1. Improving Schools for Societal Outcomes
Safe Environments for Children through fostering Democratic Citizenship:
Is there a role for School Inspectors?
Prof.dr. Micha de Winter

3. issues: Upbringing became behaviour modification
Dominance of the ‘at-risk’ model
Neglecting social networks and civil society:
It takes a village to raise a child
Focus on ‘ideals’
f.e. education and democratic citizenship, humanity, social inclusion etc.
anti-extremism education

4. Top Ten Positive Development (NJI, 2013)
1. Social Connections
2. Opportunities for social involvement and participation
3. Prosocial norms & values
4. Recognizing positive behaviour
5. Social support
6. Constructive spending of leasure time
7. Competence
8. Cognitive skills
9. Schoolmotivation
10. Positive identity

5. Raising children means struggle! (Langeveld)
Freedom vs. Restraint
Cultural Renewal vs. Cultural Conservation
Here and Now vs. Future Orientation
Raising children has become a private enterprise, which often is too complicated
We prefer to problematize and to label in stead of struggle & conflict

6. THE ROLE OF SOCIAL NETWORKS
Social support is a crucial ‘protective factor’ in childrearing and development
A lack of social support is a strong risk-factor for the emergence of developmental problems
Such social capital has two educative effects:
Foundation for wellbeing, development, health
Protective shell against risk-factors

7. EDUCATIVE CIVIL SOCIETY:
Citizens in a well-functioning ECS there are prepared to share the responsibilities for the upbringing of children.
Associated Citizenship can be an alternative for interference of state and market in socialization (Ph. Blond, 2010).
The Right to Challenge! Giving children, young people and parents a voice promotes active social involvement and democratic participation.

8. Examples
Positive and mutual relationships between parents and schools (‘parental involvement’) promote educational outcomes and social opportunities
Communication among parents (and other ‘educators’) promotes a coherent childrearing-climate and in neighbourhoods. Strong social networks are related to less child-abuse, juvenile delinquency, antisocial behaviour etc.
Intergenerational contacts promote social safety and reduce youth nuisance

9. Education for Democratic & Inclusive citizenship
Just underneath the surface
Us-them thinking
Moral and social exclusion
Dehumanisation
Unless we teach children the opposite:
Learning to see similarities
Being different does not have to mean exclusion
Learning to recognise humanity in others
Through:
Role models; modelling
Rights Respecting Schools
Peaceful Schools and Neighbourhoods, etc.

10. Utrecht Peaceful Neighborhood Initiative
Peaceful Schools
Mediation
Democratic Citizenship
Classroom meetings
Service-learning
Dealing with diversity
Successfull in schools
But:
Program is extended to neighborhood, parent-involvement & ownership, etc.

11. Two necessary types of social capital
BONDING
Aimed at own group
Important for internal cohesion and shared responsibility for socialzation
Helps to emancipate and to empower groups
BRIDGING
Aimed at others (people that are different)
Important for social cohesion and intergroup relations in society
Promotes inclusive citizenship

12. (borrowed from presentation of colleague Anne Bert Dijkstra)
Social outcomes of schools:
Social and civic competences of students
‘Social quality’ of schools:
Those aspects of school quality that are primarily relevant to obtaining social and civic competences
My Addition: Societal quality of Schools:
Those aspects of school quality that are relevant to strengthening socialization networks and thus contribute to civil society & democracy
SICI Conference Social outcomes of education