Alexander Vashchenko
- Aleksandr Vashchenko is an activist, deputy director for scientific and methodological work at a private school in Almaty, and the author of the idea and one of the developers of a new school course, ‘Anthropology,’ which includes topics on human rights and social development. The course is compulsory for all students in the social sciences faculty from grades 8 to 11. The programme includes 16 sections, ranging from political, social, cultural and economic anthropology to the anthropology of technology, justice and the future. Students learn about the mechanisms of stereotypes and stigmatisation, learn to analyse the influence of the media and the digital environment, and discuss topics such as human rights, gender equality, power and social inequality. Particular attention is paid to practical experience: for example, in a mock trial, students learn the concepts of argumentation, justice and the right to defence. The creation of the course was a step towards bringing back the conversation about freedom, dignity and critical thinking into education.
