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Crystals of schoolchildren's well-being : cross-border training material for promoting psychosocial well-being through school education
- 2008
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Samlingsverk (redaktörskap) (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Crystals of Schoolchildren's Well-Being is an investigative experiment carried out in four countries, involving a topic that is very much of this time, and very global. Children's behaviour at home, at school and in the immediate community says a great deal about the environment, sphere of life and world the children are living in. Despite economic, social, cultural and ethnic differences between countries, the ability of children to cope in the societies of the future is crystallised into a question about the present quality of life, the psychosocial well-being the natural and developed living environment should be able to provide. Health and well-being are supported in a safe and caring school environment free of bullying. At their best, the schools, parents and nearby communities offer a growth environment in which the children's psychosocial health and well-being are the focus of at¬tention. Teachers and educators are more and more conscious of the ways in which they can foster a child's health and development by applying teaching methods related to social interaction and health promotion as well as by utilising the opportunities provided by art and culture in teaching. This book examines the theme by offering both carefully reflected knowledge and practical examples of applications with which psychosocial well-being is being produced in schoolwork. The book is meant for teachers, planners and decision makers who are interested in developing growth environments that support psychosocial well-being as well as cross-cultural co-operation.
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Voices from the margins : school experiences of refugee, migrant and indigenous children
- 2008
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Samlingsverk (redaktörskap) (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Equitable access to education is fundamental to any concept of social justice offering as it does the means of escape from social and economic marginalisation. Despite this, in too many countries around the world groups of children are systematically denied access to education which will equip them for meaningful participation in the society in which they live. Their needs are ignored and their voices are silenced. They are locked into the position of ‘marginalised other', the perpetual stranger in society. This collection of studies by an international group of researchers provides a place for migrant, refugee and indigenous children to talk about their school experiences. Refugee children from the Sudan, Afghanistan and Somalia, indigenous children from Sweden, Australia, New Zealand and Vietnam, migrant children in Canada, Iceland and Hong Kong, urban and rural children from Zanzibar all speak out through drawings, small group and individual discussion. For some children their school experiences are positive ones in which systems and teachers work together to meet their needs. For others their experiences are of racism, isolation, inadequately equipped and poorly funded schools, unsympathetic teachers and education systems designed to cater for majority groups. Despite these differences all the children remain enthusiastic about school. They are, in the words of a boy from Afghanistan, ‘thirsty to learn'. The children and the researchers all argue for education as a means to redress, rather than perpetuate, disadvantage. A vital first step in this process is to hear what is being said by those most affected by current practices. The narratives in this text offer a chance to do just that.
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