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OSCE and Education

Classrooms have power. Classrooms are where values and attitudes are developed, where prejudices and stereotypes are reinforced or rejected, where divides are deepened or bridged. They instil a sense of fairness that will guide children throughout their lives.

The OSCE does a range of work in the classroom, from bringing together children from previously conflicting communities and helping build trust and understanding, to working with schools to prevent conflict and violence in the classroom and helping children get more engaged in political and social life.

Read: Statement of OSCE Chair on International Day of Peace with a focus on Education for Peace

How can education prevent conflicts?

When children are taught from a young age about different cultures, languages and lifestyles, achieving mutual understanding between people, communities and nations is easier.

Education helps build trust, rehabilitate conflict-hit areas, and make sure tensions that exist in these areas do not escalate again.

Here are some examples of the work we do on this:

• Summer schools for children from both sides of the Dniester/Nistru River (OSCE Mission in Moldova)
• OSCE Youth Summit  (OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine)
• Multiethnic archaeological camp (OSCE Mission in Kosovo)
• Model OSCE Conference 2013 (OSCE Office in Yerevan)
• A project to support multilingual education reform in Georgia (OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities)
• “Building bridges” project for children from mono-ethnic communities (OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina)
•  Promoting integrated education and improving co-operation between different ethnic communities (2011 OSCE Max van der Stoel award winners NDC Skopje)
• Education activities of the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities

Helping children feel safer at school

Every child has the right to feel safe and comfortable in his or her classroom. Sadly, this is not always the case.

The OSCE works with school directors and teachers, municipalities, students, and parent-teacher councils to prevent conflicts and violence at schools. Examples include projects run by our Mission to Skopje and the Centre in Bishkek.

Today’s children are tomorrow’s engaged citizens

Teaching children about their rights and how to defend them, about how society and state function, and about the importance of community involvement is essential for making sure children grow up to become active and responsible citizens rather than indifferent observers.

• Educating children in rural schools on their civic rights (OSCE Office in Tajikistan)
• Quiz for schoolchildren on human rights (OSCE Office in Yerevan)
• A summer camp on environmental protection and sustainable development (OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine)
• OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights: good practices in human rights education
• Guidelines for Educators on Countering Intolerance and Discrimination against Muslims: Addressing Islamophobia through Education
• Guidelines on Human Rights Education for Secondary School Systems
• Human Rights Education in the School Systems of Europe, Central Asia and North America: A Compendium of Good Practice
• Empowering Moldovan children at risk

Security outside the classroom

Everyday life poses threats to the security of all of us, and children are among the most vulnerable. Explaining these threats, such as human trafficking, drugs, domestic and gender-based violence, environmental pollution, and explosive remnants of war, can make children and parents more alert, and prevent crimes and broken lives.