nansen dijalog centar

• Through a series of actions undertook after the completion of “THE RESEARCH ON THE ATTITUDES OF PARENTS ON THE QUALITY OF EDUCATION OF THE CHILDREN IN VUKOVAR ", parents recognised and started to get involved in The New School project. The research was conducted by NDC Osijek from October 2004, until January 2005 on a sampkle of 256 families with primary school children from Vukovar.

• Vukovar is ethnically divided community. Division does not only have a negative impact on the children from the two largest ethnical groups (Croats and Serbs), but also has an additional negative impact on the children from mixed marriages, children of other nationalities, their parents, as well as effecting the future of the community as a whole.

Unfortunately, the reality forces above mentioned groups to choose one of the two sides, which makes them deny, partially, their own different and unique identity. Such a situation stimulates social exclusion and social segregation.

School is, along with the family, a basic agens of children’s socialization, a place where children adopt values and develop their attitudes. Present situation of ethnically divided schools and kindergartens, sends a message to the children that the division is acceptable.

Most of the parents, teachers who work with the children, but also some other important members of the community, do not serve as an example and do not encourage children from different ethnical groups to interact, and the children themselves, not having the experience of living in an undivided town, accept this kind of division to be normal and the only possible way of life.

Researches have shown that children themselves are the ones who are most inclined to discriminate on the ethnic principles, which does not contribute to development of the community on the long term basis.

The researches have also shown that parents consider the present division as a threat to the development of the community, therefore they expressed their worries about the future of their children in the town of Vukovar.

Although aware of the problem, most of the parents do not react upon it because of ignorance, but also because of the fear of being rejected by their own social group, therefore they shift responsibility of problem solving to the institutions.

However, there is a group of parents who decided not to stand aside but to engage in finding new solutions which would provide an integrated education for their children, and, as they hope, a better future in an undivided town.

After the research was conducted, NDC Osijek started with a series of activities, from March 2005. NDC Osijek organised following activities: focus groups, workshops, seminars, round-tables, regular monthly meetings and study-trips. In all of these activities we were actively involving parents who during the realisation of the research expressed willingness for a future cooperation on The New School Project. During the course of time new parents and other citizens of Vukovar joined the Project and, with a help of NDC Osijek, in October 2005, formally registered their civil initiative as an organisation called Parents’ Club "For the Children of Vukovar".

These activities and a cooperation of parents with teachers and expert associates working on The New School project resulted in the initiative for the establishment of The New School in Vukovar.