INTERCULTURAL EDUCATION IN THE CIVIL EDUCATION IN THE CURRICULA OF THE GREEK SCHOOL(ELEMENTARY-HIGH SCHOOL)

Year 2014, Volume: 2 Issue: 1(ÖZEL), 198 - 206, 01.10.2014

Vasiliki Mıtropoulo , Maria Rantzou Maria Anagnostopoulou

Abstract

Multiculturalism is one of the main characteristics of contemporary societies as large numbers of populations move from their countries to other ones. Greece is among the countries that receive a large number of immigrants. This created significant changes in the society and the need for new teaching approaches and educational goals. Thus, new curricula were written, which would take into consideration the emerging new situation in our society. The currently in use Curricula for Compulsory Education propose the enhancement of both the cultural and linguistic identity of the students who live in today’s multicultural society. The new Curricula of 2011 promote the spirit of the education of the students without any social, economic, educational, religious or cultural discriminations and inequalities. In this paper we investigated the courses of Geography and Civil Education in both curricula, the interdisciplinary projects, teaching scenarios, method and extent of management of cultural diversity.  The comparison of the aims and objectives of both curricula showed that in the curricula of 2003: a) the references to the "other", the foreigner within the context of otherness and cultural diversity are very few b) the references to the “other” are mainly based on the acceptance, knowledge cultural elements, without effort for interaction and exchange of experiences. In the new Curricula of 2011, greater emphasis is given to the social coexistence with the “other”, where, as stated in the aims, the student should form relevant attitudes. These references are many more in relation to the curricula of 2003. 

Keywords

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INTERCULTURAL EDUCATION IN THE CIVIL EDUCATION IN THE CURRICULA OF THE GREEK SCHOOL(ELEMENTARY-HIGH SCHOOL)

Abstract

Multiculturalism is one of the main characteristics of contemporary societies as large numbers of populations move from their countries to other ones. Greece is among the countries that receive a large number of immigrants. This created significant changes in the society and the need for new teaching approaches and educational goals. Thus, new curricula were written, which would take into consideration the emerging new situation in our society. The currently in use Curricula for Compulsory Education propose the enhancement of both the cultural and linguistic identity of the students who live in today‟s multicultural society. The new Curricula of 2011 promote the spirit of the education of the students without any social, economic, educational, religious or cultural discriminations and inequalities. In this paper we investigated the courses of Geography and Civil Education in both curricula, the interdisciplinary projects, teaching scenarios, method and extent of management of cultural diversity. The comparison of the aims and objectives of both curricula showed that in the curricula of 2003: a) the references to the "other", the foreigner within the context of otherness and cultural diversity are very few b) the references to the “other” are mainly based on the acceptance, knowledge cultural elements, without effort for interaction and exchange of experiences. In the new Curricula of 2011, greater emphasis is given to the social coexistence with the “other”, where, as stated in the aims, the student should form relevant attitudes. These references are many more in relation to the curricula of 2003

Keywords

curricula, geography, civil education, multiculturalism, cultural diversity, coexistence

References

• Αnagnostopoulou, M. & Maniati, E. (2006). Teachers’ views on social polymorphy and intercultural education. Proceedings from the 11th Conference of Pedagogical Association of Greece with topic: The school in the society of Information and Multiculturalism, Kyriades: Thessaloniki pp. 713-720
• Government Paper (2003). Inter-disciplinary Unified Curricula Study Programme. 303/31.03.2003, v. 2
• Ministry of Education, Long Life Learning and Religions (2011) Curricula for the teaching of Geography. Elementary School. Athens. Available at: http://digitalschool.minedu.gov.gr/info/newps/%CE%A6%CF%85%CF%83%CE%B9%CE%BA%CE%AD%CF%82%20%CE%B5%CF%80%CE%B9%CF%83%CF%84%CE%AE%CE%BC%CE%B5%CF%82/%CE%93%CE%B5%CF%89%CE%B3%CF%81%CE%B1%CF%86%CE%AF%CE%B1%20%CE%94%CE%B7%CE%BC%CE%BF%CF%84%CE%B9%CE%BA%CE%BF%CF%8D.pdf (May 23, 2014)
• Ministry of Education, Long Life Learning and Religions (2011) Curricula for the teaching of Geography. High School. Athens. Available at: http://digitalschool.minedu.gov.gr/info/newps/%CE%A6%CF%85%CF%83%CE%B9%CE%BA%CE%AD%CF%82%20%CE%B5%CF%80%CE%B9%CF%83%CF%84%CE%AE%CE%BC%CE%B5%CF%82/%CE%93%CE%B5%CF%89%CE%B3%CF%81%CE%B1%CF%86%CE%AF%CE%B1%20%CE%93%CF%85%CE%BC%CE%BD%CE%B1%CF%83%CE%AF%CE%BF%CF%85.pdf (May 23, 2014)
• Ministry of Education, Long Life Learning and Religions (2011) Curricula for the teaching of Social and Civic Education. Elementary School and High School. Athens. Available at: http://digitalschool.minedu.gov.gr/info/newps/%CE%9A%CE%BF%CE%B9%CE%BD%CF%89%CE%BD%CE%B9%CE%BA%CE%AD%CF%82%20%CE%B5%CF%80%CE%B9%CF%83%CF%84%CE%AE%CE%BC%CE%B5%CF%82%20%CE%BA%CE%B1%CE%B9%20%CE%99%CF%83%CF%84%CE%BF%CF%81%CE%AF%CE%B1/%CE%A0%CE%A3%20%CE%9A%CE%BF%CE%B9%CE%BD%CF%89%CE%BD%CE%B9%CE%BA%CE%AE%20%CE%BA%CE%B1%CE%B9%20%CE%A0%CE%BF%CE%BB%CE%B9%CF%84%CE%B9%CE%BA%CE%AE%20%CE%91%CE%B3%CF%89%CE%B3%CE%AE%20%E2%80%94%20%CE%94%CE%B7%CE%BC%CE%BF%CF%84%CE%B9%CE%BA%CF%8C.pdf (May 23, 2014)
• Ministry of Education, Long Life Learning and Religions (2011) Curricula for the teaching of Social and Civic Education. High School. Athens. Available at: http://digitalschool.minedu.gov.gr/info/newps/%CE%9A%CE%BF%CE%B9%CE%BD%CF%89%CE%BD%CE%B9%CE%BA%CE%AD%CF%82%20%CE%B5%CF%80%CE%B9%CF%83%CF%84%CE%AE%CE%BC%CE%B5%CF%82%20%CE%BA%CE%B1%CE%B9%20%CE%99%CF%83%CF%84%CE%BF%CF%81%CE%AF%CE%B1/%CE%A0%CE%A3%20%CE%9A%CE%BF%CE%B9%CE%BD%CF%89%CE%BD%CE%B9%CE%BA%CE%AE%20%CE%BA%CE%B1%CE%B9%20%CE%A0%CE%BF%CE%BB%CE%B9%CF%84%CE%B9%CE%BA%CE%AE%20%CE%91%CE%B3%CF%89%CE%B3%CE%AE%20%E2%80%94%20%CE%93%CF%85%CE%BC%CE%BD%CE%AC%CF%83%CE%B9%CE%BF.pdf (May 23, 2014)
• Μitropoulou,V., Rantzou, M., Anagnostopoulou, M. (2013). Intercultural Education in the Curricula of the Greek Schools (Elementary - High School). Proceedings from the 16th Conference of Balkan Society for Pedagogy and Education: “The Image of the Other/the Neighbour in the Educational Systems of the Balkan Countries. (to be published).