Lesson 3: Our new school rules

Designing a joint agreement

Lesson description

The students sit in a circle in front of the fipchart or blackboard on which the school rules are written in large letters. The stickers showing what the different groups would like to change in the rules are still on the board. A discussion is started by the teacher.

• What do the students think about the suggested changes?
• Do they agree with the suggestions?
• How many agree? The majority?
• What happens to the minority? Can a compromise be found?

The students return into their groups of four. They work on one rule that will be changed and try to reformulate it. They write it on a slip of paper and stick it onto the flipchart or blackboard.

Once all new suggestions have been stuck on the flipchart or blackboard, it is time for the students to vote. All students should take out their voting cards. Each rule will be read out by the teacher. The students vote using their cards, indicating their acceptance, refusal or abstention.

Items that are not accepted by the majority should be re-discussed.

At the end of the process, the new school rules should be written out on a piece of paper.