Educate Together's Ethical Education Conference 2015 is now SOLD OUT! Please contact info@educatetogether.ie with any further queries or luke.oshaughnessy@educatetogether.ie for press queries.
On Universal Children’s Day, Educate Together will open its first Ethical Education Conference, ‘Understanding Ethical Education in a Modern Irish Republic: Cherishing all children of the nation equally?’. This pioneering event, hosted by Ireland’s equality-based school patron, is an opportunity for educationalists to explore issues central to an inclusive ethical education in a modern republic.
Cherishing all Children Equally?
The keynote address by Diarmaid Ferriter, Professor of Modern Irish History at UCD, will set the conference in the context of the 1916 republican proclamation. Elaborating on the conference theme, Professor Ferriter said: "As we approach the centenary of the 1916 Rising, it is imperative that we have an honest, open and robust debate about the evolution of the Irish education system over the last 100 years and what should constitute an inclusive education system in the Irish Republic in the twenty first century."
Exploring Ethical Education
Since the 1970s, Educate Together schools have been at the forefront in developing an Ethical Education which ensures that ‘No Child is an Outsider’. Educate Together’s pioneering Ethical Education curricula at primary and post-primary level focus on the ethical, moral and social development of students in Educate Together schools. Through Ethical Education, Educate Together schools aim to develop learners’ knowledge, skills, attitudes and behaviours in equality and justice, human rights, and sustainability so that they develop personally and spiritually, think critically, and are empowered to make a difference in an increasingly globalized society.
A Publicly Responsive System
The main address on Saturday will be given by Professor Sharon Todd, Head of Education at Maynooth University. Professor Todd will explore the pressing need for a publicly responsive education system, supported by the State in both access and funding. Professor Todd will argue that public education should embody a commitment to developing and sustaining ethical relationships between diverse groups within society.
Discussion and Debate
Over the course of the two-day event, a range of educationalists will present the latest insights into how Ethical Education can be advanced in schools. The conference will facilitate teachers to critically reflect on their understanding of ethical education, on their current practices and how they can be supplemented and enhanced.
The conference runs from Friday November 20th to Saturday 21st. Book here.
