Civic education in divided Latvian schools

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Civic education in divided Latvian schools

Linda Curika, Centre for public policy PROVIDUS


Why is this important to teach democracy and tolerance?

• Knowledge about how state functions helps a person to protect his rights

• Tolerance is a necessary personal quality for a person who lives in a country with more than 30% of ethno-linguistic minorities

• Tolerance is a necessary personal quality for a person who lives in a world as it is today

• Imigration and emigration• Those who do not feel accepted as a part of state, become a part of

“grey economics”


Myth #1Latvians are a calm Nordic country, and we all are tolerant people. Those stories about rascism and intolerance are not about us.

Myth #2It is all about the change of generations - young generation is democratic, open-minded and tolerant

Myth #3If there are any problems between Russians and Latvians, they are present only at the political level, not in real life


“Attitudes of all ethnic groups should be taken into consideration when making political decisions”

27.6

67

72.4

33

Students,"Latvianschool"

Students,"Russian

school"

Agree

Don't agree


RS: “Latvians think that Russians are dangerous”

LS: ”Russians are dangerous”

23.10%

50.30%

Agree

students in “Latvian school” students in “Russian school”

RS: “Latvians do not respect us”

LS: ”Russians do not respect us”

43.80%

59.10%

Agree

students in “Latvian school” students in “Russian school”


When power relations break into curriculum

Teachers: “Curriculum expresses the latvian opinion on processes”

17

22

29

18

47

54

7

6

"Russian school"

"Latvian school"

Never/rarely

Sometimes

Almost always

NA

• Russian school teachers and students see ethnical stereotypes in school curriculum

• Russian school teachers and students: our career opportunities and

opportunities for meaningful civic participation are lower than for latvians.


History that divides

11

32

53

4

3

32

64

1

Frequently

Sometimes

Never

NA

Students, "Russian school"

Students, "Latvian school"

Students: “History teacher has told that the role of minorites has been different from what is written in history books”


Encouragement for participation• I agree that those, who critisize the country, are not loyal citizens

– 15.9% students in “Latvian school”– 20.8% students in “Russian school”

• It is good to protest if the government makes an unfair law– 87.8% students in “Latvian school”– 81.3% students in “Russian school”


Encouragement for participation

32.1

29.5

50.5

50.8

53.2

42.6

37.7

34.2

Protests will notchange anything

I am ready toprotest if

governmentmakes an unfair

law

teachers in “Russian school”

students in “Russian school”

teachers in “Latvian school”

students in “Latvian school”


What will be the future?

• “I would agree to study in school, where both Latvians and Russians study”

32

56

12

27

42

31

Don't agree Agree Don't know

"Russian school"

"Latvian school"

• Common education for both groups would threaten cultural identity of russian students

55.9

44.1

78.4

21.6

Don't agree Agree

"Russian school"

"Latvian school"


Interaction between the groups

• Low interaction ratio between Latvian and Russian students• More than 90% of students from “Russian” as well as “Latvian”

schools make majority of their friends inside their ethno-linguistic group

• Ethnic division between schools reflects in insufficient connection between students in real life

• This might lead to wrong opinions about other group, force students to follow stereotypes and make it difficult to live in any multicultural environment


Interaction between the groupsHow many friends from the other group do you have?

13.00%

19.00%

15.00%

11.00%

37.00%

35.00%

35.00%

35.00%

"Russian school"

"Latvian school"

none 1 friend 2-5 friends more than 5


Conclusions and recomendations

• Encourage informal connections between students from both ethnic groups

• Instead of forcing “latvian view” on historical fairness through curriculum, it should be made a process where opinions of all ethnic groups are taken into consideration

• Students in “Latvian” as well as “Russian” schools have a low trust for civic participation and low knowledge about tools of participation - it is necessary to consider introducing a separate subject for civic knowledge

• Political situation, which is characterised by asymetric power relations between largest ethnolinguistic groups in the country, creates necessity for teachers and students in “Russian” schools to empasize ethnical identity instead of civic education


Thank you!

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Civic education in divided Latvian schools

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