Curriculum for the elective subject of Democracy in practice (DIP1-01)

The elective subjects shall contribute to help pupils, individually or as a group, strengthen the desire to learn and experience a sense of mastery through practical and varied work. Elective subjects are interdisciplinary subjects that contribute to comprehensive and contextual learning.

Democracy is a cornerstone of society. A democratic society presupposes that its citizens respect and comply with human rights and demonstrate basic democratic values like equality, gender equality, respect, tolerance, freedom of expression and free elections. The goal of democracy is to provide citizens with the opportunity to participate actively in society.

Young people need to understand the significance of the customary rules of democratic interaction and taking part in society in different ways. Developing a pupil’s sense of independence and personal identity, the ability to form own opinions and the courage to express one’s own ideas are central themes in the subject. The school is a democratic arena for children and young people where they feel their voices are heard and where they can contribute and influence events in their daily lives.

Learning in the subject of Democracy in practice shall allow pupils to work with the idea of human rights and develop a better understanding of democracy. Furthermore, the subject will allow young people to build experience and establish own viewpoints, and provide them with the skills needed to provide input in issues that concern them. The subject provides pupils with an opportunity to do practical work together with other pupils at the school through the pupil council and in the school environment in general, in the local community and on global issues. The elective subject shall promote the development of an inclusive environment characterised by a sense of security and social belonging in which preventive measures and conflict resolution are basic ground rules. The subject shall stimulate participation and interest in democratic processes.

The elective subject gathers elements from the school subjects of Social Science, Religion, Lifestyles and Ethics and Norwegian/Sami.