Non-discriminatory school books for Austria

Media is not reduced to newspaper, TV, radio or internet. Schoolbooks are one of the most important media: From childhood onwards we are socialized by them. In the past years many NGOs showed through studies, initiatives and actions, that schoolbooks are not discrimination free. As the study “Die Anderen im Schulbuch” (2007) (“The Others in schoolbook”) and the projects “Migration(en) im Schulbuch” (“Migration(s) in Schoolbook”) by Christa Markom, Heidi Weinhaeupl and Christiane Hintermann demonstrate, that migration is still shown in Austrian schoolbooks as problematic topic. Words such as “Schwarzafrika” (“Black Africa”), “Zigeuner” (pejorative meaning of “Gipsies”), “Kulturkreis” (“cultural group”), “Eingeborene” (“Indigenous people”) or “Rassenunruhen” (“Race disturbances”) are not being sufficiently differentiated and explained. Already existing stereotypes and thought processes of children and youth are therefore strengthened or created. Also, future  teachers are not being educated to handle and detect discrimination in classes and schoolbooks.        

Needs Assessment 

Following existent problems that should be dealt with:

 -               Discrimination such as Islamophobia, Anti-Black Racisms, Anti-Semitism, Homophobia, discrimination due to age, gender, disability, - obvious discrimination and direct stereotypes in texts and pictures as well as the non-existence and contextualization.

-               Discrimination is often not being detected as such. Also, affected students often cannot articulate the feeling of discrimination and many do not know how to deal with discrimination.

-               Some Communities are not given voice nor room for self representation within schoolbooks. Therefore, their image is created by others.

Due to false content in schoolbooks, students are misinformed and given a falsified and discriminating view of the world and their surrounding. Therefore, furthering an attitude that discriminates against certain communities and hinder them from participating in areas of society.

An office that exists within the "Ministry of Education and Women" is dedicated to schoolbooks where discrimination in schoolbooks can be reported to. As representatives of schoolbook publishers admit, there is still a lack - due missing expertise and knowledge in the publishing world – to systematically detect discrimination in schoolbooks. Alternatives are usually produced parallel to the curriculum of schoolbooks.

Furthermore, schoolbooks in Austria should be conform to the constitution. According to article 7 of the Austrian Constitution no structural discrimination should exist. Structural discrimination arises also because tax money is used to spread education material holding direct or indirect discriminating content. With our project we face this problem and advocate for schoolbooks conform to the austrian constitution.

Also representative of state institutions, as Sandra Frauenberger, the Viennese councilor for Integration, supports this initiative. She stated that “the Viennese administration has a clear stand against racism and xenophobia. In a modern an open society no form of discrimination should be permitted.” Also Sebastian Kurz, Minister of Integration shares the opinion that a new wording of schoolbooks in combination with migration and integration is urgent and necessary. He demands, as stated in an interview with M-MEDIA in 2013, the revision of schoolbooks.

Different approaches to deal with discrimination in schools exist. There are for example teacher initiatives which reflect their work self critically. Also, there are projects such as “Globales Lernen”, which is dedicated to creating alternative teaching content or The NGO Efeu, which aims at raising sensibility of sexism in schools and schoolbooks, education and society to change the current gender and power structure.

The Project “Discrimination free schoolbooks for Austria” takes a different approach to change existing schoolbooks directly. This project is unique, because it is the gateway between communities and schoolbook publishers, with the aim to systematically collect discriminating parts in schoolbooks. Additionally, workshops are offered to establish a more sensitive understanding and offer tools for dealing with discrimination. With its expertise and bottom-up approach, involving effected communities, students, teachers, authors and reviewers, M-MEDIA can build a bridge between civil society, the state and publishers.   

CALL4Europe

The project advocates democratic rights and engagement of civil society. In the Austrian as well as the European society discriminated groups are often hindered in accessing certain parts of society and are structurally underrepresented. In case of this project, they should be included in the production of schoolbooks (participation) spreading self perceived images rather than images created by others which are often a result of stereotyping. This should  further  a more realistic and complex image of diversity in society, resulting in more tolerance, acceptance and openness. Additionally, Article 7 of the Austrian constitution is being fostered and respected.

Workshops should create sensitivity and advocate self-reflection. Through the network created between civil society, publishers and state intuitions, also on institutional and governmental level it has be dealt with existing structures and discrimination within them. Structures learn from networks. Networks affect institutions.

Other European countries such as Germany have already granted the subject of discrimination in schoolbooks more attention.  For others who have not, we want to stand as a positive example.

Target Groups

Primary target groups of the project are school book authors, reviewers , communities and institutions of teacher education. Secondary target groups are teachers and students.

Schoolbooks publisher are responsible for the distribution of content in schoolbooks. We call upon them to create inclusive structures of production. Also schoolbook authors and reviewers need to be sensitized so they are able to reflect upon their work critically and detect in which parts expertise by a representative of a community is needed to produce a self/perceived image.

Institutions of teacher education should educate future teachers to handle the subject of discrimination in schools and schoolbooks.

Teacher communicate educational content. It is up to them to deal with discrimination in schoolbooks in a positive way. Workshops should reach them as well as future teachers. 

Schoolbooks are an important medium through which children and youth is being socialized. They influence their opinion und judgment which is why the project should ultimately reach students. 

Content and Goals of the Project

-               Rewriting new schoolbooks without discriminating content is urgent. Short term goals are naming of discrimination and finding alternatives through affected communities. This will be communicated to schoolbook publishers who will change it in the new edition. Within the project 12 high-circulated geography schoolbooks of the first year of high school (AHS) will be screened. This is the beginning of a systematization of screening schoolbooks that has not yet happened in Austria.

o   Goal is a respectful and correct self/perceived image of all affected. The involvement of the affected in the production of schoolbooks is highly relevant.

-               A network between experts from community and schoolbook publishers will be created. Still, there are few experts from communities involved in the production. M-MEDIA will generate a pool of experts that publishers can get back to.

-               To reach further target groups workshops will be held to sensitize for direct and indirect stereotyping and discrimination and provide tools to positively handle them. During the course of the year a total of 12 workshops for 10-15 participants will be held.  

o   For schoolbook authors and reviewers:

1) Change of Wording: Comparative schoolbooks and different editions should be used to analyze wording and the changes over time.

2) Self-perception vs. Perception by others: Together with experts from communities, schoolbooks will be read and discussed. Focal point will be the understanding of the creation of images.

3) Criteria catalogue for schoolbook authors and reviewers: Orientation and Index

o  For teachers and future teachers:

1) Change of Wording

2) Self-perception vs. Perception by Others

3) Handling Discrimination in Classes: (Future) teachers will be educated and given tools in handling discrimination in schoolbooks

-               On the long term the project aims to create more realistic images and works on the termination of discriminating and stereotyping content in schoolbooks, nurturing self-perceived images and therefor promoting a more inclusive and less discriminating society in Austria. For the time being the project is planned for one year.

Cooperation

The project finds cooperation with the Austrian Union of publishers (Fachverband der Buch- und Medienwirtschaft der Wirtschaftskammer Oesterreich). They have the competence to integrate alternatives in schoolbooks, are the link between the publishers and provide the schoolbooks that will be screened. Together with (future) art pedagogues exists a cooperation especially in the realm of workshops. Some will also be part of the core team of the projects. Furthermore, the project has positive feedback of the Ministry of Education and the City of Vienna.    

Evaluation

Reaching the goal will be measured by the results of screening the books, the success between the cooperation between communities and schoolbook publishers as well as participation and feedback of workshops.