A schools and community project to run from January 2005 – July 2006 with children in years 5/6 (9-11years old), and teachers in two Nottingham City Junior schools, to be followed by an In Service Training Event for teachers from other schools, both Primary and Secondary. Aim: To enhance awareness of the benefits to be gained from a range of faiths and cultures in our community. To work with the Nottingham City Education Department Race and Cultural Awareness Officer to assist schools to meet the requirements of the Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Curriculum encouraged by OFSTED with regard to multi-faith issues. To enable the Inter Faith Council to assist and enhance the existing work of the Nottingham Global Education Centre (MUNDI) with regard to multi-faith education. PROGRAMME 1. Classroom discussions on different forms of discrimination with regard to faith issues and the appropriate responses. The discussions would be led by a Coordinator appointed to work part time on the project. (The person would be appointed by the Inter Faith Council and the Education Department Race equality officer. He/she would have to have a suitable teaching qualification and would be subject to appropriate checks on reliability.) It is suggested that there would be four of these discussions, each with a different class. i.e. two schools would be selected with assistance from the Education Dpt. and each school would involve 2 classes of pupils with their classroom teacher. 1. The following week there would be a presentation in each school by a someone who has a strong faith and culture and suffered discrimination. This could be a first hand account or by a film (such as those provided in the Beth Shalom Refuge Pack.) The presentation could be done once in each school, bringing the classes together and would be followed by small discussion groups supplied with question sheets. 1. During the following two weeks there would be two options. a) Roleplaying a case study concerning persecution and ways of dealing with it. Materials and facts would be provided and elements relating to religious belief systems would be discussed in this context. a) Artwork or written work on the subject of welcoming differences. 1. An end of school day meeting would be held in each of the schools for parents, friends and members of the Inter Faith Council, when the project would be explained and those attending could view the work done by the pupils, and possibly see part of the roleplay. This would be followed discussion around small tables with refreshments provided from different cultural traditions provided by the children IN SERVICE TRAINING Following the completion of these two programmes, a teachers “In Service Training Day” will be run with the help of suitable qualified staff . The aim will be to enable both Primary and Secondary teachers to learn from those involved in running the programmes, so that similar schemes can be tried in other schools. Explanatory material will be prepared form those taking part and for other interested people, containing the comments of participating teachers and pupils. The INSET day would be provided by a member of the MUNDI team. The whole exercise will be evaluated. DELIVERY Cost of appointing and employing a Project Coordinator for 14 days = £ 4,200 (5 days planning, 5 organising, 2 evaluating, 2 planning/training at £300 a day.) Materials and Administration = £0.300 Evaluation Costs = £0,200 Total = £4,700