Bulgarian teacher turns strike into

A Bulgarian teacher is using the country's teachers' strike which started early October (2007) as a case highlighting citizens' rights in so-called "Street Law" discussions with her 10th form pupils.

"Our strike is clearly connected to the future of education in Bulgaria," says Mariana Ivanova (bottom right in the picture) of Emilian Stanev high school in Sofia.

"We want our children to be able to make their lives in Bulgaria. We, their teachers, are fighting for their right to receive a decent education in their home country. We're teaching them how to fight for their rights!" says Mariana, who also acts as co-ordinator of the "School Plus" network in Bulgaria (www.schoolplusnet.org).

"Street Law" is one of the courses in the School Plus programme in Eastern Europe / Balkans. It is a practical, participatory education about law, democracy and human rights, which began more than 20 years ago at Georgetown University Law Center (Washington, DC) when law students developed a practical law course that was taught in local Public Schools. Street Law has brought its educational message of law, democracy, and human rights to nearly two dozen countries around the world.

Street Law develops innovative educational programs aimed at empowering people through the study of law related-education. Law-related education is a unique blend of substance and strategy: students learn substantive information about laws, the legal system, and their rights and responsibilities through cooperative strategies that promote cooperative learning, critical thinking, and positive interaction between individuals and the community.