The joint project of the European Union and the Council of Europe “Generation Democracy: Strengthening a Culture of Democracy in Basic Education Institutions” was launched on 13 December 2018, in Ankara. The invitees included representatives of the Ministry of National Education, Provincial Education Administrations from 10 pilot cities, Public Institutions, international organisations, embassies, universities and civil society organisations.
In his keynote speech, Mr Mustafa Safran, the Deputy Minister of National Education of the Republic of Turkey said that “the first time most children meet the public space is at schools. For this reason, schools should be the places where democratic education starts. Other educational institutions, including advanced and higher education institutions, should assume this role in ways that are compliant with the age and level of maturity of their students.”
The Head of the European Union Delegation to Turkey, Mr Christian Berger, remarked that “Democracy is not a single act of voting but concerns our daily life. It needs therefore to start early and this is why our joint project is so important.”
Opening speeches were also delivered by Mr Dr Cem Gençoğlu (Director General for Basic Education of Ministry of National Education), Mr Michael Ingledow (Head of Council of Europe Programme Office in Ankara) and Mr Selim Uslu (Head of Central Finance and Contracts Unit). The key note speaker Calin Rus delivered his address on the Reference Framework of Competences for Democratic Culture. Afterwards, Ms Sarah Keating, Head of Co-Operation and Capacity Building Division under the Directorate General for Democracy of the Council of Europe and Dr Gülderen Özdemir, Head of Research, Development and Projects Department of the Directorate General of Basic Education made a joint presentation on the expected Project outcomes and outputs.
The Project aims to integrate a democratic school culture that corresponds with universal core values as well as fundamental rights and freedoms into the Turkish national education system. It will last for 36 months and will end in August 2021.
Underpinning this project is the Council of Europe’s Reference Framework for Competences for Democratic Culture (RFCDC). Based on extensive research and piloting, twenty competences for democratic culture were identified, along with indicators within four categories: skills, attitudes, values, and knowledge and critical understanding. They were endorsed by Ministers of Education at the 25th Session of the Council of Europe Standing Conference of Ministers of Education in May 2016.
