MULTICULTURALISM, PLURILINGUISM AND DEMOCRACY Workshop CoE 2005-330 Malmö 12-16 December 2005
MARGARITA de VIVERO ZUBER
I would like to thank all those who participated in the European workshop and particularly those who organized it. I extend special thanks to the city of Malmö that welcomed us and opened their doors in an attempt to share their experience in multicultural education with us. Questions surrounding intercultural education seem more pressing than ever on account of my research on intercultural communication during these last 10 years and following the recent events in France. Therefore I would like to begin this report with a quotation that expresses this need : "Stereotypes are deemed to be deeply implicated in the "xenophobia" and "racism" from which so many evils, past and present, have stemmed and which the whole construction of the Community is often said to have been designed to transcend. Europe's symbolic '1992' injected, from the early days of its formulation, further urgency into such discussions, this was partly because a common policy seemed necessary on "third country" immigrants, and partly because the internal movement of labour which 1992 was said to herald seemed to mean greater mutual tolerance and understanding would be required" by Maryon Mc Donald
I. Main lessons learnt and experience acquired from attending the European Workshop A. I have learnt and experienced I'm not attempting in this report to describe the Workshop but I would mainly like to point out the importance of the induction courses arranged for us. The structure of the seminar, through the week, was based on the development of certain knowledge, skills and attitudes through lectures, work in groups, activities, as well as the visit of different schools to find out about the Swedish educational system and the implementation of the multicultural and plurilingüistic classes and projects. So knowledge and experience were very much interrelated. First of all, the introductory lecture that was given by Mister Bo Pelläs opened a vertical perspective of man as being part of the Universe and induced us to question our own vision and practices on "Education" as a possibility for evolution of the human being. I have became more aware of the importance of : • Some of my own cultural stereotypes and how my own personal view shapes my world. • Teaching the basic human values stated in the national curriculum of the members of the Council of Europe. • The importance of the pedagogical process: "both emotions and intellect are active in the process, to internalise and produce "new" knowledge. • The teacher's leadership through everyday practice in the classroom. • An interactive but firm leadership. • Teaching "how to live in a multicultural society" as a new subject in school. • The valorisation of the mother tongue by supporting or teaching it, to be able to integrate another culture. • Considering diversity to be an asset in schools. I will be able to use: • Drama, free reflexion writing and films and other fictional documents to increase the awareness of the students on sustainable development as a mean to improve democracy in the classroom. • A holistique approach, as for example, some projects to work with economic and civic teachers, history or art teachers in order to have a more global vision of the role of man in society as being the different aspects of sustainability. • Learner's contributions and learner's activities as a prerequisite for responsibility in a "dialogical classroom." • “Six level intellectual model” in the work-process. • Theories and activities to develop competence on multicultural communication in teaching and learning. • Methodological activities on intercultural pedagogy. • The bibliography to deepen my understanding in terms of intercultural pedagogy. 1
I have learnt that : • In Malmö there are 270 000 inhabitants from more than 150 different countries! (25% were born abroad, 50% of the new born children have one parent born abroad and more than 50% of the students in the compulsory schools have another mother tongue than Swedish) • The 2 organisations working to develop multicultural attitudes, competences and knowledge (Centre of Diversity in Education and The Swedish National Agency for School Improvement) base their projects on interactive constructive evaluation and focus on : - Targets and results - Participation and influence - Long lasting and durable activities • This wide ethnical background can create opportunities for enrichment of society and schools "if it is taken as a challenge and an opportunity and not as a problem" (K. Larsson) • "To live in a multicultural society" is a new interdisciplinary course (1000 credit points). What I have experienced from the visits to 2 schools in Malmö : • I found that directors and teachers are very open minded and have been very generous to make it possible for us, teachers from different countries, to observe their practices in their classroom. • I am very thankful for having been so warmly welcomed by the directors who took the time to explain the Swedish educational system and who permitted us to visit their establishments. • I have noticed that teachers and the students are very close, both during the class and during lunchtime. • I was impressed by the involvement of the teachers as educators and by the student's participation in the school life, even insofar as keeping the school clean and orderly. Everyone shares the responsibility for the attainment of the fundamental values of school : - Democracy - Security and rights and health care - Effectiveness - Workplace ethics And objectives within the prioritised areas include also : - Development of language ("students from a foreign background must have good opportunities to develop an active bilingualism.") - Intercultural activities • I was surprised by the fact that the student council (elected members) have the last say in some of the decisions. • I noticed the importance of teachers and students cultural diversity. Möllevangsskolan, which is in a prioritised area, illustrates this diversity quite well since there are 40 nationalities and 12 different languages represented. 2
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Students and teachers were curious to know something about our own countries and we could exchange with them in a very "friendly way". I was amazed at learning that the city of Malmö hires teachers from different countries so that children maintain and develop their language and culture. It is interesting to outline the fact that most of the students speak English very well since they have been learning it from the 3rd grade and they begin a second language in the 6th grade even though 50% of the students have another mother tongue and Swedish is their second language. The students I met from the 7th grade speak Spanish quite well also. The modern languages taught from 6th grade are : French, German, Italian and Spanish. They began teaching Spanish 10 years ago and it is very much in demand now. I also noticed that all the parents do not speak Swedish and that it is not always easy to have their support. There are also activities, which the parents can share, especially in pre-school and compulsory schools. I admired the principal's ability to cope with a large number of needs. As a further example of this diversity I can recall Nya Stenkulaskolan school with : - 400 students (45 students with Swedish parents and 355 from other countries) - Multi-handicapped students (trisonimic, weak intelligence...) - Students with hearing problems - Training school - Foreign students (special support to learn Swedish) - Pre-schoolers from 1 to 5 years - Activities that include parents - After-school activities Young people who come from other areas of the city destroyed the school material and the principal of Nya Stenkulaskolan was obliged to put cameras outside the establishment and to work with the policemen.
I have also learnt that : • The city of Malmö is divided into 10 areas with about 35 000 inhabitants. In each area there are around 4 or 5 schools. • Pre-schools run from 1 to 5 years of age including children who need special pedagogical support. Pre-school classes last one year and than begins the compulsory school for students from 7 to 16 years old (1st to 9th grade have 6 000 hours studies). • Special schools and training schools for mentally disabled students have the same principal. • Many students in Malmö have to study Swedish as a second language, evaluation of schools in Malmö points out prioritised areas where students can't reach the national objectives within each school level. 3
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The upper secondary school has 17 national programs : 2 for university studies and 15 for professional training. Students lacking qualifications for any national program have a special introduction program (IVIK) or an individual one. Students can begin to learn a third language in upper secondary school. There are after-school centres for children whose parents study or work and need care outside the compulsory school hours. In Latin Skola there is a project for socialisation and language. That means that the students can go abroad for 3 months in a study tour project, and they stay with a host family abroad. There is cooperation between schools, policemen and social workers because of drugs and alcoholic problems, as well as international cooperation (Turin-Italy)
Additional benefits from my discussions with the other participants : • From the formal works in groups I learnt to what extent I'm able to communicate in a multicultural context. • From the exchanges I learnt about the educational systems in the different countries of Europe. • During different discussions I learnt that we share many questions and feel the need to meet partners for further projects in Europe. • As an example to illustrate this need, we have decided to create a Website for further exchanges. • The exchanges with other language teachers and school leaders about the European Language Portfolio
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B. What did I learn about the Council of Europe activities and international Co-operation procedures? That this international organisation comprises already 46 democratic countries of Europe, set up to: - Defend human rights, parliamentary democracy and the rule of law. - Develop continent-wide agreements to standardise member countries' Social and legal practices. - Promote awareness of a European identity based on shared values and cutting across different cultures. - Foster co-operation with other international and European organisations. Intercultural and interfaith dialogue is one of the major axes of the Council of Europe’s development, which concerns two projects for democracies in European societies today : one entitled “Making democratic institutions work” and the other “Responses to violence in everyday life in a democratic society” for a three-year period. The possibility to use the information and results of project work online of the European Centre of Modern Languages and to participate in workshops and projects to continue my research and professional training. It has also given me the opportunity to discover different projects of the Council of Europe for my students such as the two European Youth Centres in Strasbourg and Budapest. 4
C. How am I going to integrate the European dimension in my lessons? • By promoting awareness of a European identity through different activities I have discovered in the workshop • By passing the information of the European Youth Centres to my colleagues and students as well as the information of the ECML in Graz and the In-service training for educational staff to my colleagues and those with whom I work on training and workshops. II. Sharing of experience I plan to disseminate my experience by : • Talking with my colleagues of what I have received and seen. • Involving myself in the implementation of the European Language Portfolio • Using the new activities in the classroom • Using the activities as a trainer on intercultural communication and language teaching • Passing and using the information about the international co-operation procedures with the staff in the Latin American section • Having myself an intercultural background, I would like to share my experience with the NGO's that work on Education in Peru, my native country. III. Fulfilment of my expectations I must say that this workshop on multiculturalism, plurilingüism and democracy interested me from the very beginning because I'm deeply concerned since I teach Spanish as a foreign language as well as to students for whom it is their mother tongue. First of all, one of my aims was to study multicultural education more deeply, in order to use it in my professional life as a teacher and trainer as well as in my personal life. Secondly, I wanted to know how immigrant culture is taken into consideration in other educational systems to improve the Latin American International Section in France, in which I am implicated not only as a teacher but also as a member of the pedagogical council. Thirdly, to understand in a practical way the interaction between plurilingüism and multiculturalism and finally to meet colleagues of the various countries of the Council of Europe. The European Workshop has fulfilled all my expectations since I will be able to use new knowledge, attitudes and skills in my different professional fields, as I have said before. And I hope that we will continue our exchanges through the website and implement different projects together. I have been able to appreciate to what extent the City of Malmö makes such a great effort to integrate "the new Swedish" into the Swedish educational system and I have found confirmation of these during my visits to different schools. Nevertheless, as far as I have understood, most of these "new Swedish" live in segregated areas. 5
As outlined in the objectives for the prioritised areas in Malmö city's School : "Malmö aspires that the student's learning and results should be independent of economic, ethnic and cultural factors, as well as any schooling traditions within their families." Students may feel that school environment is stimulating, safe and secure and yet when these young people go back home from school they experience the gap between the socio-economic and the educational system. My final question is : Is it possible for these children to feel integrated when they have to face the social and economic segregation of their parents? It seems more and more obvious, for me that, if the political identities in terms of social, economic, psychological, urban life and educational needs do not share overall procedures, xenophobia and racism will continue to exist. That is why The Centre of Diversity in Education appears to me as a model that should be disseminated to other countries, if it is not already the case. It is a place for a meeting point where these different areas can work together and get the support to investigate the needs. Therefore, I am grateful for the opportunity I have had to participate in the In-training for education professionals of the European Council and I plan to continue contributing to develop multicultural education. Even though I know that there is still a long way to go in order to reach the European key values "Freedom, Respect and Justice", I have confidence in the possibility of developing a multicultural and democratic world.
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