Teaching Common Values: Democracy and Tolerance in Educational Policies and Practices in the European Union

• In Event: 25.051 - Applied Moral Problems in Globalized Current Societies

Abstract

Democracy and tolerance are important values for Europe. Europe is not unique in this respect, but the European tradition and the foundations of the European Union emphasize democracy and tolerance as guiding principles of living together and organizing society, public life and politics.
Living these moral values is not a natural process; these values should be cultivated and educated among people, in particular to newcomers in society like youngsters and immigrants. The educational system in European countries is given an important role in cultivating these values of democracy and education. After the terrorist attacks in Paris the ministers of Education of the EU formulated the “Declaration on promoting citizenship and the common values of freedom, tolerance and non-discrimination through education”. The research project is initiated by the European Parliament’s Committee on Culture and Education and will be carried out by a consortium of 12 European universities in Autumn 2016. The report will be presented in January 2017.

Theoretical background
The values democracy and tolerance are part of broader ethical frameworks like human rights and are linked with moral values like freedom, justice, respect and care. Democracy is not only a political system of voting and political participation, but also a cultural life of respecting minorities, freedom of speech, and individual rights. Democracy is not only linked with the political but also with the social and cultural parts of society (Veugelers, 2007). The educationalist Dewey (1916) spoke exactly 100 years ago about democracy as a way of life.
The concept of tolerance refers to the living together of people, in particular in accepting the otherness of people. The concept of tolerance is linked to concepts as the valuing of differences and pluralism. This living together becomes increasingly more important because of globalisation. Tolerance should contribute to make society more inclusive (Gewirtz & Cribb, 2008). It is a way of thinking about crossing borders between in-groups and out-groups.

Research design
The research is a combination of policy studies and curriculum studies. An analysis of the concepts of democracy and tolerance, in particular in the European context and history will be made. The empirical research consists of two studies. In the first study an analysis will be made of the curriculum policy in all 28 countries of the EU. In the second study, a more in-depth study will be executed in 12 countries with a focus on the curriculum on the school level. We selected experts from 12 countries who will do both studies for their countries. In the in-depth study they will interview a national curriculum specialist; an educational expert of a NGO active in the field of education for democracy and tolerance; four teachers about their practice of teaching about democracy and tolerance. The analysis of the data will be in a comparative way. Both quantitative and qualitative analyses will be made. The focus of the presentation of the results will be on general trends and interesting exceptions. Some innovative policies and practices will be presented in a more extended way.

Authors

• Wiel M. Veugelers, University of Humanistic Studies Utrecht

• Isolde de Groot, University of Humanistic Studies

• Vincent Stolk, University of Humanistics Studies