General objective
The primary objective is
to raise young people’s awareness on bioethical questions,
by providing in particular assistance
in initiating an open debate on these issues among the students. This debate also
encourages development of autonomy of
reflection and promotion of active participation in public debate
(education for citizenship). This teaching tool is also
designed to show the European dimension of the reflection on these issues. Finally, it provides information to clarify some
basic scientific and medical notions.
Structure and easiness of use of the educational tool
The educational tool is composed of sets of five sheets (general introduction, scientific aspects, ethical and legal aspects,
practical case studies, glossary and references) addressing a particular subject. These sheets are not intended to provide
complete information on the subject, but to give basic information on different aspects (in particular scientific, ethical
and legal) of the subject concerned. They aim at facilitating the initiation by the professor of a debate among his/her
students what ever is the matter he or she is teaching (biology, philosophy, history,…). The professor knows therefore that
the students are provided with the essential primary information in the relevant fields concerned to participate in the debate.
This design also makes it easier to organise multidisciplinary activities.
Beginning the debate is made easier by the presentation of several practical cases followed by questions to start and to
structure discussions on the ethical issues raised by the situation described.
Easy to use by professors whatever is their teaching field, the design of the educational tool provides also for some
flexibility in the preparation and duration of the activity undertaken. The tool was designed taking into account a certain
number of key elements for all users, in particular teaching programme as well as time constraints for preparing and carrying
out activities of this type within such a framework. The tool may thus be used for a simple short debate following individual
reading of the sheets or for a longer activity with more in-depth preparation using the references presented in the last sheet.
Experience
When designing the educational tool, professors in different fields were consulted and their suggestions taken into account.
The set of sheets were successfully tested in several high schools in France, in particular the Lycée Jean Rostand (Strasbourg).
Subject addressed
Five sets of sheets have been drafted so far. They address organ donation, genetic testing, medically assisted procreation,
cloning and biomedical research.
Distribution
The French version of the educational tool developed by the Council of Europe has been distributed in cooperation with Belin
(French school editor).
However, three sets are directly available free of charge on the website of the “Etats généraux de la bioéthique », at the
request of the steering group responsible for the organisation of these Etats généraux launched in France in February 2009.
The sheets concerning organ donation, medically assisted procreation and genetic testing can therefore be downloaded from
the website.
These sheets have been translated into German and English. They are currently used in Austria, at the initiative of the
Austrian National Ethics Committee, in the framework of a high school professors training programme set up by the Education
Ministry.
Educational Tool on Bioethical Issues (2009)
Train your pupils in a participatory approach, which is fundamental to education for citizenship, by organising an informed,
multidisciplinary debate on bioethical issues. This teaching aid is designed in particular for fourth form to upper sixth form
teachers of biology, philosophy and civic education. Five themes are addressed in this publication:
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organ donation;
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medically assisted procreation;
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genetic testing;
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cloning; and
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biomedical research.
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