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Discrimination of non-believing children and children not attending lessons of religion in schools

Combating discrimination Completed
lubelskie
Lublin
2014-09-01 - 2015-05-31
107 385,00 PLN
95 385,00 PLN
education system, religion and secularity
Project description
In Poland, schools are insufficiently religiously neutral and are infiltrated by catholic content in terms of both school community life (e.g. catholic ceremonies organised in schools), and the very school space (e.g. catholic symbols present in schools). The principle of secular school is also breached by insufficient access to lessons of ethics which should form an alternative for children not participating in lessons of catholic religion. The verdict of the European Court of Human Rights in the case Grzelak vs. Poland led to implementation of new regulations in this field. Though schools are obliged to organise lessons of ethics (even if only one child wants to attend them), not all educational institutions implement the new requirement and parents are not aware of the existing regulations in this field.

The aim of the project was to counteract discrimination in schools on the ground of religion/belief in Lubelskie voivodeship and enforcing the regulations on access to lessons of ethics.

The implemented activities led to increased number of schools in Lubelskie voivodeship where lessons of ethics are organised (from 36 to 108).

Under the project, parents were informed on the obligation to organise lessons of ethics on the part of schools through special web page, distribution of informational leaflets in schools in Lubelskie voivodeship and billboards. 300 parents and schoolchildren were also supported in the process of organising lessons of ethics. The support was given through telephone conversations and email correspondence. In addition, a report was prepared to summarise results of questionnaire survey among heads of schools (233 persons participated in the survey) and recommendations for schools were developed. Seven antidiscrimination workshops were also organised for 85 persons employed in educational institutions.

Beneficiaries of the project were 300 persons who received support in enforcing the obligation on the part of schools to organise lessons of ethics and 85 persons employed in educational institutions who participated in the antidiscrimination workshops.
We use the grant for capacity building