MORAL, ETHICS AND CIVIC EDUCATION (MECE)

On 7^th January 2009 12 founders decided to work in the name of the introduction of subject Civic education in the Bulgarian school. Therefore they established the association “Moral, ethics and civic education”. The upbringing is a topic that involves everybody – parents, teachers, politicians, NGOs. In the meantime each day we witness many scandals and absurd situation – not only in the streets, but also at school. Kids beat and offend other kids. Kids offend teachers. Parents threaten and offend teachers.

What is happening in the Bulgarian school? What is going on with the Bulgarian kids? Are they the future  Bulgarian citizens, citizens of the European union and the world? The answers of these questions lead us to worrying conclusions about the society, the political situation – today and tomorrow. Such a critical situation is a challenge for the teachers and parents. The parents can’t bring up their children with real values, democratic principles, and the school is no longer such an authority.

The lack of real role models at home and at school leaves the children with no choice but to copy the role models they see on the streets, on the TV, on the computer.

Each of us is responsible for the current situation as well as for the change!

The introduction of subject Civic education is not a panacea. But it will surely start the change in education and in society. The time has come to unite all the power that we have and to teach the young Bulgarians moral, ethics and civic education. That is why the association Moral, Ethics and Civic education was established. The founders of MECE are personalities with different jobs, united by the belief that the change in the Bulgarian education can and must happen. The representatives of the academic society like prof. Minko Balkanski, prof. Hristo Todorov, Lidia Denkova, Angel Angelov. Bulgarian teachers like Teodosiy Teodosiev from Kazanlak. Anna Ananieva from Sofia and the head-masters of high schools in Sofia, Vidin and Blagoevgrad – Mariana Pishtalova, Georgi Ivanchev and Katerina Marcheva. Businessmen like Krum Hadjigeorgiev – executive director of the software company “Melon”, and the journalists Mariana Assenova and Nickolay Bocev.

The subject Civic education will give the children the opportunity to learn:

• What is the school – the place that they spent their time every day
• What is identity – the right of identity, the role of the state, nationality
• How to be responsible for the environment
• How to save the national and world heritage
• What is tolerance, discrimination and can they exist in our society
• Why equal rights between men and women
• What do human dignity and solidarity mean, the role of the national solidarity against the social isolation
• Who is responsible for the daily security – on the street, at school, by accident, by theft
• How to act in risk conditions
• What are our rights – of information, personal and general right – freedom and respect
• What does justice mean – in favour of everyone
• Right of choice, principles and values of the republic
• Authorities in Bulgaria – judicial, legislative, executive
• What are the institutions in a country

The topics are as different as one civic society can be. These topics involve everyone. Everyone who wants to join MECE is welcome. Every single new member of MECE will make us believe, that Bulgaria wants to take its destiny in its own hands.