Issues of discrimination, prejudice-based violence and hate speech at school remains insufficiently addressed. Quantitative studies have proven that approximately 10% of all students suffer regular bullying at school, the vast majority of cases based on prejudice against “different” students belonging to discrimination-prone groups (for reasons of gender, disability, poverty, skin colour, religious denomination or lack thereof, sexual orientation, gender identity, place of residence, ethnic or national origin, etc.).
The project purpose was to strengthen advocacy to introduce system solutions to prevent and react to discrimination at school. The intended long-term effect was to improve safety for and equal treatment of all students.
The project enabled a diagnosis of the formal education system from the perspective of shortages/capacity to prevent discrimination and include anti-discrimination education; non-governmental organisations engaging in advocacy supporting formal education system changes were empowered.
An annual monitoring exercise was organised, spanning the media, educational institutions, and interventions responding to school-based discrimination. A report titled “Anti-Discrimination Education. Bells are Ringing!” was published. A new Facebook profile (“Equality School”) was created to provide knowledge on solutions and good practices in the field of stereotype, prejudice, and unequal treatment prevention at school. The report was presented to decision-makers during a promotional seminar. Advocacy activities by the Coalition for Anti-Discrimination Education (nationwide agreement of 59 organisations and informal groups) were continued and developed.
During the project term, the Coalition drafted 10 positions/ opinions presented to formal education decision-makers.
Project beneficiaries included 43 participants of the report-promoting seminar, and 2,059 followers of the “Equality School” dedicated Facebook profile.