Systems Strengthening
Education Policies and Practices to Foster Tolerance, Respect for Diversity and Civic Responsibility in Children and Young People in the EU
Examining the Evidence
Recent studies show that intolerance and social exclusion in Europe are increasing, with some migrant groups feeling alienated. This is leading to incidences of social tensions and unrest. Education has a key role to play in preparing societies for dealing with these phenomena. This independent report reviews the most relevant European and international research on these issues in order to summarize existing knowledge and to distill policy lessons based on evidence. It addresses questions that include:
- What main opportunities and challenges do European education systems face in terms of educating for tolerance, respect for diversity and active citizenship?
- For each of these, what policy insights can we draw from existing European and international research and evidence?
- Which specific education policies and practices appear to work best and under which specific circumstances?
Top 5 of the 14 main conclusions include:
- Respect for others can be taught.
- School policies that encourage ethnic mixing create conditions for inter-ethnic cooperation and fostering tolerance.
- The way a school operates makes a difference.
- New effective methods for creating inclusive classrooms have been developed in recent years.
- Extra-curricular activities can promote tolerance and understanding,
Top 5 of the 19 recommendations include:
- Avoid segregation and promote diversity in schools
- Develop and use culturally relevant curricula and culturally-responsive pedagogies
- Provide bilingual and multilingual education
- Encourage diversity in the education workforce
- Better prepare the education workforce for tolerance, diversity and inclusion