Anastasija:
At the beginning of October, our class teacher told us that our class would be included in the Youth Ethnic Integration Project. She explained to us that we would hold some of the classes together with our first-year peers who study in Albanian language of instruction. I must admit that at the beginning this idea sounded very strange and unusual to me given the language barrier between us students.
At our first joint class, we were all kind of timid, tense, with mixed feelings, as if we were ashamed to say a word. Teachers Besa and Ubavka skillfully steadied our nerves with their spontaneous and relaxed demeanor. They set an example for us on how we should respect and treat each other.
The classes went by and every time it was a new challenge for all of us. Slowly we started to get to know each other, we became more relaxed in the discussions and began defending our arguments and views. This activity helped us to develop our critical attitudes towards certain topics that we had covered in our classes such as: caring for our own health and diet, caring for the environment, stereotypes, traditions, and getting to know each other, albeit virtually . . .
Such classes are a good idea to develop the multicultural spirit of us students, but I think that they should be organized as an additional or extracurricular activity and not as part of the regular classes. I think that students should be given the opportunity to engage in such activities on their own, so that they do not feel that something is imposed on them and there is no other way.
Attending these classes is a new and enjoyable experience for me that has made me new friends.
Alma:
It was a pleasure to participate in these activities. I enjoyed every class and each of them sent a powerful message to all of us. We discussed topics that are important to us as young people.
I would not change this and would like to continue with these classes on a weekly basis. The teachers were very nice and understood and appreciated everything we did and discussed. As a student, I think joint classes are a great idea because, in addition to debating together, we also became friends with our peers from a different language of instruction, which was really fun.
They were all kind and polite. I enjoyed them in every possible way!
Dusko:
When we were in the third year of secondary school, our teacher told us during our first practical lesson that she had chosen our class to participate in a project, i. e. , holding multiethnic classes. The entire class was happy to accept, listening to the teacher who told us about her experience with previous generations. Having successfully completed the first class, we were looking forward to the next one because we met students from other nationalities. We worked, communicated and even hung out after classes, working out plans that we planned to realize together, but unfortunately the situation with the virus stopped us in our tracks and that was how we finished the 2019/2020 school year.
When we started the 2020/2021 school year, our German teacher asked us on the first day whether our class would like to again be part of the project for multiethnic classes, which, like the regular classes, would be held online. We were surprised at first, but we accepted with great desire and motivation, although we were aware that the classes online would be held online. The first class in which we met the teacher and the students from the other class was wonderful. Because these classes were held virtually, the socializing itself was virtual, but my personal and honest belief is that our classes went by in perfect order. Together with our new friends, we put in a lot of effort on the tasks and debated on various issues and topics. I found these classes to be the perfect pastime, but we also learned a lot and together we found answers to many questions and dilemmas on which I had ruminated on my own. So slowly but surely, we as secondary school graduates have completed this school year.
I hope that this project will be kept for a very long time, as it is a huge experience that I would recommend to future generations because we cannot do anything on our own, but together we can do a lot. One can achieve great things by excluding discrimination and embracing a sense of unity and cooperation.