ESF Professional Development Event
Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, 25 – 29 September, 2006
Small group discussion - “Strengthening the ESJ Network”
Facilitators: Liana and Aija
Participants: Eva K. Scqhipe, Jelena (from Serbia), Nancy
On September 28, 2006 a small group met for a 1,5 hour session to discuss the goals of the
ESJ network and the need to develop position statement for the ESJ initiative. It is important
to mention that the group represented the ESJ Adult segment and the meeting itself also was
built around ESJ Adult as a main topic. However it was strongly expressed that the ESJ
Program should be viewed as an umbrella comprising the ESJ Classroom and Second
Language Learning, not only the ESJ Adult initiative. Participants also agreed that teachers
and school administrators are not the only target audiences for ESJ trainings – the program
also targets health care providers, social workers, policemen, policy makers etc.
The small group began by addressing the question “Is ESJ different/could it be separated
from the SbS program?” The question was prompted by the confusion about some trainers
having double role – being both SbS trainers and ESJ trainers. Participants agreed that ISSA
network members are becoming aware that in order to fulfill ISSA’s mission, there needs to
be deeper understanding of how oppression manifests itself in educational systems denying
different groups the right to a quality education and for a commitment on everyone’s part to
work to change this in the future. Participants in this small group also agreed that Education
for Social Justice is a concept that transcends program and country borders, being a
foundation of all of ISSA’s work. Education for Social Justice is therefore one of ISSA’s most
important program initiatives, driven by the strong belief that all children should have equal
access to quality education. ISSA staff participating in this meeting stressed that in 2006
ISSA further emphasized the importance of the work in Education for Social Justice, trying to
link it strategically with ISSA’s work in assuring quality pedagogical practices, inclusion of
children with special needs, and working in non-formal education in communities.
As part of a SWOT analysis exercise the following strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and
threats were identified by participants:
Strengths:
● ESJ has been implemented in many countries, there is a lot of experience
● Inclusive approach
● Combination of different, powerful resources
● Makes explicit connection with “big goals” – EFA initiative, inclusive education
● Partnerships (e. g. DECET)
● Practical applications; use what’s right for the country or region
● Communication, ongoing opportunities to meet and to receive training
● Opportunity to share, different events
● Background support, experiences
● Able to use the good reputation of ISSA as an international association;
● Social benefit for everyone
● Human capacity on different levels, different specialists working together
● Strengthening social dimension and inclusion
● Tool to support ISSA’s mission
● Program that can be applied to different target groups
● Tested “ on the ground” and revised after that – open for revision again
● Addresses issues related to the quality and equal access to education
● Sharing of knowledge and experiences; common meetings and events
● Chances to update materials based on feed-back
● Empowers individuals within and outside the schools
● Reaches out beyond schools, different target groups
● Ministries have shown interest to accredit this program
● Developed modules, trained trainers, experience of implementation in the field
● Individuals have built strong networks; many professional links and friendships
● Committed individuals
● Strong theoretical understanding along with practical application
Weaknesses:
● How to support the energy and enthusiasm of trainers after the first training?
● How to measure impact?
● Lack of common understanding on what is ESJ
● Understand better who can benefit from ESJ: stakeholders and target audiences
● Need for stronger connections with other ISSA initiatives
● Need for additional funding
● There is a danger to see the program only from the political point of view
● At the same time there is need for more political support
● Outcomes are difficult to achieve and hard to measure
● Need for more minority involvement/control
● Differences between local contexts
● Need to be able to present the program differently to different target groups
● Need to use existing methods from other parts of programs and initiatives
● Need to develop stronger umbrella to encompass ESJ Adult, Classroom and SLL
● Need to have accreditation from ministries of education in all included countries
● More information about ESJ to the public (language issue, need for translations)
● Trainers - not confident or skilled enough to work with audiences outside schools
● Sustainability of: trainers, program, implementation
●
●
Need to have evaluation and research tools
Need to be more aware of what research has already been done and how to use it
Threats:
● Global instability
● Individual and group ignorance
● Political interests
Opportunities:
Professional development: training and mentoring
Present successes and results at conferences
Long-term approach
Position paper/statement:
Discussions on this topic began by exploring how the ESJ position paper/statement may be
useful for communication and achieving common understanding both within and outside
network. Participants discussed what should be included, how it should look, who would be
interested to participate in developing?
Below are some of the main ideas expressed by participants:
 It has to be a short, powerful statement, possibly only one paragraph
 Key words could be: social benefit, long term approach, taking into account human
dispositions, it is a process, long term vision, need for commitment to re-create it
generation after generation, to inspire and urge people to think about what/how they
feel
The group volunteered to work together on email to draft a position statement. ISSA staff
offered to take the lead on this and get in touch with the group in the near future.
Communication and network:
Discussion on communication and networking was especially lively and it clearly showed the
existing gap between the wish to receive information and lack of time (and sometimes also
motivation) to provide information. Some participants expressed the idea that not much is
happening beyond the annual meeting. Ideally a real network could be developed.
There were different ideas about developing and using a web site, starting from sharing
information within the network and developing a monthly newsletter for the public.
Purpose:
● to provide information and tips/a tool kit for trainers
● to publish experience from different countries about the implementation, practical tips
and suggestions, web links where to look for materials or other resources;
● to post good modifications of activities, good handouts
Suggestion - Materials in different languages could be posted on the site – some languages
are used in several countries, if something seems interesting and useful, countries can look
for help to translate within the country itself.
Suggestions for future activities:
● To develop tips for trainers how to prepare themselves for work with different
audiences
● To pay more attention to how program is being seen from the point of view of
politicians
● To develop tools for assessment
● To form multidisciplinary teams: ESJ trainer + specialist for reaching audiences outside
the school;
● To create a database on specialists available
● To establish links with the national curriculum – maybe through social studies
● To send in reports about main activities, including statistical information – there may
be other useful information, especially in the project development stage. Reports may
be used by ISSA to report to donors, applying for new grants and to inform strategy
development and implementation. Numbers will be very useful: number of trainings
conducted, number of teachers trained, different target audiences reached etc.
Suggestion: to develop a questionnaire to identify what type of information to request in
the reports.
● To post on the web some sample agendas for different program events, along with the
staff agenda and important reminders
● To develop internet journal, short, bi-monthly, newsletter of ESJ with the links to other
parts of the website or other important sources
Application to the Third Millennium Foundation:
Liana, Aija and Dawn will work on the letter of inquiry to be sent by Oct 2, 2006. Some ideas
from the RE:FINE project proposal could be used.
Summary of Priorities:





Strengthen and consolidate the existing network and expand the ESJ initiative to new
countries
Ensuring common understanding about ESJ and how it could be used in a variety of
ways, including linking to other ISSA intiatives
To improve/ develop PR and communication outside the network
Improve communication inside the network
Strengthen existing partnerships, to look for new partners, experts and potential donors
NEXT STEPS:
 To develop a questionnaire for collecting information – develop format for reports
 To develop position statement
 To enhance communication within the ESJ network by sending out a newsflash (after
November) quarterly
 To develop an ESJ section on the ISSA site, and begin posting materials
 To strengthen links with other ISSA initiatives

To work on new partnerships and fundraising
STANDARD 7 / SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION
Facilitator: Dawn
Participants: Sanja Branjkovic, Iveta Nemeckova, Bozidar Nikolic, Kujtim Pacak, Sonja Rutar,
Esmina Skopljak, Dawn Tankersley, Atina Tasevska
This group reviewed the Standard 7 Task Force’s work on Standard 7 examples and ideas for
revising the ISSA Pedagogical Standards from the viewpoint of helping practitioners
understand the intent of Standard 7 on Social Inclusion.
Several points were made in this discussion including:
More work is needed with teachers:
 on development of their portfolios on how to document their work in Standard 7 as well
as the other Standards.

to help them put ESJ content into the different curricular areas that are specified under
the national curriculums. (It should be noted that the Ministry of Education of the Czech
Republic has now included multicultural competencies as a cross cutting theme in all of
their content areas for students in their new school reform. Iveta will try to get a copy of
this in English to share with everyone in their own work with MOEs.)

to deepen their understanding that Standard 7 is NOT a tourist or celebration of
holidays curriculum.
With certifiers:
 Even though we want to provide practioners with examples of how to meet Standard 7,
the point here is to improve quality and not as a check list for certification purposes.

The development of good questions to help certifiers ask teaches concerning Standard
7 are needed.
With systems:
 It was noted that in SbS classrooms where Roma assistants work with teachers, that it
is much easier to meet Standard 7. The question was proposed whether other adults in
the classrooms such as parent volunteers, pedagogues such as kindergarten
methodologists or specialists, etc. could also help teachers in meeting Standard 7 and
what needs to be added in the mentoring trainings so that they can have the same
success as the Roma Assistants?
Regarding revision of the ISSA Pedagogical Standards

The name “Social Inclusion” is problematic both for translation and understanding the
intent, and it should be changed. (However it is used in this memo until something
better can be found.)

Everyone was in agreement that strengthening the first 6 standards with specific
language for Social Inclusion is needed so that teachers understand how Standard 7 is
not an add-on, but is part of the other Standards.

However, everyone was also in agreement that a separate Standard on
Diversity/Social Inclusion is also needed.
Report submited by Dawn Tankersley
TRAINER STANDARDS/ SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION
Facilitator: Zorica
Participants: Melinda Petho, Julia Voros, Dimitar Bonevski, Biljana Maslovarić, Dušanka
Popović and Zorica Trikić
This group discussed about Trainer Standards trying to find answers to the following
questions:

Do we need TS

Purpose of TS

Content of TS/ Changes needed

Ways and means for developing TS
Ad 1. Do we need TS
The group decided that we need TS, but not only for ESJ Trainers, since

the values of ESJ should be core part of all ISSA trainings (and trainers
approaches)

ISSA trainers in general do not have certificates that they are trainers for
different programs, so TS should be integrated part of ISSA Quality Initiative/
Assurance and applicable on the level of the whole ISSA network
Why TS are especially important for ESJ initiative :
●
The topic in ESJ is very sensitive/touches personal, cultural, national, emotional
etc. levels)
●
After this kind of trainings(especially ESJ A)it is very difficult to measure
outcomes so it is important to ensure high quality of input (training and trainers)
Ad 2. Concerning purpose of TS group agreed that TS should be used:

as ISSA position statement on quality trainers practice

as quality protection(program, training, trainers)

since certified trainers and efficient TS can be added value on “educational
market”

as protection of specific programs(especially ESJ), like “ Only we can do it in a
right way”

as PR for programs

to promote professional development for trainers

for mentoring process and professional support

for levelling quality of training and trainers in the network

for internetwork professional support and exchange of trainers, defining which
trainers can work on the national and international level

as a self evaluation instrument
Ad 3. Content of TS/ Changes needed
The group liked the structure of TS drafted in 2003. They would like to keep structure which is
covering 4 categories, knowledge, skills, attitudes and ethics, but are aware that deep
revision of TS is required. Some proposed revisions include:
●
Language needs to be clear and specific, indicators should be measurable
●
The TS should be simply and easy to apply(!?)
●
The TS should consist of one general part, which covers basic trainer's
knowledge, skills, attitudes and ethics, and as additional part can have specific
knowledge, skills, attitudes and ethics referring to different programs
●
The introduction part should be developed in a different way including general
ISSA position statement, ISSA professional ethic statement, theoretical part
covering basic principles of adult learning
●
It would be necessary to define appropriate educational background and
professional development process for ISSA trainers
Some dilemmas and questions emerged like:
●
should it be check list for self assessment, or standards with rating system as it
is proposed
●
do those two options exclude each other, can we keep format of “ regular
standards” and add check list which will promote self-assessment
●
how to make clear distinctions between knowledge, skills, attitudes and ethics
●
how to measure attitudes and ethics
Concerning content of TS, group decided to do brainstorming and to make a list of
potential indicators (we did not have time to divide them in 4 categories or to discuss
the level of their generality, or to decide are these really potential indicators or
examples, but we decided to share it with you. So these are proposed indicators:
●
knows how to create safe and confidential atmosphere and environment
●
has mediation/conflict managment skills
●
has emphaty for individuals and group
●
has sensitivity for dynamic of group process
●
has knowledge for local context(culture, tradition, current situation)
●
has non-judgemental attitude
●
has openness for diversity
●
has knowledge of policy documents(international and local)
●
approaches participants and every situation with open minds/ shows openness
for any kind of participant's feedback
●
knows how to connect theory with activities and local context
●
before the training has good preparation(including learning about specific
context)
●
has skills for good time management and planing
●
has good sense of humour
●
ready to do a lot of self work
●
has high level of self awareness(needs, feelings, thoughts, biases)
●
do on regular basic selfassesment, self evaluation and self reflection
●
keeps quality documentation, records
●
shows respect for participants, their background, attitudes, reactions...
●
advocate for the rights of marginalized groups
Group agreed that additional, supporting tools and resources should follow, like developed,
uniform ways of self evaluation(Hungarian team has developed very good tool), portfolio etc.
Ad 4. Ways and means for developing TS
Group agreed with next steps proposed by Standard 7 Task Force to engage Council
Members at the October 2006 meeting in short discussion about TS. Group believes that
inside ISSA we have enough expertise to create TS, and that we are going to need them very
soon, since in some countries the process for applying to the open competition for doing
training for programs started (for example situation in Hungary)and we believe that
certification of ISSA trainers will protect trainers as well as ISSA programs.
Report submitted by Zorica Trikić