European Identity - Individual, Group and Society - HumanitarianNet

THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE EUROPEAN IDENTITY IN THE SCHOOL ... 225co-operation in education readers are advised to consult the publication«Co-operation in education in the EU: 1976-1994 5 .Schools are often called upon to assume some of the educationalor pedagogical responsibilities of parents. Schools are expected toprovide education on issues such as peace, intercultural understanding,sustainable development, health education (against smoking anddrugs), tolerance by preventing racism and xenophobic attitudes, andsex education. They are expected to arouse youths’ taste for literature,art, general culture, etc. Schools therefore have a more and morecomplex task to deal with in a growing world. They are no longerexpected to be a sanctuary but rather a place for openings, a windowon their close and distant environments encouraging co-operation withlocal or regional authorities, with businesses and with the surroundingcivil societies, such as associations. Associations can therefore open upyouths’ minds to free commitment, which is a key component of activecitizenship. The extended role for the teacher was largely expandedupon already in the OECD 1990 6 publication «The teacher Today».Numerous projects focusing on the different European projects in theareas mentioned above are described in the publication «Towardsactive citizenship» 7 published in 2001 by the Universal Forum ofcultures Barcelona 2004 and the CONNECT project 008 8 .The task that schools have to deal with is inevitably very complexand requires suitable structures and means, which are always toolimited. It requires staff that is constantly trained in order to promotelifelong education and training for pupils and themselves. It is a titanictask that requires supermen and superwomen... who are often notparticularly well paid or appreciated by society.All this complexity has to be reflected in the pedagogical project andin the pedagogical plan of every school. The integration of thoseelements in the project or plan starting from a through discussion and, ifpossible, based on the agreement of the whole educational community,are key elements for the motivation and the willingness to put intopractice learning communities that can be creative and innovative.5Eurydice; Co-operation in education in the European Union: 1976-1994; Brussels,1994, 84 pages.6OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development); The teacherToday, Paris, 1990, 118 pages.7Mireia Montané and Yves Beernaert, Universal Forum of Cultures Barcelona 2004and CONNECT project 008:; Barcelona, 2001, 264 pages.8Commission of the European Communities; The connect initiative (1991-2001):http://europa.eu.int/comm/education/connect/selection.html