Ferčak
Abstract
Everyninthinhabitant of Sloveniaisanimmigrant.
Tolerance isrespecting and accepting the richdiversity of worldcultures as well as the forms, expressions and ways of practisingourhumanity. Tolerance isharmony in diversity. Although the students of Gimnazija Franca Miklošiča secondaryschool never hadanydirectcontactwithrefugees, wewantedthem to see the variousaspects of the migrant and refugeecrisis. One of the severalactivitiesorganisedby the schoolwas a roundtablewithforeignnationalswhohadbeenliving in Slovenia for some time. TheyexplainedhowtheyhadintegratedintoSloveniansociety and howtheyhadbeendealingwithculturaldifferences, stereotypes and prejudices. The studentsalsohad a lecture on Syria to learnabout the historical, cultural and geographicalfeatures of a countrywhich is no longerpresent on the political map of the world. It is of greatimportancethatstudentsknow the history and cultureof the countrywhere the peoplearriving in Europe and becomingourneighboursoriginatefrom. The studentsalsobecamefamiliarwith the mainreasons for the largestmigrationwave in Europesince WW2. Whatishappeningcausesanxiety, insecurity and fearamong the inhabitants of Europe, and hencealsoamongSlovenians. The most powerfulweaponagainst intolerance and hatred, whichcanlead to violence, isprovidinginformation to the public, especially to the young. The informationgivenshouldbeaccurate and comefrom personal experienceratherthanfrom the mediaorthroughpolitical or othermanipulation. Howcritically and actively the students of Gimnazija Franca Miklošiča approachthismatterwasreflected in their home assignments, reaffirming the necessity of organisingsuchevents.
Keywords: refugees, students, culturaldiversity, tolerance
1.EXAMPLES OF GOOD PRACTICES in raisingawareness ABOUT migration and the refugee and migraNtcrisisamong the students of Gimnazija Franca Miklošiča, Ljutomer
1.1. Help the Refugees 2015humanitariancampaign
In cooperationwithregionalassociations of the Slovenian Red Cross, the Gimnazija Franca Miklošiča, Ljutomer secondaryschool (GFML) joined the all-SlovenianhumanitariancampaignHelp the Refugees 2015. Wecollected a considerablequantity of food, drinkingwater, toiletries, blankets, clothing, toys, etc. With the resourcescollected, wecontributed to the best of ourability to providingassistance to and protection for vulnerablepersons. Thus, wepromoted human dignity and tolerance, irrespective of nationality, race, religiousbelief, social class, politicalopinionor legal status.
Photo 1: Resourcescollectedduring the humanitariancampaign
1.2. Lecture on Syria, September 2015
Ourschoolhosted Boris Ferk, a history and geographyprofessor at the Maribor Music and BalletConservatory. He iskeen on travelling and hasrecentlyspentquite some time in Syria. In light of the latesteventsmarkingoureverydaylife, withthousands of peoplefrom the warzones of the MiddleEastseekingrefuge in Europe, Boris Ferk presented the historical, cultural and geographicfeatures of a countrywhichis no longerpresent on the political map of the world. The lecturewasverygood, enrichedby video material and personal experience. The lecturewasattendedby 2nd and 3rdyearstudents.
Photo 2: Demographicdistribution in Syria
1.3. Short film GFML for Human Rights
To increaseawareness of inalienable human rights and fundamentalfreedomsamong the young, a group of film loversfromclass 3b turnedtheirthoughts and impressionsinto a short film. Through a series of stagedscenes, the studentshighlighted the equality and equalrights of various social groups. In a mannerthat is bothhilarious and young-people-friendly, theypresented the basic human rightsconcept: “Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in the Declaration of Human Rights, irrespective of race, religion, sexualorientation or ethnicorigin”.
The film isaccessible at:
1.4. Project days – Migrations in the Past and Today
In the framework of the traditional Miklošič Days, organisedunder the title “Borders of Homeland and Modern Migrations”, 3rdyearstudentslearnedaboutmigrations in the past and today. The studentswereable to chooseamong the followingtopics/workshops:
-Migrations in Europe (course: geography)
-Nationalism and Migrations (course: Europeanstudies and sociology)
-Migrations and Migrants in Slovenia (course: sociology)
-Emigration in Sloveniabefore WWI (course: history)
The emphasiswas on independentresearch, data and informationgathering and the processingthereof. The eventendedwithpresentations in front of the students of otherparticipatinggroups.
1.5. Roundtable – MigrationsToday
3rd and 4thyearstudentsdiscussedmigration as a topical social phenomenon, yetalso as a phenomenonthathadalreadyaffectedmillions of people in the past. Wehighlightedvariouscauses of migration, amongwhicheconomicmigration and emigration as a result of warprevailed. Threeguestspeakerstalkedabouttheiradaptation to life in Slovenia: BeverleyLandricombefrom England, Maha Ahmed fromYemen and Talha Ahmed from Pakistan. Theymoved to Slovenia to findsafety, get a newjob or simplybecause of itsbeautiful and unspoiled nature. Theoreticalfactswerethusexpandedwith real lifeexamplesfromourenvironment.
Photo 3: Causes of migrationPhoto 4: Guestspeakers at the roundtable
1.6. Home assignments
The studentswereprovidedwithonlineinstructionshelpingthem to expresstheirowncriticalviews of the developments in Europe and itsvicinity. The students’ workwasassessedwithcreditpointswhichweretakenintoaccount in the finalwrittenexamination. Theirassignments are accessible at:
Questions:
1. Define the geographiclocation of Syria.
2. What are the twobranches of Islam? Which one is more numerous? Which one prevails in Iraq and which one in Iran?
3. Whatis a caliphate? Whichcountriesdoes it cover?
4. Whatis ISIS? Whatdoes the abbreviationstandfor?
5. How do youexperience the events in our part of the world? Do youbelieveEurope’s solidaritywith the refugeesisindispensable and goeswithoutsaying?
Partiallydefined problem. Incorrectfacts,lack of arguments. Onlypartialconclusions.1 point / Problem defined. Partiallycorrectfacts, partialarguments.
3 points / Problem clearlydefined. Allrelevantdataindicated. Understanding of the problem in a broad social framework.
5 points
Table 1: Criteriaforassessinghomework
Passagetakenfrom one of the assignments:
“Migrations are an integral part of humanity. Evenourancestorsmoved to wherewe are now, allowing us to beborn in a country of the firstworld. Wehave a favourableclimate, fertilesoil, a well-developedeconomy, peace and adequateeducation and healthcare. Manypeople, however, live in a lessfavourablelivingenvironment, full of war, hatred and lack of basiccommodities, let alonethingsthatwe take for granted. Because of the unrest in theircountry, manySyriansfledtheirhomes and moved to the neighbouringcountries, hoping to returnwhen the warwouldbeover. Theyspent a couple of years in Turkey, butsince it seemedtherewould not bepeace in Syriayet, theydecided to come to Europe and apply for asylum.
Europe, whichisbased on peace, solidarity and basic human rights, seems like a dream for peopletired of war and numerousvictims. Following the twoworldwars, Europeanshadbeen like that, too, and founded the European Union in the wish for peace. I believethat the life of every human beingisprecious, regardless of race, religion, culture or language. We, whobychancewereborninto a betterlife, shouldhelpthosewho are honestbutsufferinjustice. Althoughmaybe not everyonewouldhelpusif the situationwasreversed, wemuststand up for ourvalues and beliefswithwhichwe so proudlypresentourselves to the world. Wealsoneed to helpbecause the faultis on ourside, too, on the superpowersthatinterfere in disputes for theirownbenefit. Of course, thereis a risk of making a mistakebyhelpingrefugees, and some ridiculousconspiracytheoriesactuallycometrue. However, I knowdeep in myselfthatbyhelpingthem I would at leasthave aclearconscience, because I stood up for mybeliefs and remained humane.
The currentevents are among the most remarkableones in recenttimes. They and the consequencesthereofwillbediscussedlongafterourdeath. It is up to us to decidewhetherwewant to beremembered as modern human beingswhostand for the rights and values in whichwebelieve, or ifwewillbelabelled as yetanothercivilisationthatwasincapable of bringinghumanity, solidarity and ideasarisingfrom the times of the Enlightenmentinto real life.” Janja Forjan, 3c
As teachers, we are obliged to present to the young the variousaspects of thisissue, so thattheywillbeable to shapetheirowncriticalopinion and, hopefully, willbewilling to acceptdiversity. Ifwehaveachievedthiswith at least a handful of students, wehaveindeedreachedourgoal.
2.REFERENCE LIST
-Allfacts are takenfrom GFML reports and are accessible at the school’s website:
-The author of photo 1 is Sonja Ferčak; the author of photos 2, 3 and 4 is Ludvik Rogan.