Address: 44 , Akaki Street, Poti

Country: Georgia

 School website

Project: School gender audit

Working language during the project:

• Georgian
• English
   

Themes of the Council of Europe project “Free to Speak, Safe to Learn - Democratic Schools for All” covered:

• Making children’s and students’ voices heard
• Preventing violence and bullying
• Tackling discrimination
• Improving well-being at school
   

Competences from the Reference Framework of Competences for Democratic Culture (CDC) addressed and where / how they were integrated:

• Valuing human dignity and human rights
  The students explored school culture in terms of gender. They worked out the descriptors for gender equality and made them relevant to the school’s culture.
• Civic-mindedness
  As part of the project, students conducted a gender audit and found out that the photos of celebrities on the school walls do not protect gender equality. Their civic thinking has improved as they have proven that the achievements of women and men are equally important to the state.
• Co-operation skills
  On the basis of collaboration, the students worked out the complete recommendation before the school authority and board of trustees. They ascertained how important the gender equality in school culture is.
   

Target group age range:

• 11 - 15
• 15 - 19
   

Level of education:

• Lower secondary education
• Upper secondary education

Short description of the project:

Gender equality is one of the main characteristics of a democratic society. In this context a short-term school project was planned and implemented in Poti Public School No 1. The main aim of the project was a “Gender Audit” of the school culture and giving specific recommendations to the school administration/ authorities.

The project involved 50 Lower and Upper Secondary Education students. They studied the gender characteristics of the school, gender mainstreaming in education, materials were prepared for the presentation, school characteristics were researched and a framework of specific recommendations was developed.

The framework of recommendations addressed the need for gender equality in schools. According to the recommendations, women should participate equally in public life. There are many women who can provide an example for schoolchildren. Simultaneously, with the report, the students involved in the project prepared a special questionnaire to record an interview with the school director. The purpose of the interview was to identify if the school directorate has any information on the following issue: what kind of information does the school culture, as depicted on the school walls, send in a gender context?

In the next phase of the project, students found information about successful women, public figures, politicians and writers from various fields. The students displayed all the information on the presentation diagram. The project provided several online lessons on Gender Equality and the framework characteristics of a democratic society. The students filmed video addresses, through which they addressed the school community with the slogan “Gender equality is one of the main characteristics of a democratic society”. The students made a special appeal to the name of the board of trustees, the school board and the students’ council, and recommended that gender balance be maintained on the school walls, stands and classrooms. Students involved in the project compiled a list of successful women, and attached some photos and excerpts from their biographies.

With the help of the school governing board, the students involved in the project prepared electronic samples of the products created under the project. These were subsequently posted on the school social network and website.

Together with the school students, the school governing board, the students involved in the project, with the help of the school administration, contacted Poti Public School No. 5, which was introduced to the materials created within the project. A memorandum was signed between the schools, on the basis of which it was planned to implement a joint project on gender equality.
 

Aims/objectives

• Research the school culture in terms of gender
• Develop recommendations in terms of gender
   

Expected results/outcomes

• Gender equality will be maintained on school stands, exhibition halls or in the classrooms.
• Collaboration between the school community, students, the directorate, student council representatives was developed within the project.
   

Changes

• Improving the school culture competences in terms of gender.
• As part of the project, students developed a specific recommendation framework package on gender equality.
   

Challenges you faced

• Technological skills required under pandemic regulations
• Low motivation of students to respect the regulations in place for the pandemic.
• Develop an objective recommendation framework package on gender equality.
   

Time-frame of the project:

The project took one month to complete
 

Council of Europe materials on citizenship and human rights education used while preparing or implementing your practice:

• Reference Framework of Competences for Democratic Culture
• Living Democracy - manuals for teachers
• We CAN!
• Human Rights and Democracy Start with Us – Charter for All
• Other: Gender mainstreaming