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Supporting the local community
We believe that it is a fundamental human right for everyone, regardless of their backgrounds, to have fair and equal access to education. Some people do, however, grow up in environments that do not fully appreciate or give priority to education. We wish to make a positive difference by supporting the start-up of school projects.
The object of the school project is to encourage the pupils to understand the importance of school and education and to motivate them to focus on the many job opportunities and the choice that may become available through further education.
We have decided to enter into long-term collaborations with selected lower-secondary school classes at two schools at Nørrebro in Copenhagen, Nørrebro Park Skole and Blågård Skole, where many pupils face both linguistic and social challenges. The collaboration also includes persons who have typically broken the established models for children of immigrant parents and who act as role models for the pupils by sharing their personal stories about breaking a negative social legacy.
Today, the projects at the two schools take a very structured form and a Plesner lawyer is project coordinator at each school. In close collaboration with the schools we have, since 2011, followed selected pupils from the 7th grade until they leave after their 9th grade exams. The role models meet with the pupils once a month for events, alternating between discussions in the classrooms and visits to selected companies where the pupils get first-hand impressions of the many educational and job opportunities.
We are convinced that the school project makes a positive difference by opening the pupils’ eyes to the many educational and job opportunities and by helping them decide which direction they wish to take.
The past year
In June 2016, we completed our second school project at Nørrebro Park Skole when 40 pupils from two 9th grades passed their final exams. The pupils’ grades have risen steadily during the period of the project and most of the pupils obtained very satisfactory examination results. Furthermore, the form teacher has reported that the pupils involved in the project have shown much greater interest in life and careers after school.
Dialogue and discussions with persons who have broken the established models
Around 40 present and former pupils from Nørrebro Park Skole participated when Plesner, in November 2015, invited all participants in the school project to a whole day of presentations, discussions and guided tours of the firm. It was a successful event with many dedicated pupils who were eager to ask the various speakers ques- tions. The pupils listened to Naser Khader who is a member of the Danish Parliament, an officer of the Danish Security and Intelligence Service (PET), the journalist Nagieb Khaja and Kabeer Takiar of
the Copenhagen Police. The day provided an opportunity to train debating culture with the pupils and to teach them how to speak and listen respectfully to each other in spite of differences of opinion.
Shaina Jabbar, a Plesner Partner and Attorney, who is responsible for the school project and herself a former a pupil at Nørrebro Park Skole, was very happy with the event that might be repeated as an annual tradition.
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