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Our founding Director Jon Molver was at the NASCEE conference on Wednesday, moderating a panel discussion with Western Cape Education Department officials Haroon Mohammed and Jacqui/ Jacqueline Boulle on “What makes for effective partnerships with government”. Both shared stories of successful partnerships, highlighting that above all, shared objectives are fundamental to the success of partnerships. Both also helpfully outlined what it is that both parties can bring to effective partnerships.  Government needs civil society to contribute: - A deep understanding of the local context - Extensive networks - NPO’s resources and expertise In return, government offers the following: - Access - A substantial platform for growth and scale - Advocacy Finally, our government representatives gave us 3 things civil society should start doing, 2 things we should stop doing, and 1 thing we should keep doing. In their views, NPO’s should: Start - Viewing government as a partner - Talking, and working together collaboratively with other NPO’s - Developing better M&E Stop  - Being territorial and competitive  - Viewing government as a source of funding Keep on - Telling the human story It was so refreshing to attend and assist at a civil society networking event that had gone to the trouble of inviting government to join. Kudos to NASCEE for leading the way on this, and to Western Cape Education Department for being ready, willing and available to give insightful, honest and helpful feedback to the sector. More collaborative, honest and open sessions like this across sectors will most definitely contribute to us #WorkingBetterTogether, and to a stronger, equitable education system. 

CLD in Scotland Conference 17 April 2024 I have had time to reflect on the CLD in Scotland Conference which was a great success. The key points for me from the conference, in no particular order are: - The role of the CLD family in unlocking the potential for individuals and communities - The importance of professional qualifications/qualified practitioners to support learners, communities and volunteers - Learning is an integral part of Community Development - That collaboration and cohesion across the CLD family is essential to maximise the impact of the Sector for learners and communities - CLD leaders require to articulate the Sector is contributing, and will contribute in the future, to creating the Scotland we want. - The SCQF provides a nationally recognised means of linking CLD to other actors in the Lifelong Learning system to the benefit of individuals and communities - The importance of evidence to demonstrate the positive impact of CLD activities is vital and requires to be developed systemically - Social justice is central to all CLD practice - We need to define but not confine the role of the CLD family. - There requires to be greater recognition of the key role played by the CLD Sector in addressing socio-economic inequality These are my views and not those the CLDSC or CLDMS and sure all colleagues who attended on the day left with their own key points. The sign of a successful conference I think!

No one knows what skills will be required in the future. But you can bet that creative problem-solving and communication skills will be foundational. And most importantly, being a lifelong learner. That's why I'm excited to have participated at the EUDEC - European Democratic Education Community annual conference. EUDEC strives to popularise democratic education in Europe. Democratic schools are run by the students & staff and they have no top-down curriculum. Students of such schools can decide for themselves how to spend their days. This model has been working for decades and it's significance will only get more relevant in today's changing economy. Why? Because empowering students with freedom & responsibility, fueled by their natural curiosity, is a sure way to have a new generation of problem-solving lifelong learners with excellent communication skills. You can learn more by following EUDEC - European Democratic Education Community or enquiring about these schools in the Benelux such as: - De Vrije Ruimte (The Hague) - Democratische School Vivere (Rotterdam) - De Ruimte (Soest) - Sudbury School (Amersfoort) - Democratisch Voortgezet Onderwijs de Vallei (Driel) - De Tijd en Ruimte ('s Hertogenbosch) - DOE040 (Eindhoven) - Sudbury School (Gent) - QUEST (Brussels)

An expert in his own field!

The Erasmus+ 2024 Guidelines have been published! A short snapshot on Small-scale Partnerships: This action aims to widen access to the programme for small-scale actors and individuals who are hard to reach in the fields of school education, adult education, vocational education and training, youth and sport. With lower grant amounts awarded to organisations, shorter duration and simpler administrative requirements compared to the Cooperation Partnerships, this action aims at reaching out to grassroots organisations, newcomers to the Programme and less experienced organisations, reducing entry barriers to the Programme for organisations with smaller organisational capacity.

Agency representatives presented the Voices into Action (VIA) and Building Resilience through Inclusive Education Systems (BRIES) activities at the 2023 European Conference on Educational Research (ECER) in Glasgow, United Kingdom (Scotland). The 2023 ECER theme was ‘The Value of Diversity in Education and Educational Research in the 21st Century’. There were keynote presentations from experts in inclusion and research, and presentations of papers on a range of topics related to educational research and inclusive education. The VIA activity focuses on including the voices of learners and families and their participation in educational decision-making, while BRIES used the COVID-19 pandemic as a starting point to explore inclusive education systems’ ability to respond to crises. For more information about the conference, read the news item on the Agency website https://lnkd.in/dK3sF8vF. #EASNIE #InclusiveEducation #Education #EuropeanUnion #EuropeanCommission #ErasmusPlus European Agency for Special Needs and Inclusive Education

As we prepare to go to Queen Margaret University on 2nd May for our 'Equity in Education & Society' conference (SCOTLAND), yesterday someone asked what makes our different. Here are some reasons: 1.   It’s the only conference completely dedicated to Equity, Diversity & Inclusion in sectors, and organisational types 2.   It doesn’t have a set theme because in/equity has many sides and faces and we want presentations given by delegates to reflect this. 3.   Furthermore, our conferences are open to: (a) Anyone: self-employed, consultants, employed by an organisation, research students, teachers, leaders, HR managers, EDI leads, simply anyone interested in or working to advance equity in organisations (b) Any industry: e.g.: religious organisations, the police, insurance companies, charity sector, education, housing associations, local authorities, private organisations, small organisations, large organisations (c) Any EDI topic: e.g.: disability, neurodiversity, religion, ethnicity, gender, language, citizenship status, gender identity, sexual orientation, structural inequality, inclusive curriculum, health inequality, income inequality, access & participation (d) It’s affordable: It will be priced to accommodate all types of budgets. (e) It's a community: Our conference is a community of people trying to make a difference. (f) Supporting practice: It is not an academic conference where the emphasis is on theory building. Rather, it is a conference where practice is discussed, evaluated and explored; and where theories are used to support practice. Those are some of the reasons why our conference is different. 🙂 We look forward to seeing you in Scotland. Virginia Toyi Dr Nighet Nasim Riaz, AFHEA, FRSA Uzma Khan Dr Khadija Mohammed Vikki Hill Dr Kat Lord Watson Mhairi A Taylor Professor Catherine Harper PhD. Paul Grice Scottish Union for Education Scottish Colleges for Educational Leadership Prof. Ian Rivers FRSE 🏳️🌈🇪🇺 SQA – Scottish Qualifications Authority

“How has attending EELC impacted the way you plan to teach children and work with families and colleagues in the future?” Previous EELC attendee, Dannae, shares her insights on the EELC experience. ✨ Step beyond the ordinary and dive into the extraordinary. Join us at the Capital Hilton in Washington, DC to see why the EELC is not your average conference. Instead, it’s a chance to transform the way you approach your work and get in touch with experts who will inspire you to be extraordinary, too. Learn more about EELC’s sessions, events, and more here: https://ow.ly/AgTu50Seybm . . . #EELC2024 #transformativelearning #educationconference #conference #earlychildhoodeducation #washingtondc #register #professionaldevelopment #teachinginsights #familyengagement #colleaguesupport #beextraordinary #conferenceexperience #inspiration #educatorstories #joinus #learnandgrow #educationevents #networkingopportunities #expertinsights #transformyourwork #discovermore #educationleaders #network #learnmore #connect #cda #mycda #ece

🎓🌐Events for World Teacher’s Day 2023 There is no doubt that teachers play a decisive role in social and individual histories. Their work can have a transformative and lasting impact on the lives of others, as well as a direct contribution in shaping sustainable futures. But today the world faces an unprecedented teacher shortage, which is not getting better as working conditions and social status are both in constant decline. With this in mind, this year’s theme for the commemoration of World Teacher’s Day is “The teachers we need for the education we want”. You can find more information of the events here: https://lnkd.in/gxJ--xMF ---- 🌐UNESCO celebrates teachers from across the world with 2 days of special events both online and on-site. This year’s theme will focus on the imperative to reverse teacher shortage. You can participate in the main events which will be held in Paris, on October 5 & 6. Follow this link for more information: https://lnkd.in/eeXBVEb5 --- 📖Following the celebrations of World Teacher’s Day, on October 6, UNESCO is hosting two online sessions dedicated to address the challenges faced by teachers in emergency contexts. In these spaces, creative methods, alternative approaches and inspiring stories will also be shared. You can register here: https://lnkd.in/eEKYsfwj --- 🇬🇧The British Council is celebrating World Teacher’s Day during a whole week! During five days, free online webinars and conferences will be offered to inspire new and experienced teachers, and to highlight the best practices to take into the classroom. Find out more about these events, and register here: https://lnkd.in/etQ8FTfx --- 👩🏻🏫Are you a teacher always looking for inspiration? This World Teacher’s Day you can celebrate by learning! Join the free online webinars that the British Council has prepared for teachers and educators from all around the world. You can choose from a wide range of topics and be inspired by expert educators and researchers that will share their expertise and experience in different stages of learning. Find out more and register in this link: https://lnkd.in/etQ8FTfx ---

🌐🎓 European Schoolnet's commitment to finding innovative, inclusive, and responsible education solutions shines through in our Annual Report 2022. Learn how we collaborated with European Ministries of Education to transform education across Europe. #InclusiveEducation #AnnualReport2022 🔗https://lnkd.in/ey77t3Pz