Includes statistics.

It is becoming increasingly clear that members of a host nation as well as newcomers have to learn what it means to live democratically in a multi-ethnic world and to accept diversity without fear or rancor. This volume, a result of a conference sponsored by the Spencer Foundation, asks a question of increasing significance in view of post World War II immigration patterns and the spread of democratic forms of government: "What can educational researchers and practitioners do to prepare our youth for cooperative, constructive living in a democracy?" This book illustrates how six post-industrial nations -- Canada, Germany, Israel, The Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States -- have met or failed to meet this challenge.

This book posits that national education systems are enhancing socioeconomic inequalities in political engagement. While the democratic ideal is social equality in political engagement, the authors demonstrate that the English education system is recreating and enhancing entrenched democratic inequalities. In Europe, the UK has the strongest correlation between social background and voting behaviours. Examining the role of the school and the education system in the potential reproduction of these inequalities, the authors draw upon the theories of Bourdieu and Bernstein and compare the English school system to other European countries to analyse barriers that are put along the way to political engagement. In times of political disaffection, frustration and polarisation, it is particularly important to uncover why young people from disadvantaged backgrounds are less likely to engage politically, and to help inspire future generations to use their voice. This timely book will be of interest and value to students and scholars of educational inequality and political engagement.

Beyond Bystanders calls for a shift in the professional self-image of teachers from agents of socialization to active advocates of human flourishing, social justice, and world betterment. The editors propose that it is irresponsible for teachers to posit themselves as bystanders and to conceive of globalization as something happening to them. Their role as educators in all disciplines must be to establish educational leadership that would empower students to critically evaluate developing global realities – mass migrations, socioeconomic inequalities, global warming, and the dehumanizing effects of submission to social media and consumerism – and achieve the overarching goals of humanization and facilitation of the fulfilling life. A shared commitment to humanist ethics, pedagogical activism, and social engagement at Kibbutzim College of Education (Tel Aviv) and Wagner College (New York) sparked this collaboration. The authors of the book include educational thinkers such as Nel Noddings, Michael Apple, David Hansen, Pasi Sahlberg, and Wiel Veugelers as well as scholars and practitioners from six different countries and diverse professional and cultural backgrounds. An essential part of our educational enterprise must involve promoting intercultural opportunities, confronting cultural ills and ensuring that civic engagement is more attuned to political realities. Educators in all disciplines can reframe their teaching and schools to be more cooperative and civic-minded and challenge views of marginalized, immigrant, undocumented and refugee communities as strangers. “Education is not only about teaching people to read and to write. It is about teaching human rights and cultural diversity, nourishing peace and fostering inclusive and sustainable development ... I wish to commend Kibbutzim College of Education and Wagner College for joining forces to compile this volume to inspire readers in crafting new models of intellectual and intercultural understanding.” – Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO (from the Foreword)

Supporting children and young people to participate safely, effectively, critically and responsibly in a world filled with social media and digital technologies is a priority for educators the world over. Most young people in Europe today were born and have grown up in the digital era. Education authorities have the duty to ensure that these digital citizens are fully aware of the norms of appropriate behaviour when using constantly evolving technology and participating in digital life. Despite worldwide efforts to address such issues, there is a clear need for education authorities to take the lead on digital citizenship education and integrate it into school curricula. In 2016, the Education Department of the Council of Europe began work to develop new policy orientations and strategies to help educators face these new challenges and to empower young people by helping them to acquire the competences they need to participate actively and responsibly in digital society. This volume, the first in a Digital Citizenship Education series, reviews the existing academic and policy literature on digital citizenship education, highlighting definitions, actors and stakeholders, competence frameworks, practices, emerging trends and challenges. The inclusion of a wide selection of sources is intended to ensure sufficient coverage of what is an emergent topic that has yet to gain a strong foothold in either education or academic literature, but has received wider policy attention.

A new Council of Europe reference framework of competences for democratic culture! Contemporary societies within Europe face many challenges, including declining levels of voter turnout in elections, increased distrust of politicians, high levels of hate crime, intolerance and prejudice towards minority ethnic and religious groups, and increasing levels of support for violent extremism. These challenges threaten the legitimacy of democratic institutions and peaceful co-existence within Europe. Formal education is a vital tool that can be used to tackle these challenges. Appropriate educational input and practices can boost democratic engagement, reduce intolerance and prejudice, and decrease support for violent extremism. However, to achieve these goals, educationists need a clear understanding of the democratic competences that should be targeted by the curriculum. This book presents a new conceptual model of the competences which citizens require to participate in democratic culture and live peacefully together with others in culturally diverse societies. The model is the product of intensive work over a two-year period, and has been strongly endorsed in an international consultation with leading educational experts. The book describes the competence model in detail, together with the methods used to develop it. The model provides a robust conceptual foundation for the future development of curricula, pedagogies and assessments in democratic citizenship and human rights education. Its application will enable educational systems to be harnessed effectively for the preparation of students for life as engaged and tolerant democratic citizens. The book forms the first component of a new Council of Europe reference framework of competences for democratic culture. It is vital reading for all educational policy makers and practitioners who work in the fields of education for democratic citizenship, human rights education and intercultural education.