Amalipe Center initiative: election of a student ombudsman in Bulgarian schools
After a successful youth training and youth conference in Lozen/Sofia, students came up with a proposal to start elections for a student ombudsman in their schools. Although the majority of educational institutions have a functioning and elected Student Parliament/Council, in many cases there is no elected Student Ombudsman. Center Amalipe decided to support the students in their wish and shared their idea with the National Ombudsman prof. Dr. Diana Kovacheva, who gladly accepted it and suggested that the campaign could be under her patronage.
In this context, Center Amalipe presents a concept for the election of a student ombudsman to actively involve all students and increase their motivation for civic participation. The initiative is part of the project “Intercultural Academy for Citizenship and Tolerance”, which is implemented by Center Amalipe.
The Student Ombudsman will be under the patronage of the Ombudsman of the Republic of Bulgaria and the elected representatives will participate in a meeting with Prof. Diana Kovacheva and the Minister of Labour and Social Policy Dr. Shalapatova.
The aim of the campaign is to increase civic activism among young people and to familiarize them with the powers of the Student Ombudsman, strengthening this position in schools. The tasks of the Student Ombudsman include handling complaints and signals, undertaking inspections and taking action to respect the rights and freedoms of students.
The procedure for elections includes nominations, campaigning by candidates and elections by secret ballot. The Student Ombudsman will be elected for a term of one school year and will be eligible for successive terms.
Cooperation with the Ombudsman is crucial, as the Ombudsman supports the idea, will organise a meeting with the Youth Ombudsmen and will provide opportunities for their participation in initiatives such as “Ambassador for a Day”.
Amalipe will evaluate the results and processes of the elections, providing recommendations for improvement. The review of the elections and the activities of the Student Ombudsman will take place at regular intervals to ensure quality representation and activities of the Student Ombudsman.
A concept paper for the STUDENT OMBUDSMAN ELECTION CAMPAIGN can be downloaded here.
A presentation on the Student Ombudsman Campaign can be downloaded here.
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The “Intercultural Academy for Citizenship and Tolerance” was also implemented within the framework of the project – “Intercultural Academy for Civic Participation and Tolerance” is funded by the U.S. State Department through the U.S. Embassy in Bulgaria.