Democratic culture starts in schools. Participating in school life, engaging schoolchildren in decision-making processes and cultivating the freedom of expression are processes that support the formation of an active citizen from the earliest age.

“Developing a Democratic School” is a professional development program of the Council of Europe which supports school directors and deputy directors to introduce democratic governance practices in schools. The program started on May 6 and will continue through June 18 involving up to 60 school directors and deputy directors from 28 schools in Georgia.

The professional development sessions entail practical exercises, sharing best practices and working on strategies and instruments to strengthen democratic school governance. The course comprises three two-day workshops, with three weeks of intervals in between the sessions, during which the schools will have the opportunity to work on action plans and apply the knowledge acquired during the program into practice.

The professional development program will help school directors and deputy directors better understand the benefits of the democratic school governance and its impact on developing the democratic culture. After completing the program, the participants will have an enhanced vision of how to increase the participation of schoolchildren and other members of the school community in school life, as well as how to bring schools and their communities closer.

The Project “Democracy Starts in Schools – Engaging School Children in Decision Making Processes in Schools and Communities in Georgia” is implemented by the Council of Europe in cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia and with the financial support of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).