Ethics education in Polish schools – a multicultural approach with a global view

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to highlight one of the issues which insufficiently deals with the relationship between globalization, migration and multicultural education: teaching values. To engage this matter, I will mobilize critical theory, specifically that of Martha Nussbaum and James Banks, to discuss the concepts of cosmopolitanism and multiculturalism. In doing so, I will argue that even though Nussbaum and Banks´ theories do have some constraints, they are to a large degree applicable and possible to relate to the ethical challenges of multicultural education. The theories are plausible in some aspects because they present reasonable arguments for the necessity of educational reform in an interconnected world, and because they make educational proposals of instrumental value for teachers. I will consider first some theoretical debates on multicultural education, especially in relation to teaching and learning that is based on democratic values, affirming world citizenship in an interdependent world. Then, I discuss ethics education in Poland by introducing policies, measures, approaches, curriculum and organization.