For three years now, foreign and Belgian students with bachelor degrees under their belts or Erasmus students who have surfed to GROUP T's website in search of a postgraduate program or a European experience could discover the innovative content of the ‘International Educating Classes’ (IEC).
And now, during the second semester of the IEC, students of 13 nationalities altogether already appear to have found their way to Leuven Education College and have not only been introduced to our interpretation of the syllabus but also to each other. They are from across Europe, from the Caribbean, from Africa, from the Middle East and from Asia. There are always a few (prospective) teachers amongst the postgraduate students and, overall, the mission of NGOs and alter-globalization is never far off. The language of communication is English.
Five UNESCO domains
Sergio Scatolini, one of the 13 teachers and of Argentinian descent himself, informs us that as of next year, participants to the Comenius project will also be able to follow the revamped program in the second semester: “The new structure is made up of three two-week periods, namely, 'sustainable development', 'human rights' and 'diversity', each grafted onto one of the five UNESCO domains. For the first week of every module, students with a Comenius scholarship can join the students who complete the entire semester or the entire year and receive a Comenius certificate upon completion.
Four pillars of Education
What's new is that as of this year, the International Educating Classes (IEC) offer two one-semester programs: ‘Exploring Education’ in spring followed by ‘Enterprising Education’ in fall.
The first semester is based on the ‘UNESCO’s Four Pillars of Education’, namely, learning to know, learning to do, learning to live together and learning to be. The content is rather contemplative and exploratory, but with the focus on ‘good practices’. The second semester is structured based on UNESCO's five themes or domains: education, natural sciences, social and life sciences, culture and communication and information. Both semesters are conceived to equip students with the required knowledge and skills to set up and implement innovative educational projects with a view to social development and world citizenship.
Because after that one year some IEC graduates may wish to further their qualifications at university, an academic dimension with a view to developing cognitive and meta-cognitive skills will also be included. As of this year, there will be more focus on theoretical fundamental training, specific to each module, without losing the accent on practice, and in particular good practices. To that end, a new extension module on ‘World Cultures and Regional Issues' was introduced this year. There will also be more emphasis on the development of ‘English for Academic Purposes’, thereby keeping the door to European higher education open.
30 or 60 credits
Visits are scheduled to the UNESCO headquarters in Paris and to the International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP) and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) during both semesters. “We get inspiration and assistance from these organizations. There is an exchange between the organizations whereby two of their co-workers in Paris come to Leuven for a few days to become part of our team of teachers,” Sergio states.
The 'Spring Semester' largely explores the future of 'Education for all' and the 'Fall Semester' in turn focuses on planning and executing projects. Apprenticeships are planned for each semester, the apprenticeship in the final semester lasting five to six weeks. Students can earn 30 credits per semester and each participant can choose between the one-semester and the one-year program, although it is easier for students who are required to have a visa to follow the one-year program and therefore earn 60 credits.
At the moment there are 29 students enrolled in the program and the number of candidates is expected to rise. “The students in the relatively small groups we have had so far, between 20 and 30 students per semester, have made their farewells with tears in their eyes because their commitments to the program and to each other have been very strong. Human bonding, so to speak,” Sergio concludes.
John Caluwaerts