Round Table Titled “Intolerant Attitude to National and Religious Minorities in School Textbooks” was Held in Simferopol.

23 June 2011

The round table titled “Intolerant Attitude to National and Religious Minorities in School Textbooks” was held on June 22, 2011 in Simferopol in the framework of the project “Tolerant Textbooks – Tolerant Society” implemented by the public organization “Council of Teachers” (Bakhchisaray) headed by Dilyara Seytvelieva supported by the International Foundation “Revival”.

Head of the project “Tolerant Textbooks – Tolerant Society”, the lecturer of the Chair of history of the historical-philological department of Crimean Engineering – Pedagogical University Gulnara Bekirova. The project was implemented by the professional historians and teachers.

The round table held in the conference hall of the Complex “Marakand” was attended by the first deputy Chairman of Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people, President of the World Congress of Crimean Tatars Refat Chubarov, Chairman of the Republican Committee of ARC on interethnic relations and deported persons Edem Dudakov, Chairman of the Expert-Analytical Council by the Council of Ministers of ARC Alexander Formanchuk, expert – head of the program of the civil society of the Ukrainian independent center of political research (Kyiv) Natalia Belitser, representative of all-Ukrainian Association of teachers of history and social subjects “Nova Doba” (Lvov) Petro Kendzor, as well as the representatives of the scientific establishments and public organizations.

According to the organizers of the round table the urgency of the project was dictated by the following considerations: “Ukraine is a multinational and multi-religious state, that is why living in peace, mutual understanding and tolerance is an acute need determining the development and flourishing of Ukraine, categoric imperative for the acting politicians and civil society, – underscored Gulnara Bekirova. In these conditions the special significance acquires training of tolerance of its people from the very early years – from kindergarten, from school”.

Continuing the presentation of the project the heads of the project noted that textbooks are not only the main “source” of knowledge, but a builder of person’s world outlook. The content of the school textbook determines the values of the citizens of the country. In this respect it is very important that school textbooks contained the most balanced, correct information relating to the people that inhabit modern Ukraine.

The project provides fundamental study of the school textbooks and manuals on humanitarian subjects from 1 to 11 years for secondary schools for cases of intolerant, improper attitude to ethnic and religious groups with further broad publication of the results of the research.

The project’s goal is to examine the texts of the textbooks on humanitarian subjects for secondary schools (recommended by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine) for occurrence (or omission) of fragments of intolerant attitude to national and religious minorities.

The tasks of research are to disclose and study thoroughly the texts of textbooks in accordance with the goal of the project, to make concrete conclusions, and to carry out a series of events on publication of the results of the project.

The theoretical-methodological basis of the research is the modern methods of humanities. The project was implemented from September 2010 to June 2011. The following work was made:

– the scope of text book a subject of studying was determined;

– the initial studying of the texts of the textbooks was made in accordance with the approaches and procedures, provided by the methodology of the research;

– the key problems and controversial fragments were disclosed, that look discussing in light of the topic of the project; detailed analysis of these fragments was made.

Parallel to this work there was a study of the bibliography of the theme – legislative and legal acts, scientific-methodological literature.

The first variant was presented to teachers, representatives of the authorities and public organization during the one-day seminar on June 8 this year. The participants of the seminar developed a draft recommendations of the coming Round table to be hold on June 22, 2011.

The round table that was held on June 22, 2011 in Simferopol presented the research, prepared in the framework of the project, as well as the recommendations were approved on further promotion of its results.

The final stage of the project includes publication of a brochure containing the analytical material about the facts of intolerant attitude to national and religious minorities on the pages of school textbooks and recommendations of the experts and participants of the round table, as well as broad coverage of its results in Mass Media and carrying out of the final press-conference.

Source – materials of the project “Tolerant Textbooks – Tolerant Society”