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European Values in Education (Pluralism, Equality, and Non-Discrimination)
Authors: Anna S. Slavko
Number of views: 147
Successful economic and political integration into the Europe is impossible without intellectual and cultural integration, without the perception of European values by the majority of the population. Mostly the perception of values is related to the processes of knowledge acquisition and ideology formation, which are usually part of the educational process. That is why teaching in school and universities should be closely linked to the perception of values.
The basic European values in education are pluralism, equality and non-discrimination. These values are enshrined in both the law of the Council of Europe and the law of the European Union. However, law enforcement practices within both organizations show that these values are also the most frequently attacked.
In particular, in the cases of Janowski v. Poland, İzzettin Doğan and others v. Turkey ECHR has stressed the importance of pluralism as a marker of a democratic society. The applicants in cases of Folgerø аnd Others v. Norway, Hasan аnd Eylem Zengin v. Turkey, Leyla Şahin v. Turkey, Lautsi and others v. Italy complained of encroachment on pluralism in educational institutions.
To the importance of equality and non-discrimination in education ECHR was addressed in the cases of Kjeldsen, Busk Madsen and Pedersen v. Denmark, D.H. and others v. the Czech Republic, Oršuš and others v. Croatia, Ponomaryovi v. Bulgaria, Altinay v. Turkey and others.
In Ukraine, both pluralism and equality and non-discrimination are formally determined as the principles of the educational process. However, the analysis of the law enforcement practice shows that in reality the situation is not so comforting. Improvement of the situation is possible because of amendments to the legislation and adjustment of the behavior of educational process participants.