Education about democracy or for democracy? The tensions around responsible education citizenship in Poland

The rise of far right, eurosceptic, and anti-immigrant movements in Europe as well as intense polarisation and inequalities in the European societies have challenged the foundation of liberal democracies. The basic democratic values and norms have been contested, sparking debates over how to revive democratic participation. In the context of democratic deficit, education for democracy (EfD) is seen as a possible tool to revive democratic practices, equipping citizens with skills and knowledge necessary for civic and political engagement. This presentation is based on the example of Poland, where we can observe the above-mentioned processes in a nutshell. To understand better how education can facilitate democratic behaviour and attitudes, we examine the curriculum of education for democracy, as well as the further educational policies in this field. We will pay special attention how citizenship is conceptualised in the official policies and documents, paying special attention to the content of EfD, as well as to the methods and approaches to teaching. This analysis is complemented by the perspective of teachers, educators, and trainers who are members of DEMOCRAT Living Lab, which would provide a critical perspective on the official frameworks. They point to the practical challenges in teaching EfD based on a comprehensive but theoretical curriculum covering the essential values and elements of EdF with little official support on the practical and participatory approach.