Symposium for Post-Primary School Management Iveagh House

News

The WorldWise Global Schools (WWGS) programme team hosted the third Global Citizenship Education Symposium for Post-Primary School Management in Iveagh House on 14 November 2019. The purpose of the event was to help school managers to gain a better understanding of Global Citizenship Education (GCE), to explore how GCE can align with school culture and ethos and to reflect on how GCE can help foster the vision and ethos of each individual school.   WWGS work with schools across Ireland, supporting teachers and school management to integrate Global Citizenship Education (GCE) into all aspects of teaching and learning at post-primary level.

(Credit:Conor Healy PICTUREiT)

"Global Citizenship Education aims to empower learners to engage and assume active roles, both locally and globally, to face and resolve global challenges and ultimately to become proactive contributors to a more just, peaceful, tolerant, inclusive, secure and sustainable world (Unesco 2014)".

WWGS is fully funded by Irish Aid at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Their GCE programme provides an opportunity for young people to reflect on their roles and responsibilities as global citizens and encourages them to take action for a fairer and more sustainable future for all.

Minister Ciarán Cannon addresses the symposium (Credit:Conor Healy PICTUREiT)

Ciarán Cannon T.D., Minister of State for the Diaspora and International Development opened the symposium. He expressed his support for the event and for the WWGS programme as he said: 

"I am a firm believer in the transformative power of education. I believe equally in the transformative power of Global Citizenship Education. What better place for young people to hear the message of social justice and inclusion than in the nurturing and trusted environment of their schools."  

WWGS Director, Aishling McGrath outlined to school principals and deputy principals how GCE can help to fulfil existing wellbeing requirements, under the new Junior Cycle Framework noting that it is strongly aligned with six of the Junior Cycle Statements of Learning. She also reminded them about the comprehensive range of supports and interventions that WWGS offers to schools including grant funding, CPD training, events, resources and personalised support.

In keeping with GCE methodologies, the event was fast-paced and interactive and one of the highlights was the Global Café of Ideas. School managers each hosted a table at which they demonstrated how schools could best achieve each of the six stamps of the EU recognized Global Passport Award. The school managers who led this session were Sally Ronayne of Pobalscoil na Tríonóide, Youghal, Anne McGrath from Loreto Secondary School, Clonmel, Pól Ó Síodhcháin from Millstreet Community School, Colm O'Connor from Cork Educate Together Secondary School, Sallie Ennis from Stepaside Educate Together SS, Kathy Jones from Bremore Educate Together SS, Balbriggan and Kevin Murphy from St Louis Secondary School, Kilkeel.

Minister Ciarán Cannon T.D. with CSDEU and WWGS Directors and staff (Credit: Conor Healy PICTUREiT)

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