This project addresses gender-based inequality and discrimination in schools in the Opolski voivodeship. School teachers and head teachers are unaware of this problem and do not critically assess the school system in terms of gender equality. In fact, prejudice and stereotypes are common among them as well. Firm convictions as to social roles affect teaching method and performance. As a result, a school undermines girls’ self-confidence and self-esteem, and also affects their subsequent career choices. Countries such as Iceland have taken institutional measures to ensure gender equality in schools.
Under the project, the Project Promoter will select three schools with which it will work to implement equality standards. Firstly, it will diagnose the school environment in terms of gender equality, and then use a design thinking tool to organise participatory workshops in which a model will be produced for school discrimination prevention standards. When implementing the standards, schools will be able to make use of mentoring by the Project Promoter. A guide on introducing discrimination prevention standards in schools will be widely available. The findings of the school diagnosis will be presented at meetings with policy-makers, including people working in education departments, schools, and the municipality. The Project Promoter will also organise excursion workshops on developing models for discrimination prevention solutions for fifty people in the school community. The project will conclude with a conference on good discrimination prevention practices in schools.
The measures are intended to benefit pupils, and their schools will become more sensitive to the problem of gender-based stereotypes and prejudice, and introduce gender equality standards.
The project partner is the Iceland-based EVRIS Foundation, which shares good practices from Iceland and provides the Project Promoter with content-related support.