Retreat 2021

Education retreat for the alumni of the Pestalozzi Programme of the Council of Europe

9 – 11 JULY 2021 IN GAMLITZ, STYRIA, AUSTRIA

Organised by Josef Huber, Liliyana Mbeve, Stefan Schustereder

Education, and in particular school education, has always had to face challenges originating in the evolving nature of our societies. We feel that over the past decades issues of equality, equity, diversity, identity, mobility and migration as well as democracy and human rights have left their strong marks on everyday school life. In 2020, the global pandemic and its consequences have offered a further set of challenges, as well as opportunities, for education professionals and practitioners all over the world. We have all identified, recognized and experienced old and new issues in teaching and learning in all educational environments. 

We, as hosts of the retreat 2021, feel that now is the time we all could benefit from a moment in time and a space to reflect about whether we are doing the right thing and whether we are doing it right. The retreat wants to look at what the future may bring, what the main challenges of the coming years may be and how they will determine the agenda in education. Furthermore we need to assess what the legitimate expectations on education may be and which expectations go beyond the scope of school education. Last but not least we also want to explore how we can all meet these challenges.

We propose to look at present practice and analyse the underlying thinking. We propose to identify – and overcome – misunderstandings and/or misinterpretations and describe what we need to focus on in our future educational practice. All this in particular with regard to a responsible understanding of, attitudes towards and actions concerning the following pillars: Personal reflection/ critical thinking, Communication, Action, Living together and identity, Mode of reproduction and the environment and Pedagogy.

The event is open to the alumni of the Pestalozzi Programme of the Council of Europe, organised in the online Community of Practice on the platform NING. It is in principle a self-financed event unless we can find some funding in time.

The retreat takes place in a wonderful region of south-east Austria, the Styrian Toskana as it is called, in Gamlitz surrounded by vineyards and is the perfect place for combining a holiday and shared exploration of important issues and a look into the future.

Josef Huber

Liliyana Mbeve

Stefan Schustereder

First education retreat for the alumni of the Pestalozzi Programme of the Council of Europe will take place 9-11 July in Gamlitz, Austria.

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