Page 36 - Šolsko polje, XXX, 2019, št. 5-6: Civic, citizenship and rhetorical education in a rapidly changing world, eds. Janja Žmavc and Plamen Mirazchiyski
P. 36
šolsko polje, letnik xxx, številka 5–6
al funds and/or organizations). Such projects were developed within the
schools themselves and are mostly implemented to resolve some impor-
tant school and community issues. By writing, organizing and carrying
out complex project activities, usually in some form of cooperation, school
capacities had grown both in terms of material assets but more impor-
tantly in terms of human capacities and competence as well as in the di-
versity of content that students were in contact with. Some schools, by or-
ganizing their own projects through additional national or international
funding, grew to be centres of excellence with a remarkable open school
climate enabling the learning of a variety of content. As Diković and Let-
ina (2016) concluded, the successful implementation of human rights ed-
ucation requires a school culture where participation based on democratic
principles is encouraged and valued, providing students with opportuni-
ties to be involved in making decisions which affect them.
Previously conducted national research indicated a rather worrying
lack of student familiarity with basic CCE concepts (especially on the lev-
el of secondary schools) but ICCS 2016 results placed students leaving ele-
mentary school in the middle position on the international scale and they
achieved an average score for European participating countries. Further-
more, ICCS 2016 confirmed that Croatian students are sufficiently in-
volved in school activities but only partially engaged in civic activities in
their community, they still do not trust national institutions and tend to
see equity as negotiable and dependent to other social circumstances and
not as a universal human right.
At present, none of the national assessments of cross-curricular con-
tent are active, although there is a multilevel evaluation of new experi-
mental curriculums (entered into a portion of schools in 2018/2019 and in
cascades to all elementary and secondary schools from 2019/2020) and co-
ordinated by the Ministry of Science and Education. In this overall situa-
tion of continuous reforms, but at the same time crystallized condition of
the CCE as cross-curricular theme, the conducted ICCS 2016, as well as
its next cycle in 2022, will impose itself as a strong instrument of gather-
ing information on CCE. Neither the implementation of these contents,
nor evaluations of its implementation should be the sole purpose. The real
purpose should never be left out of sight and that is fulfilling all the mod-
ern states’ promise to their citizens that young people can and will acquire
state-of-the-art knowledge, develop a constructive approach to challenges
around them, nurture democratic views on the most important political
and social themes so they become engaged people who are positively con-
tributing to their communities.
34
al funds and/or organizations). Such projects were developed within the
schools themselves and are mostly implemented to resolve some impor-
tant school and community issues. By writing, organizing and carrying
out complex project activities, usually in some form of cooperation, school
capacities had grown both in terms of material assets but more impor-
tantly in terms of human capacities and competence as well as in the di-
versity of content that students were in contact with. Some schools, by or-
ganizing their own projects through additional national or international
funding, grew to be centres of excellence with a remarkable open school
climate enabling the learning of a variety of content. As Diković and Let-
ina (2016) concluded, the successful implementation of human rights ed-
ucation requires a school culture where participation based on democratic
principles is encouraged and valued, providing students with opportuni-
ties to be involved in making decisions which affect them.
Previously conducted national research indicated a rather worrying
lack of student familiarity with basic CCE concepts (especially on the lev-
el of secondary schools) but ICCS 2016 results placed students leaving ele-
mentary school in the middle position on the international scale and they
achieved an average score for European participating countries. Further-
more, ICCS 2016 confirmed that Croatian students are sufficiently in-
volved in school activities but only partially engaged in civic activities in
their community, they still do not trust national institutions and tend to
see equity as negotiable and dependent to other social circumstances and
not as a universal human right.
At present, none of the national assessments of cross-curricular con-
tent are active, although there is a multilevel evaluation of new experi-
mental curriculums (entered into a portion of schools in 2018/2019 and in
cascades to all elementary and secondary schools from 2019/2020) and co-
ordinated by the Ministry of Science and Education. In this overall situa-
tion of continuous reforms, but at the same time crystallized condition of
the CCE as cross-curricular theme, the conducted ICCS 2016, as well as
its next cycle in 2022, will impose itself as a strong instrument of gather-
ing information on CCE. Neither the implementation of these contents,
nor evaluations of its implementation should be the sole purpose. The real
purpose should never be left out of sight and that is fulfilling all the mod-
ern states’ promise to their citizens that young people can and will acquire
state-of-the-art knowledge, develop a constructive approach to challenges
around them, nurture democratic views on the most important political
and social themes so they become engaged people who are positively con-
tributing to their communities.
34
