Objectives
The objectives are as follows
s To create an environment which can make use of the multi-cultural skills
that our department possesses
s To pool our knowledge of individual pupils and others
s To develop the role of the teacher as regards individual pupils
Target
Group
The project is aimed at all the school staff in the municipality of Lund.
Delegation of Responsibility
Those responsible for the project are:
Lars Granath, Chairman of the municipality
Ewa Bolanowska, Principal of the Department of Mother Tongue Instruction
Grazyna Walentynowicz, Project Leader
Britt Andersson and Annette Andersson, consultants
Ulf Åhlstedt is the representative of the
Employment Security Fund, and mentor for the project.
Sten-Bertil Olsson is the chairman of the school district.
Members of each school´s work-team have also attended those conferences
where a follow-up and an evaluation of each school´s work has taken place.
Extent
The project extends to all Mother Tongue teachers. It also extends to all teachers
in the schools in the municipality and to other categories of staff.
Methods of work
s The method of work is process orientated and based on learning and development
processes
s The teams at individual schools develop strategies for co-operation between
The Department for Mother Tongue Instruction and the municipal elementary
schools
s A network for cross co-operation between Mother Tongue teachers and other
school staff is
under construction in the municipality. This network is to function
as a model for support,
stimulus and development of competence.
Project work teams
Project work teams consist of representatives from the individual school and
from the Department of Mother Tongue Instruction. These representatives take
stock of the problems that exist in the school, and collect ideas based on the
objectives of the project.
The work is done in two stages
s Production of a proposal for co-operation between the Mother Tongue teachers
operating in the school and the other members of the school staff.
s Action based on the documents that govern the work of the Department of
Mother Tongue Instruction and the individual schools, for example:
- Anti-bullying plan
- Work Environment plan
- Equality plan
- Internationalisation plan
All work in the teams is anchored in the members
of staff at the school in question and the teachers from the Department of Mother
Tongue Instruction.
At the moment, fourteen schools are involved in the project. These schools have
tried to fulfil the aims of the project based on their own conditions. The proposals
that have been produced are tailor-made for each particular school district,
but they resemble each other in many ways.
Certain elements recur,
for example:
- the participation of Mother Tongue teachers in pupil-teacher-parent
conferences and in other pastoral care conferences.
- participation in different kinds of home-school contacts
- shared meetings for the Mother Tongue teachers who operate in the school
and for other members of staff.
Follow up and evaluation
Those in charge of the project are responsible for seeing that it is carried
out. The proposals adopted by each school are to be evaluated annually by the
school staff and those Mother Tongue teachers operating in the school in question.
Relevance of the project
This is a unique project
in Sweden.
Its base is the organisation of Mother Tongue Instruction in the Municipality
of Lund.
The so-called Lundian Model can, we hope, be used in other Swedish municipalities.
It may even be used as a model for mother tongue instruction in other EU countries.
Results
of the project
The clearest result of the project is that the self-esteem of the Mother Tongue
teachers and of the school staff has been strengthened. The Mother Tongue teachers
are regarded as part of the school staff and are seen as assets. Their competence
is taken for granted and used. The Mother Tongue teachers and the school staff
plan and give lessons together. Based on their special competence, Mother Tongue
teachers participate in the pastoral care of pupils. They also function as a
liaison between the school and the pupils´ families.
The self confidence shown by the Mother Tongue
teachers and the positive attitude shown
by the school staff is reflected in their pupils. After they have been given
attention and appreciation by their teachers and school friends, they can show
pride in their language and their culture.
Swedish pupils have been given a better insight
into the culture and traditions of the Mother Tongue pupils. Lessons about other
countries that are planned and carried out by Mother Tongue teachers and their
pupils are welcomed by other pupils as they are different to, and much livelier
than the contents of text books. Their curiosity is stimulated. We hope that
this will lead to an increased understanding of the immigrant pupils´situation.
The families of the Mother Tongue pupils have
a better rapport with the school staff. They take part in parents´meetings
more frequently. Parents who have, up to this point, been unsure whether Mother
Tongue Instruction was good for their children´s language development
now see a clear, positive change in the children´s behaviour.
According to the Mother Tongue teachers, there
are clear differences in attitude towards Mother Tongue Instruction in schools
within and outside the project.
The ideas of the project are confirmed in the multi-cultural plan for the municipality
of Lund which is under construction.
