27 school heads and other educational professionals from 17 different countries were gathered in Oslo last week to discuss, practice and be trained in democratic school governance, in the 2nd seminar cooperation between the EWC and the Council of Europe Pestalozzi program.

The seminar included participants from countries such as Cyprus, Portugal, Malta, Georgia and Saudi-Arabia, and the four working days were divided between plenary and group sessions, as well as individual work, all coordinated and facilitated by Benedetto Maffezzini, Ulrike Wolff-Jontofsohn and Margaret Wood.

The participants worked, among other things, on identifying and discussing different stake holders in school today, responding to specific cases, analyzing and comparing their own situation with other participants, as well as exchanging examples of current practice, the participants worked together and individually to get a better understanding of what democratic school governance means and implies, and also what and how things can be changed and improved at their own school.

The seminar included a visit to Ila School (primary and lower secondary) in Oslo. During the visit, school head Rita Hellesjø Orderud, together with the deputy head, teachers and pupils, presented their way of practicing democratic school governance. The participants also visited and got a guided tour at the Nobel Peace Centre in Oslo.