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SPAIN - "CONFLICT RESOLUTION"

1. Information on the School

» Type of school: R Secondary school (age 12 to 16)

» Number of pupils: 720     Number of teachers: 75

» Specific School Educational Policies concerning equal opportunities:

The school has a "Reception plan (receiving newly arrived children), book collection (for pupils with economic problems) and various activities towards sensitisation.

» Social characteristics of the school environment:

This secondary school is located on the outskirts of the city of Girona, in a residential area with a population of about 2,000. The catchment area consists of four town districts. They are neighbouring municipalities of Girona with their own respective administrations, while the pupils from the city of Girona come from particular residential areas. Identification with their residential area/home town is developed very strongly among the pupils. This is directly connected to the socio-economic structures of the different residential areas.

2. Reasons for the Activity

» The activity was directed at...

All Pupils of the school

» Who managed the activity

Teachers
external mediators

» Date and duration of development of the activity: Started in 2002.

» Methodology and Strategies

  1. Information meetings about the work of the mediation service at the secondary school. One meeting for each 2-4 year group.
  2. Information meetings about the subject of mediation. Four half-hour meetings for each 2-4 year group.
  3. Mediation sessions during school year 2002/2003 (between 18 October 2002 and 10 June 2003). 23 mediation sessions were carried out in which a total of 61 pupils participated.
  4. Mediation workshop. Since October 2003, 13 sessions have been carried out which could be attended by the pupils on a voluntary basis.

3. Development of the Activity

» Why did the activity begin?

This activity emerged in September 2002, after an inquiry from the "Consell Escolar". Conflicts between pupils with different opinions had become an increasing problem in the school. The school had initially taken the approach of disciplining the pupils who had been involved in the troubles. Both the headteacher and the parents' association AMPA supported the team of school psychologists EAP in their view that discipline as the only means of solving the conflict was being employed too much. At that point, the EAP team contacted the association ACORD in order to hire a mediation service for the school.

» What was the aim of the mediation activity?

The main aim of the activity was for the pupils to learn how to solve conflicts peacefully and thus to improve co-existence at the school.

» Types of discrimination worked on

All types

4. Results

» What has improved as a result of this activity?

The majority of people interviewed at the school were satisfied with the mediation project. Co-existence at the school had improved, although it was very difficult to judge whether this was a temporary situation. The teaching staff, families and the external specialists believed that work towards the goal of greater integration should be done in a more general way, by taking into account upbringing/education in the family, in the neighbourhood, at kindergarten and in primary school. The general view was that mediation helped to make pupils aware of the importance of peaceful behaviour towards others.

» Variables that have facilitated or hindered the success of the activity

  • The aim is to be pro-active in working towards avoiding conflict from arising in the schools.
  • The fact that there was clear communication about the project helped to increase the effectiveness of the activity.