Our child-centred approach means that we put students at the heart of all policies and practices and involve them in decision-making where appropriate.
Educate Together has always put the interests of children at the heart of the educational process. This means that the needs of students are considered first in all decisions made by our Boards of Management. Educate Together’s child-centred approach has a number of practical implications for school life:
Students don’t wear uniforms. Educate Together school communities opt for agreed dress codes instead of uniforms. The dress code is developed by parents, teachers and students together, promoting safety and equality at school. This child-centred approach empowers the individuality of the students while respecting their identities.
Respect is at the core of pupil teacher relationships. Teachers make a special effort to teach children to question the world around them and to express their own opinions. Students, staff and parents are addressed by their first names.
In our second-level schools, students work and learn together in mixed-ability classes for the majority of subjects and teachers use active teaching approaches to enhance student engagement. Students were also consulted in the design of the second-level Ethical Education curriculum.
“I love being called by my first name. My name is Mary, not Ms W….. I’m only ever Ms W…. in official correspondence. Anyone who knows me, calls me Mary and I’m with the pupils in my class day in, day out so they know me well and why shouldn’t they call me ‘Mary?’’
Educate Together primary school teacher
Brilliant work from @6thclassgetns! 👏 https://t.co/j1TnKTJB4V
— Educate Together (@EducateTogether) September 7, 2018
