Challenges in education
The proceedings of a recent conference for heads and teachers in Church, state and independent schools have just been published by the Secretariat for Catholic Education of the Archdiocese of Malta, under the title of Catholic Education - European and...
The proceedings of a recent conference for heads and teachers in Church, state and independent schools have just been published by the Secretariat for Catholic Education of the Archdiocese of Malta, under the title of Catholic Education - European and Maltese Perspectives, Church Schools' Response to Future Challenges.
The week-long conference was held at the New Dolmen Hotel in the summer of two years ago. Bro. Saviour Gatt, one of the authors of the publication, said the conference took a look at six major topics that seem to raise a number of pertinent questions "which everyone in education ought to be addressing in view not only of our membership in the EU but also because the new National Minimum Curriculum is pointing the way for the future by specific principles and clear objectives".
The themes tackled by the conference were:
¤ The historical and geo-political context that sheds light on and influences Malta's and other European education systems.
¤ The family and the way parents influence the education of their offspring.
¤ Youth culture, the phenomenon of being young in the context of the contemporary European continent and the way it is changing and affecting the school curriculum.
¤ The information and communications technology revolution and its effects on teaching and learning.
¤ The teacher and the implications resulting from the preceding four themes.
The publication should provide food for thought for those responsible for education policy in planning ahead to meet the challenges that impinge on the style and effectiveness of educational endeavours.
The book is of particular interest to educational theorists and strategists, those who are responsible for education innovation and development, heads of school at all levels, teachers and for forward-looking parents who consider the education of their children as paramount.
The other authors are Prof. Bro. Herman Lombaerts, Dr Elzbieta Osewska and Fr Alan Scerri.
The book will be on sale from leading bookshops next month at Lm7.50.