For years, non-governmental organisations have indicated that in Polish schools discrimination, violence and hate speech are grave problems. The negative situation concerns all grounds for discrimination, such as gender, sexual orientation, disability or material status. So far, the problems have not met with adequate and decisive reaction from educational authorities, and in this area no systemic policy is implemented that would be aimed at preventing discrimination in official education system.
The project aim was to engage educational authorities in implementing systemic solutions that would form an effective response to the problems of discrimination, violence and hate speech in schools. Under the project, a comprehensive diagnosis of the problem in Polish schools was performed, and educational authorities were presented with recommendations containing specific proposals for effective counteracting discrimination, prejudice-motivated violence and hate speech in the official education system. In addition, as a result of the project implementation, Codes of Equal Treatment were prepared and implemented in four schools.
The situation was diagnosed based on a survey covering interviews with teachers and school students and analysis of data from the Education Evaluation System. The results of the survey were published together with recommendations in a report that was presented during the national conference with participation of decision-makers that was organised in the Chancellery of the Prime Minister. Publication of the report was also widely commented in media. Activities were also taken to strengthen the dialogue with educational authorities. A long-term advocacy strategy was developed and works of the Coalition for Antidiscrimination Education were coordinated. We also cooperated with particular schools where antidiscrimination solutions were successfully implemented.
Beneficiaries of the project were four schools where the Codes for Equal Treatment were developed and implemented and non-governmental organisations gathered in the Coalition for Antidiscrimination Education for whom the report prepared under the project serves as an advocacy tool.
The partner organisation brought to the project their practical experiences in cooperation with schools, and was responsible for supporting schools in developing and implementing the Codes for Equal Treatment.