Is the formal education system helping us build a solidary society?

Centre for Peace Studies with the help of local BEST teachers and school coordinators and the support of the City of Rijeka opened an exhibition of BEST photos in the Exportdrvo hall in Rijeka. We opened the exhibition with a panel discussion around the key question - 'Is the formal education system helping us build a solidary society?' with three guest speakers with the perspective from schools and CSOs. Some key findings are part of the graphic notes taken during the discussion: the cooperation between formal and non-formal actors in education is not systemic and it relies on the enthusiasm of individuals; schools do their best to nourish solidarity but this is not systemic; there is a great need for civic education in highschools; there is an evident lack of interdisciplinary professional development courses for in-service teachers that would equip them with skills and knowledge needed to address these issues, otherwise, teachers are reluctant and don't feel safe to work on these topics. The discussion was followed by a presentation of the BEST project with the help of Rijeka's First Croatian High School students who presented their experience of leading a solidarity action last spring in Rijeka. The exhibition created within the Erasmus+ BEST project can be visited in Exportdrvo hall until mid-May and is supported by the French Embassy in Croatia and the governmental Office for Cooperation with NGOs.