Gaston Ternes

From 2022, an “Annual Democracy Day” will be celebrated in October in all secondary schools in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. Already since 2021, interested schools have had the opportunity to organize such a day. In his Carte Blanche, Gaston Ternes addresses the question of democracy at school.

A primary school teacher asked the children to draw a memory of their vacation. A child tried to draw on her arm. The teacher asked her why she didn't want to draw on her paper and the answer was prompt: “Madam, I want to protect the trees! ".
For me, this reaction is not an isolated case. In my professional environment, I have repeatedly observed that the awareness and interest of children and adolescents in nature and the environment, as well as in political and social issues, have evolved in a positive way. We have the prospect of a generation of critical and engaged citizens who do not hesitate to defend their points of view.
The initiative of the Center for Citizenship Education to institutionalize a democracy day in all secondary schools therefore seems commendable to me. Three main areas are envisaged: Discussing the functioning of democracy and society, questioning and developing democratic school culture, electing a student council for the high school every two years.
What does “educate for democracy” mean? In his recent book “What school can still do for democracy”, the French professor and pedagogue Philippe Meirieu explains that the objective is to promote both the ability to think autonomously and critically, and the ability to listen and seek consensus or solutions.
The two paths are not mutually exclusive: “autonomous thinking” consists of abolishing preconceived ideas, analyzing points of view to verify their accuracy. Secondly, this means being willing to share your own point of view with others. European initiatives such as the “Model European Parliament” or the “European Parliament Ambassador School” in high schools have contributed for many years to this development of democratic thought.
Democracy in All Schools Day should create new impetus for the daily practice of democracy in schools and for better learning together.
Learning based on mutual aid and solidarity, in which young people, accompanied by teachers, do not compete but discover the strengths of tolerance, seems essential to me.
Given that young people today do not hesitate to express their opinions on all societal challenges, it is crucial that these opinions are consolidated, weighted and founded, otherwise they risk drowning in a sea of slogans, fake news and simplistic statements.