Schools are the right place to identify and combat stereotypes and initiate positive changes

The regional presentation of the ‘Stereotypes OUT Equality IN’ educational platform, dedicated to the elimination of gender stereotypes in education, was held in Čakovec yesterday.

The platform was presented by Dijana Kobas Dešković, President of MODE 1, who said the following: „The aim of the training program is to raise awareness with teachers of the situations in which stereotypes do appear, and where unconscious bias is rife. These situations can affect the expectations that boys and girls have of their future professions. The schools are the exact place where gender stereotypes should be identified and fought, so that the children of today may become professionals of tomorrow in the areas they are interested and talented for, regardless of their gender, and of social expectations that may exist.“

Sandra Breka-Ovčar, Director of the Josip Slavenski Gymnasium, pointed out that it was „very important for each child who has a desire to pursue any field of knowledge, to be paired with a mentor and to reach his or her potential. I would like to tell all students to be optimistic and ambitious about their future, while our goal is to do everything to make sure that your choices are the best possible, and that your path is smooth.“

„The experts and professionals working in STEM areas bring about the best economic outcomes, and that is one of the reasons I believe that gender equality is important in this area. Should we manage to eliminate inequality from education, all the measures we implement in the community will reach their full effect “, said Matija Posavec, the Prefect of Međimurje County. He pointed out that in 2021 women outnumbered men at undergraduate and graduate levels, but they add up to just 22% of doctoral students in ICT. He also emphasized the importance of Centers of Excellence in Education supported by the County, and the support they are giving to the NGOs educating young people: they are just a part of significant investments in education carried out by the Međimurje County.

„One of the distinguishing features of the city of Čakovec is the persistent and systematic investment in education, with the aim of providing the students with additional opportunities for gaining a high-quality and cutting-edge education,“ said Igor Mesarić, Head of Social Services Department with City of Čakovec. „The issue of the availability of quality education at all levels is one of the main generators of future inequalities. Smaller towns are often at a disadvantage in this respect when compared with large cities, where there is an entire educational superstructure, with numerous and highly qualified teachers. We do not fall into this category.“

Ms. Breka-Ovčar added that: „It is a great privilege to live in Međimurje County, and I am very happy to say that in terms of gender equality, as well as STEM education, we are doing an excellent job. All students have equal access to all activities. To accentuate this, we have established two Centers of Excellence in our Gymnasium, the one for STEM, i.e., for mathematics, chemistry, physics, and biology, and the Centre for Excellence in Arts”.

„SPAN takes part in a number of initiatives aimed at exposing more women to STEM, and to the possibilities of careers in IT. In collaboration with Algebra, we encourage women in disadvantageous circumstances to join the Work in Tech program, and acquire the knowledge and skills that will help them find jobs in IT. For the young people, we established the program called Span Academy and are always pleased to see, in still predominantly male groups, more and more young girls. This is the reason we decided to support this project, to promote the education of girls and women in the STEM area,“ said Paulina Degiuli, Human Resource Specialist at SPAN.

„I believe that this event will help direct more women towards STEM education and careers, and help create new role models and a new paradigm for the coming generations”, concluded Mr. Posavec. „Be brave, and believe in yourselves,“ was his message to the students attending the event.

Teachers and other education professionals are the important agents of change in schools, and are in a position to act proactively to identify and remove unconscious bias and stereotypes. The free workshops for teachers, based on real-life situations recorded in schools, are the key activity of the present project.

Over the past year, over 500 teachers and educators from over 40 schools in Croatia participated in these workshops. In collaboration with the Teacher Training Agency, an education program for 300 education professionals was held. The workshops will continue to be rolled out until the end of May of 2023.