2024-10-01

Education for Democracy in Times of Crisis: Are Our Schools Ready for Change?

Centre Dialogue – Social Forum

What are the opportunities for democratic education amidst the current crisis of democracy, and is there a social consensus on the values we wish to promote? These were among the key questions addressed by speakers at the debate ‘Education for Democracy in the Crisis of Democracy,’ held on 1 October 2024, as part of Days of CDF.

The discussion highlighted that the values we aspire to in a modern democratic society—democracy, freedom, human rights, social equality, rule of law, and respect for human dignity—require continuous building, maintenance, and encouragement. Education plays a critical role in this ongoing process, with the responsibility to foster and enhance citizens' democratic capacities, particularly among the young people expected to lead democratic change and social reform.

Kirsten Schönefeld, Director of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation’s regional office for Serbia and Montenegro, stressed that education is vital for addressing the crisis of democracy and ensuring its resilience. “Not only in Serbia, but also across Western and Eastern Europe, we are witnessing the rise of the right, with many young people supporting right-wing or populist options. This underscores the importance of political education, both inside and outside of schools, to sustain democratic values,” she said.

The General Secretary of the Center for Democracy Foundation, Nataša Vučković, posed the question of how schools can restore the belief that collective social action can lead to change.

“Our focus is in how we can further contribute to enhancing democratic capacities in our institutions, preparing citizens better for democracy, dialogue, and participation in decision-making processes—a development that requires citizens' participation and an inclusive approach to dialogue. How do we plan to transform communities based on value-driven principles if we don’t promote tolerance for diversity and acceptance of other groups? The question remains of how much democracy education is integrated into other subjects. It seems to me it’s insufficiently embedded in our education system,” Vučković concluded.

Professor Aleksandar Baucal from the Faculty of Philosophy at the University of Belgrade stated that the essence of dialogue is “having the capacity to converse with those holding opposing views.” He noted that a child, upon entering a world already defined, is not asked for their opinion. “A young child in kindergarten receives the strong message: 'You are not actually a citizen.' You are a human being, a person, a resident, but someone else decides everything that affects your participation. When they enter school, the same thing happens,” Baucal observed.

According to Baucal, if a child throughout kindergarten and school daily experiences a lack of agency in their life, it becomes challenging for that individual to suddenly become a citizen upon reaching adulthood. He added that, although civic education has been introduced in Serbian schools, research shows that it has not achieved its intended objectives.

“When you ask people who have attended civic education for a long time whether the media should unreservedly support the government, more than 50% respond affirmatively. Whatever the government decides, the media should promote it. This is the environment our youth are growing up in,” Baucal explained.

Since the introduction of civic education in 2000, Serbia has missed the opportunity to nurture 24 generations of citizens rather than merely residents. According to Baucal, creating citizens cannot be achieved through a single subject alone; the entire school must become a democratic institution. “In the end, we return to the same cycle: how do we create a democratic school in a non-democratic environment? How do we change and democratise society if we don’t democratise our schools?” Baucal concluded.

Ema Štefanac, a Civic Initiatives associate on the Civic Education Programme, raised the question of where civic education fits within other subjects. She emphasised the importance of integrating civic education into the broader school curriculum and asked how this subject could contribute to achieving goals in other subjects. “How do we train, support, and empower teachers so that the values promoted by civic education are present in other subjects as well? Because these values are already inherent; civic education isn’t something separate from the rest of the educational system,” Štefanac explained, stressing the need for systemic support and the notion that responsibility cannot rest solely on individuals.

Civic education teacher Nenad Živković highlighted that this subject should be mandatory but without a grading system, as it is challenging to assess who is a citizen. He believes that civic education should be one of the most important subjects in school. "The goal is to overcome artificial divisions. Why should someone who practices religious rituals not understand the importance of the separation of powers in the state or know how the National Assembly functions?" Živković questioned.

He also addressed the issue of student interest in civic education, warning of the risk of apathy and lack of motivation. In many areas, he noted, civic classes are either not held or are recorded as if they were held, often to fill the teaching hours of teachers without a full teaching load.

Miloš Janković of the Green-Left Front explained that his political party has so far held two panels as part of the ‘Future of Education in Serbia: From Idea to Change’ conference—the first focused on successful and unsuccessful reforms and the potential Serbia holds, and the second aimed to gather all interested parties to hear their concerns. “We envisioned a discussion with all interested parties, starting with teachers. We spoke with about fifteen teachers, and in a few days, we will speak with twenty more. Our aim was to establish the values and principles on which the educational system would be based,” Janković said.

Following this, a survey is conducted to understand the opinions of those who didn’t participate in the discussions. This process will then extend to unions, adult students, parents, and business representatives.

Ružica Todić-Brdarić from UGS Independence pointed out that many students are unfamiliar with the concept of a union. Reflecting on two major education strikes, she noted a lack of broad social consensus to support such actions. “We currently live in a country with a deteriorated value system, for which those in power bear the greatest responsibility. If we return to the dialogue between unions and the government that preceded the strike, we see that this dialogue ended with a signed protocol,” Todić-Brdarić explained. “When a government representative assumes an obligation in dialogue, signs it, and then fails to fulfil it, we face a serious issue,” she concluded.

Filip Jovanović from the Belgrade Open School spoke about Studies of the Future, a programme aimed at students nearing graduation or starting their careers. “Young people lacked practical experience, so we visited faculties and talked with students. I realised through these conversations that they genuinely want to learn and make an impact but are unsure where to go to hear and learn more or where they can implement their ideas and actions,” Jovanović highlighted.

Aleksandar Markov from the Forum of Belgrade Gymnasiums emphasised that the school system is deeply centralised. “The law is incorrectly set up and does not encourage the development of democratic awareness within schools. Even when teachers try to foster democratic thinking, they may easily encounter obstacles from above," he explained.

He also referred to institutions like the school parliament and parent councils, which, he claimed, have little or no impact. “It’s all on paper, but in practice, it functions differently,” Markov said. He believes civic education lost its purpose when introduced as an alternative to religious studies, although its biggest victory has been its survival over the years.

The debate ‘Education for Democracy in a Crisis of Democracy’ was organized by the Center for Democracy Foundation in collaboration with the Friedrich Ebert Foundation as part of the Centre Dialogue – Social Forum project. The discussion was moderated by Vesna Marjanović, Europa Nostra Serbia.