What to Learn NOW: How to Make Schools more caring, inclusive places
Dr Gerry Jeffers, lecturer in the education department in NUI Maynooth responds to our question: what should we be learning now to create the future we want?
- What should our education system be focused on now? Reforming schools to be more inclusive, caring, participative and enabling arenas.
- What should our schools be teaching? Schools teach through subjects (what) and also by particular kinds of learning experiences (how) but perhaps most of all by the kinds of places they are. We need to look more critically at the kinds of places school are for all learners and teachers.
- What new subjects should be available? Changing subject titles may distract from more fundamental reform but it would be good to see Politics and Society being introduced at Leaving Cert level.
- What should future teachers be learning to be able to meet the needs of children born today? Respect for children's rights, beliefs in the human capacity for growth and development, skills to enable young people's learning, an ability to work collegially, capacity for critical reflective practice,
- What can universities do now to equip their students with the knowledge, skills and attitudes to survive and thrive? Believe in the value of holistic education and resist the strong pressures to respond to short-term, pragmatic, narrow employment related goals.
- How should we educate future political, business, spiritual leaders? Focus on respect for human rights, valuing all people's capacity for growth and development, appreciating the difference between an economy and a society (local and global), developing an ability to critique current realities seeing strengths and weaknesses, learn how to work as part of a team.
Fees for members of IDEA is €50.00 and non-members of IDEA is €100.00. Fee for unwaged (refugees, asylum seekers, students, others) is €3.00
IDEA is looking for a video production company/ animator for an upcoming video project. We have funding available to create a short animated educational video resource for members as part of The Code of Good Practice. The video will help viewers understand what quality GCE is and why it matters in the world today. The intended audience for the video are people who are connected to the Code of Good Practice and GCE in their work but not yet very familiar with it e.g. non-GCE staff in member organisations, board members of member organisations, teachers, youth workers, European partners, new members to the Code and new staff to IDEA member organisations. Please submit your CV and a short letter of interest outlining a proposal for the video (including the number of days you envisage and the fee) to code@ideaonline.ie. The deadline for application is Wednesday, 30 July 05pm. Click here for the full terms of reference.
In June, a delegation from our Erasmus+ partner organisation LAPAS (Latvian Platform for Development Cooperation) visited Dublin for a two-day learning and exchange visit hosted by IDEA. The visit was part of an ongoing collaboration with LAPAS to strengthen quality global citizenship education (GCE) in Ireland and Latvia, using the IDEA Code of Good Practice as a framework. You can find out more about the Erasmus+ project here.
