Purpose:
To promote a quality education system that is inclusive and promotes equal opportunities for all students. More precisely, to build capacity of teachers on the prevention of violence and discrimination.
Stimulus/Rationale:
The programme is aimed at preventing violence and discrimination based on functional diversity, cultural diversity and affective, sexual and gender diversity. Inequalities between women and men and discrimination against minority groups are part of the socialisation process of children and teenagers, who unconsciously build up a representation of reality that hides prejudices and false beliefs, with repercussions on the whole of society's relationship forms.
As part of the Barcelona Intercultural Plan (2021-2030), pillar 1 ‘To advance towards effective equality of rights, duties and opportunities for everyone based on a commitment to non-discrimination and fairness’, the Interculturality Programme established the objective of increasing the number of schools in the “Schools for Equality and Diversity” programme to address stereotypes and prejudice and prevent abusive and discriminatory relationships.
Process:
Pilot phase
A pilot test of the project was carried out for three school years (2014-2017) involving 3,000 pupils and more than 250 teachers affiliated to a total of 11 of the city's schools (6 primary and 5 secondary) which also involved the participation of the students’ families and the territory's associations and services. The work was carried out in two phases, the first focused on the school and the second on the educational community and the surrounding area.
During this phase, teachers were given training and a series of educational activities were held for the teachers themselves to implement in class, educational resources were provided and workshops held with students delivered by specialist associations. Family groups were spurred on and meetings held with all the associations involved.
A training programme
Currently, 'Schools for Equality and Diversity' has been consolidated as a programme of training, advice and accompaniment in schools for the implementation of a programme for the prevention of abusive relationships, male violence, racial discrimination, and discrimination due to functional, sexual, gender, identity, sexual orientation, ethno-cultural and religious diversity, aimed at the educational communities of public and subsidised infant, primary and secondary schools in the city of Barcelona.
The programme is based on three axes (affective, sexual and gender diversity; diversity of origin, culture and religion; functional diversity) to promote attitudes and behaviour in interpersonal relationships that make the values of equality, equity and respect effective in children and adolescents from 3 to 16 years old, in their immediate environment and in their families.
It works to prevent the appearance, and make an early identification, of abusive, discriminatory and/or xenophobic attitudes and behaviour in interpersonal relationships, offering, in schools and institutes, actions and resources to work on certain topics.
Once schools have registered, they have access to all the materials to view, download and use them.
Resources: a Fanzine to work around discriminatory attitudes
As part of the research carried out by the Antiracist Collective AICE (Analysis, Research and Creation in Education), a new educational guide has been published for working on the Fanzine "Welcome to school... intercultural? ". The initiative to draw up a guide arose in order to offer guidelines on how to work on the topics covered in the Fanzine, and the result is a material that can be implemented in the form of a workshop suitable for carrying out with groups class or other groups of young people. Thus, these resources are available to the educational community and to all those interested.
During 2023, the material has been used during various sessions in a high school of the city; Institut Salvat Papasseit. This sessions have been conducted for teachers and also students.
Impact:
An exhaustive process and results evaluation was carried out by a research team from the University of Barcelona. The results obtained highlighted a change of trend in the attitudes of the students that are moving towards a recognition of diversity in the areas mentioned above. And, more importantly, a critical raising of awareness among teachers who are reviewing their educational beliefs and practices and eliminating many of the cultural guidelines they inherited.
Key reference documents: Programme website
