European, global and intercultural dimension in curriculum development

The curricula are essential in helping young people learn to look beyond the horizons of their local or regional environment and be encouraged to think about the everyday lives of young people from other countries and continents.

In the primary education

The curriculum for primary schools in the field of geography contains numerous recommendations and references to help students identify some of the most typical geopolitical, economic and social features, not only about Belgium and the European Union, but also about some selected countries of the other continents.

In the sixth school year, the History course aims to address European unification and address some of the major current european issues.

In the field of citizenship education, which is a cross-curricular theme in the German-speaking Community, the Declaration of Universal Human Rights is on the program, as well as the treatment of international solidarity. These are very good opportunities to emphasize the importance of intercultural dialogue and to make students aware of the problems that many immigrant classmates have and often still weigh on them.

In the secondary education

Secondary schools deal with the European and international dimension in different subjects and in different school years:

In the optional subject economics

In the 4th year of secondary school, the European Union is discussed: 15-16 year olds should be able to show the economic and social inequalities in Europe. Sixth-grade year students compare the differences between American and European economies by referring to economic doctrines and day-to-day affairs.

In the compuslory subject History

The contents of history lessons in the sixth year of secondary school include the chapter "Geopolitical Development of Europe from 1945 to today". The students learn, as did the Eastern and Western bloc formation during the Cold War in Europe, how the collapse of the communist Eastern bloc came about and what challenges are being faced in Eastern Europe today. They learn that Europe had already set out from a Europe of cemeteries to a Europe without internal borders during the Cold War. They examine what new perspectives open up by the accession of other states, in a finally new Europe, which is to become an area of ​​political and social democracy.

In the compulsory subject geography

The curriculum for the subject geography provides for the 5th year the theme "People on the move in the European Union". The students try to explain:

•     the reasons why entire sections of the population have left their ancestral home in recent decades;
•     they examine the age structures in the European Union and the consequences of a general aging on the future of our socioeconomic system;
•     In this context, they consider whether a sensible immigration policy can help solve this problem.

In technical and vocational education this topic is included in the curriculum of the 6th year. In the optional subject old languages

The old-school syllabus sets out to relate the most important aspects of Greek and Roman culture both to our contemporary culture and to the components of our individual and collective identity, taking into account their European and universal dimensions.

Partnership and networks

See previous sections.