Transcript Roads to Equality

SCHOOL
DEMOCRACY
Presentation
Shawlands Academy
25 October, 2004
BBS Kirchdorf/Austria
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Content
• School Democracy & the
Austrian School System
• School Democracy &
BBS Kirchdorf
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BBS Kirchdorf
• HBLW/FW
HBLW:
5 years (age 15-19)
FW:
3 years (age 15-17)
• HAK/HAS
HAK:
5 years (age 15-19)
HAS:
3 years (age 15-17)
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BBS Kirchdorf
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BBS Kirchdorf
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The Austrian
School System
• Students‘
representatives
- class reps
- school reps
- regional reps
- national reps
• SGA (School Council)
• Teachers of Trust
• School Laws
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Students‘ Representatives
• Class Reps:
– attend meetings held by school
reps
– report back to their class
– mediator between class and
teachers
– can participate in class
conferences (leave when vote)
– represent students in their class
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Students‘ Representatives
• School Reps
– convene and chair meetings with
class reps
– 3 reps to the SGA (“school council“)
– participation in conferences (leave
when vote)
– power to expel a student or prevent a
student from being expelled - in
agreement with the headmaster
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Elections of the Reps
• Class Reps:
– around 2nd week of the school year
(= end of September)
– election list in each class
– each student puts 2 names in order of
preference (1st = 2 pts.; 2nd = 1 point)
– most points  class rep
– 2nd  deputy class rep
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NEW at Kirchdorf 2004
• Students Representatives
- What makes a good class or school rep?
Last year Comenius team and student reps
laid down characteristics of a good class or
school rep.
- Instructions for form tutors:
How do you get a good class rep?
Teachers encourage discussions in classes
regarding the tasks of a students rep.
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Elections of the Reps
• School Reps
– around the 4th week of the
school year
– all students eligible
– nomination = signature on
an official form
– vote by a ballot paper with
the names of the candidates
– vote possible for six favourite
candidates in order of
preference
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Elections of the Reps
• School Reps (cont.)
– 6 points for the most
favourite, 1 point for the last
– student with highest ratio
(NOT number of points)
School Rep
– other positions: filled
automatically
– no clear majority  election
between the two most popular
candidates
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NEW at Kirchdorf 2004
• new strategies for
school rep election &
election campaign
- election day: later than
usual  11 October, 2004
- Before: 8 October, 2004
presentation of candidates
in meeting of all students
in school hall
 all students get to know
the candidates and their
programmes, ask
questions, …
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NEW at Kirchdorf 2004
And …
- teachers
encourage
discussions in
classes regarding
the tasks and
characteristics of
a good school rep
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Elections of the Reps
• Regional Students Rep, e.g. for
Upper Austria
– School Reps are eligible; they vote in
these elections
• National Students Rep – for Austria
– elected by regional Students‘ Reps
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The SGA
Schulgemeinschaftsausschuss
SCHOOL COUNCIL
• Central element of
school democracy
- meets regularly to discuss
and to vote on issues
concerning:
The running of the school:
– setting the curriculum
– evaluating school rules
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The SGA
Schulgemeinschaftsausschuss
SCHOOL COUNCIL
• Members of this committee:
– headmaster (chairs the meeting,
but has no voting rights)
– 3 different parties:
• Students‘ Reps
• Teachers‘ Reps (elected by
their colleagues)
• Parents‘ Reps (voted for by
the “Elternverein“ = Parents‘
Organisation)
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The SGA
Schulgemeinschaftsausschuss
SCHOOL COUNCIL
• Decisions:
– Normal topic: half of the members must
agree on it to pass
– Really important cases: overall majority of
2/3rds (with at least one vote in favour from each party!)
is necessary for the topic to pass
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Teachers of trust
Vertrauenslehrer/innen
• Does not apply to all Austrian schools!
• Teachers to whom students can talk
confidentially when they have problems
concerning school or personal issues.
• Usually the form tutor deals with mostly
school issues. So the „Vertrauenslehrer“
is mainly there for personal issues.
• Not used very often. Many students in
Kirchdorf don‘t realise that such service
exists.
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School Laws
• Schools have to adhere to a national set of
rules.
• Current school laws: often very general,
vague and open to interpretation.
• In addition each school in Austria has its
own set of rules, voted by the SGA.
• New proposals by a reform commission
(www.klassezukunft.at, www.bmbwk.gv.at
– English versions available
)
- e.g. headmasters choose their own staff
- e.g. reduce number of students that have to retake a year
- e.g. give schools more financial independence
UNIONS FIGHT AGAINST THESE PROPOSALS
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moving on …
BBS Kirchdorf & School Democracy
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To consider
• School democracy takes a lot of work for
being effective!
• Possible reasons for uneffecitveness:
– many students are not interested in school
democracy
– students complain behind the back of the
teachers
– students believe that they have no power to
change anything
– teachers afraid of more regulations due to school
democracy
– parents don‘t feel responsible and leave the
discussions to students and teachers
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Comenius
• DISCUSSION at the
Headmaster‘s
Meeting in Kirchdorf –
22 March 2004
 triggered off a lot
in our school
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School Democracy
… has become a big topic in
our school
- discussions in lessons
- with headmaster and
teachers
- SGA, student council,
school reps
- school magazine
- etc.
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NEW at Kirchdorf
SCHOOL DEMOCRACY TEAM
Members:
- old and new school reps
- various students who
are interested in school
democracy
- some Comenius
teachers
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NEW at Kirchdorf
SCHOOL DEMOCRACY TEAM
AIM:
- support students reps
- introduce teacher
evaluation
- improve communication
between students,
teachers, headmaster
and parents
- link old and new school
reps
- organize trainings for
school and class reps
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School Reps Kirchdorf
- regular office hours
- old and new school
reps work together
- school magazine –
regular column
- get support from school
democracy and
Comenius team
- regular meetings with
headmaster, contact
teachers and reps
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Survey
• QUESTIONNAIRES
on school democracy
- multiple choice: 170 students
- with open answers:
in various classes
- to grasp the current situation
- to make students think and talk
about it
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School Magazine
a platform created by students
for students
- regular page for school reps
- more articles about rights,
etc.
This year:
editor = deputy students rep
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Feedback Rules
- discussed and translated into English
- available to students and teachers
- in preparation for teacher and student evaluation
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Teacher Evaluation
Big project:
students
teachers (Comenius team)
school reps, …
are working on questions
test run soon
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Various Projects
• Jon Fosse –
Morgen und Abend
• Stereotypes
• Gender
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… on and on …
SCHOOL DEMOCRACY
• We think about it
• We talk about it
• We do something
about it!
We
=
students, teachers,
parents, headmaster
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Hello from Austria!
Comenius Team Kirchdorf
2004
presentation by I.J.E.
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We are very much inspired by YOU –
GLASGOW, DRAMMEN, LOGRONO, TEPLICE!
Thank you!!!
Comenius Team Kirchdorf
2004
presentation by I.J.E.
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