Tolerance between Young People: Understanding and Responding to Differences

2. 2 English Language School 06 – 10 June, Maribor, Slovenia

3. Толерантност 1.Какво е вашето мнение относно толерантността? 2.Бихте ли взели нечия страна, ако един от вашите съученици бива подиграван нечестно ? а) Не бих взел страна, особенно ако не ги харесвам. б) Не бих ги защитил, защото не се чувствам приятно в подобна ситуация. в) Достатъчно са големи, за да се защитават сами. 3. Ако сте свидетел на агресивно държание между ваши съученици, как бихте реагирали ? a) Не бих се намесил ако спорът е нажежен. б) Ако бях физически по-силен, бих възстановил реда. в) Бих помолил някой от учителите за помощ. 4. Как бихте реагирали ако някой от вашите съученици е игнориран от останалите ? a) Това си е техен проблем и не бих обърнал внимание. б) Бих направил всичко по силите си, за да им помогна да си намерят приятели. в) Бих взел страна, само ако одобрявах социалното им положение 5. Какво бихте си помислили, ако ваш съученик се държи неадекватно по време на часовете ? a) Не харесва учителя и се опитва да го съботира. б) Възможно е да е под влиянието на наркотици. в) Липса на подходящо възпитание. 6. Ако имахте спречкване с ваш учител и имахте противоположни мнения: a) Ще приемете мнението на учителя, защото те имат правата да вземат последното решение b) Ще защитите мнението си с аргумени, защото учениците имат право на възглед. c) Ще се опитате да разреште спора чрез достигане до компромис.

4. Tolerance 1.What is your opinion of tolerance? 2. Would you take a side if one of your classmates was mocked unfairly? a) I wouldn’t take a side, especially if I didn’t like them. b) I wouldn’t defend them, because I wouldn’t feel well in such a situation. c) They are old enough to defend themselves. 3. If you were a witness to an aggressive behavior between some of your classmates, how would you act? a) I wouldn’t intervene if the argument were a heatedone. b) If I were physically stronger I would restore the order. c) I would ask some of the teachers for help 4. How would you react if some of your classmates were ignored by others? a) This is their problem and I wouldn’t pay attention at all. b) I would do anything in order to help them to find friends. c) I would take a side only if I approved of their social status. 5. What would you think if one of your classmates was behaving inadequately during the lessons? a) They don’t like the teacher and they are trying to sabotage him. b) It is possible that they are under the influence of drugs. c) Lack of proper upbringing. 6. If you had an argument with your teacher about something and you had two opposite opinions: a)You would accept the teacher’s opinion, because they have the right to take the final decision. b)You would defend your opinion by presenting your arguments because students have the right to express their opinion. c)You would try to solve the problem by reaching a compromise.

5. Tolerance between young people Busy with all those daily routines we oftenforget what it is like to be tolerant to other people. This is a topic of great concern to children in school. That is why we decided to do a research, interviewing 86 students, in order to learn about their outlook on this issue.

6. What is Tolerance ? 72 % from the interviewed students gave precise and clear answers to this question. For example, most common responses were: • To respect others and their own opinion. • To accept people for who they are and not for their social status or nationality and religion. • To be fair and helpful with others. • However, the other 28% from the interviewed didn't give any answers at all , which only shows that many of the young people today have no idea what actually tolerance means.

7. Some cases associated with tolerance in school We asked the students to imagine that they were in certain situations, which you can often face up to. As they gave their answers, we were able to check up rather tolerance or aggression is more common in school nowadays. The first situation presented to them was to decide whether or not they would take a side if one of their classmates was mocked unfairly. • 72% from the interviewed said that they would defend the mocked student, because they wouldn't feel well in such a situation. • Other 18% answered that they preferred not to intervene for they are old enough to defend themselves. • And the rest 10% responded that they wouldn’t take a side especially if they didn’t like them. Another situation presented to them was what their reaction would be if some of their classmates were ignored by others. • 51% suggested that they would do anything in order to help them to find friends. • 31% said they wouldn’t pay attention at all, because this is the ignored students’ problem. • And the last 18% answered that they would take a side only if they approved of students’ social status.

8. Conclusion It seems that all students have different understanding and views about how to be tolerant. Some of them are really well grounded in it but, of course, for other this is something of little significance. Actually, tolerance is a quality which helps us in all spheres of life. Indeed, the school years we have to pass are very often full of difficulties, for example the aggression we sometimes receive by others. We hope this report to be useful for better understanding of the students' outlook.

9. Толерантността в училище Бихте ли избрали за приятел съученик, който не е общителен и избягва останалите? a)Даб) Не Смятате ли, че във 2АЕГ съществува толерантност към „различните”? а)Да б)Не Дайте пример. Случвали ви се е да обидите съученик, който има различен стило на обличане? а)Да б)Не Случвало ли ви се е да обидите съученик заради теглото му? а)Да б)Не Бихте ли общували с някого, за когото знаете, че не разполага с финансова стабилност (от бедно семейство е) ? а)Да б) Не Смятате ли, че толерантност означава безразличие? Аргументирайте се. Какво разбирате под „различен”? Смятате ли, че проявяваме толерантност само тогава, когато харесваме някого? а)Да б)Не Какво разбирате под толерантност?

10. Tolerance in school 1. Would you choose to be a friend with a classmate who is not communicative and avoids the others? • Yes b) No 2. Do you think that in Second English Language School in Sofia tolerance to "the different" exists? a) yes b) no 3. Give an example. 4. Have you ever insulted a classmate who has a different style of clothing? a) yes b) no 5. Have you ever insulted a classmate because of his/hers weight? a) yes b) no 6. Would you communicate with someone who you know is not financially stable (he/she is from a poor family)? a) Yes b) no 7. Do you think that tolerance means "indifference"? Give your reasons. 8. What is a "different" person in your opinion? 9. Do you think we show tolerance only to someone we like? a) Yes b) No 10. How do you understand tolerance?

11. Investigation – Students 8th Grade • Do you think of yourself as a tolerant person ?a)never b)rarely c)often d)always 2. Do others consider you tolerant ?a)never b)rarely c)often d) always 3. Do you think that students are tolerant when they communicate with each other? a)never b)rarely c)often d)always 4. Do you think that students sometimes embezzle with the tolerance from the teachers ?a)yes b)no c)depends on each student… 5. Do you consider that the educational system in Bulgarian schools teaches you to be tolerant ?a)yes b)no c) I don’t think that anyone considers this question. 6. Do you think that the students from 2 ELS are tolerant ?a) most of them b) a few of them7. Do you share the thought that tolerance makes life more peaceful and stable ?a)yes b)no c) I don’t think it matters

12. TOLERANCE SURVEY The survey aims to scrutinize the importance of tolerance and the question whether it exists in the Bulgarian school. I interviewed a number of students and teachers to find out their opinion.

13. KIDS TALK • Most of the students think that: • · education system in the Bulgarian school does not make any special efforts to teach them to be tolerant • · their schoolmates in 2 English Language School are tolerant • · they are tolerant persons almost all the time

14. TEACHERS TALK Almost all of the asked teachers think that: • education system in the Bulgarian school does not make any special efforts to teach students to be tolerant • most of their students in 2ELS are tolerant in their daily communication with each other • education is essential for being a tolerant person • being a teacher needs tolerance

15. CONCLUSION As a conclusion, all of the asked students and teachers share the opinion that tolerance makes life more peaceful and stable. I consider tolerance as the virtue of the man free of prejudice and it is one of the most important things in communication nowadays. In today's open world you shouldn't stay narrow- minded.

17. CREDITS

18. Iskra Dukova Adriana Evtimova Valia Marinova Diana Kabaivanova Teodora Georgieva Ilia Lassin