Erasmus+ KA2. Young voices in the european democracy

1. Democracy
at school

2. Democracy at school
The school may be a perfect place to see the
advantages and disadvantages of democracy.
Every democratic government around the world
is different. Every school is also different.

3. Democracy at school
This is because of the varying circumstances of
governments, schools and institutions. The level
of democracy within each school or institution
varies depending on individual circumstances.

5. How democratic a school
should be?
Should students participate in making
decisions that affect the whole school? Students
can be actively involved in making decisions
that
affect their time at school but it is also
important that they are taught the processes
involved in making good decisions.

6. Making good decisions
Everyone needs to be taught to question the
reliability and validity of decisions and to offer
constructive criticism and alternatives. These,
and other skills, can be taught at schools.

7. How democratic a school
should be?
It may be possible to participate in school
decision-making bodies such as the school
council or the parents and citizens group to
observe the workings of democracy at your
school.

9. Making good decisions
For a democracy to work, people need to
understand that there are viewpoints, solutions
or perspectives that may differ from their own.
The aim of a democracy is not to convert
people to one view but rather to work together
to find a solution.

11. Democracy within a school
The way democracy works should be modelled
in a school community. Democratic nations
value tolerance, respect and a willingness to
learn from one another. These values also need
to be taught in schools.

12. Democracy within a
school
Not all decisions at schools can be made by
students. As with governments, there needs to
be people who have the control to make the
final decisions. There are many constraints on
decision-makers.

13. Democracy within a school
Decisions relating to the curriculum and what
needs to be taught and economic and budgetary
decisions may need to be made without the
democratic process taking place. There should
be a series of checks and balances that
apply to the decision-makers as there is in every
democracy.

14. Democracy within a
school
There are areas in which students should be
involved. Students need to take part
in the establishment of school rules
and, to some extent, in the policing of them.

15. Democracy within a school
School rules, as with laws, should be fair and
reasonable and students should be guided to
understand the importance of them and there
are reasons for their existence.

17. Benefits of democracy at
schools
The benefits of having a democratic school are
many. In a democratic school, all school
members are made to feel part of the
community. Democratic schools are diverse and
strong enough to accept individual differences.

18. Benefits of democracy at
schools
Members of the school community, including
students, can influence decisions and policies by
signing petitions, writing to the school
newspaper or school council
The skills learned in schools can then be used for
influencing government manners.

19. Democracy at our
school
Our school in Bulgaria has it’s own council
where students and teachers are sharing ideas
and decide important manners about the whole
school. This way even the students have the
opportunity to share their thoughts and views
on the situation.

21. Democratic education
Democratic education is an educational ideal in
which democracy is both a goal and a method of
instruction. It brings democratic values to
education and can include self-determination
within a community of equals, as well as such
values as justice, respect and trust.

22. Democratic education
Democratic education is often specifically
emancipatory, with the students' voices being
equal to the teacher's. The history of
democratic education spans from at least the
1600s and continues to be active by now.

23. Thank you for
your aTTenTion!