Abstract:

Latvia is the Post-Soviet Space country with 160 different nationalities, of which 62% are Latvians; Russians are 27% and there are more other smaller nationalities. The country has 84% Latvian citizens and 14% are non-citizens of Latvia. Latvia with its ethnic composition, education policy and its implementation in Latvian schools, has created the situation in which primary school students know little about the other people, other nationality and their culture. In everyday life in schools Students don’t have the real possibility to learn and understand other nationality people's perception of the world.

Primary school students could not objectively judge and evaluate other people values and habits, language and nationalities issues. Consequently, situations in Post-Soviet Space arise, which later leads to conflicts in the future and unnecessary misunderstandings, different viewpoints and incomprehension. The school as a place and space for learning and teaching has the opportunity to change and affect students’ quality of life and perception of the world.

How to change value system of the students – teenagers? How to change the students’ understanding of the other people, their culture and perception of the world? This is the main task for schools. School has potential to change their student’s lives and values.

In 2012 integration project “Get to know your neighbour!” was carried out in Latvia. Students built their understanding of other people, their culture and their perceptions of the world. How we did it? How to change student’s value system? How to motive and to make sense of other person with its own values, cultural traditions and language differences? Which solutions were successfully implemented in project “Get to know your neighbour!”? Which things and issues needed improving? How to adopt this project experience in your country and in your school? How school can build the sense of belonging and responsibility for the quality of life? This is the project “Get to know your neighbour!” story and experience worth evaluating, ideas worth spreading for teachers and schools in their daily work.

Keywords:

Project, integration project, primary school, learning experience.