Cooperation in Education

The European cooperation on safety at school

http://europa.eu.int/comm/education/violence/home.html 

Safety at school is a subject of concern for anyone involved in Education such as policy decision makers, teachers, pupils, parents, educational psychologists, local authorities, and many other public or private organisations.

 Violence phenomena have a growing importance and take different forms in schools.

 The tragic events occurred in some countries are rare. On the contrary, violence is often present in more or less patent forms, in behaviours that harm one's emotional, moral and/or physical integrity. This might be verbal or physical violence, indiscipline, incivilities, racket, degradations, etc., in a word, all sorts of phenomena that contribute to create an unsafe climate in school life.

 The European countries are affected in varying degrees, by this violence. In many countries concrete actions are being undertaken with the schools, in order to react adequately to situations of violence and develop an efficient prevention capable to stimulate pro-social behaviours and positive attitudes.

 Recognising the importance of such a question, and further to the tragic events which occurred in some countries (Belgium, UK, ...), the Commission proposed to the Member States to support during 1997, cooperation actions in order to counter violence in schools.

 In parallel, the European Union Dutch Presidency (1st semester 1997) include the topic of safety at school among the priorities of its programme. In this context, it organised, in cooperation with the Commission, a conference on safety at school ("Safe(r) Schools", Utrecht, 24, 25 and 26 February 1997).

 The Council of Ministers of the European Union, acknowledging safety at school as a basic condition for quality in education, adopted, on 26 June 1997, conclusions on safety at school. In these conclusions the Council calls upon the Member States and the Commission to cooperate, setting up an expert group, intensifying the exchange of informations and practices and undertaking pilot actions at the European level.

 send us your comments mailto:inivi@cec.eu.int
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The "Violence in schools" Initiative

 This initiative aims at reinforcing European co-operation on issues related to safety at school and violence.  Since this initiative is envisaged for an initial two year period, the extent of cooperation will be limited and  will address in particular the exchange of information and experiences through participation in joint actions.

 An expert group has been set which will assist the Commission and the Member States in implementing the  transnational actions undertaken as part of this initiative.

 These transnational actions will build upon existing experiences in the Member States. They could for  example, take the form of projects aimed at setting up networks of actions being conducted at national  level, or projects set up in order to test and evaluate in other countries approaches being already used, thus  enabling conclusions to be drawn on whether they could be generalised. Transnational projects such as  these would contribute to strengthening co-operation between educational actors at the European level.  Particular attention should be given to the direct involvement of different actors in the school milieu such as  teachers, pupils, parents, head teachers, social workers or educators in general.

 2. Duration

 This initiative is due to take place during two school years (1997/98 et 1998/99). After that, an evaluation  report to be submitted to the Council should analyse the results obtained and propose conclusions and  recommendations.

 3. Topics for co-operation

 Most of the successful programmes aimed at countering violence in schools include intervention within the  school and with families, and the establishment of a very close interaction between teachers, pupils and head  teachers. One of conditions for success seems to be the degree to which the school and all its actors have  integrated intervention actions aimed at reducing violent behaviours or promoting pro-social behaviours. In  any case, a multidimensional approach should be adopted.

 Topics for co-operation could be, for example:

>> general prevention of violence in schools;
>> early preventive interventions: stimulating pro-social behaviour at pre-primary and primary education
>> levels; prevention at secondary education level;
>> training workshops on mediation for pupils and teachers; peer intervention in conflict mediation;
>> pupil involvement in prevention programmes on violence in schools;
>> working with parents and the families, in preventing violence in schools;
>> initial teacher training and violence in schools;
>> in-service teacher training; training initiatives for teachers in critical school environments;
>> support methods for high risk schools;
>> training for head teachers on violence in schools;
>> rules, norms and sanctions in everyday school life;
>> practising democracy in schools;
>> alternative education for banned pupils because of violent behaviour; follow-up of these youngsters;
>> procedures to be followed in case of violent events; crisis intervention;
>> measures and sanctions to be applied in case of violent behaviour;
>> support to victims and families; support to teachers and schools;
>> educational, psychological and social guidance of the authors of violent acts;
>> actions centred on the educational project of the pupils;
>> co-operation with law enforcement authorities; co-operation between the schools and the local
>> authorities;
>> role of the educational and psychological guidance;
>> discussion groups in classrooms; specific workshops in classrooms;
>> materials used in prevention campaigns and for promoting socialisation and pro-social behaviours
>> (brochures, videos, books, leaflets, ...);
>> living with the pupils: violence, aggressiveness, self-assertiveness - how to handle violent situations;
>> data collection - methodology and nomenclature to be used;
>> administrative procedures for declaring violent acts, including thefts, racketing, rape, etc.;
>> review of Member State legislations;
>> policies adopted by the Member States;
>> managing violence in the schools: guidelines for teachers, pupils, parents;
>> physical security measures for schools; security personnel intervention in schools;