The outlooks for P 4 C Curriculum in Czech Primary Schools

1. The outlooks for P4C Curriculum in Czech Primary Schools A Teacher-Training Perspective NAACI 2006: Democracy and Ethics in Philosophical dialogue Québec, 27-29 June 2006

2. Population: approx. 10,000,000 growth only thanks to immigration Inflation rate: approx. 2 % Unemployment: approx. 9 % GDP per capita: approx. USD 17,400 (45% of U.S. purchasing power parity) GDP growth: 6 % Basic schools (primary+lower secondary, age 6-15) Total: 3,870 Pupils per school: 247 Pupils per class: 21 Pupils per teacher: 15 Basic facts about the Czech Rep.

3. Brief history of primary education in “Czech lands“ • 1774:compulsory school attendance (CSA) 6-12 • 1866: both German and Czech languages declared equal • 1868: the influence of the Church limited to RE • 1869: CSA 6-14 • 1918: foundation of the Czechoslovak Republic • 1920: Minor School Act, looking for ways of „new schooling“ • 1946: School Act on Unified Education, CSA 6-15 • 1960: more school unification • 1989: velvet revolution (the fall of communist regime) • 1993: foundation of the Czech Republic • 1995: more teaching plans approved (incl. alternative pedagogies) • 2001:The White Book (National Program of Education Development) • 2004: New School Act – Legislative foundations of the education reform • 2007: 1 Sept. = deadline for new SEPs to be implemented

4. Education system of the CR – I. http://www.nvf.cz/publikace/pdf_publikace/euroguidance/eng/leaflet.pdf Primary schools according to their teaching program: Source: Czech Institute for Information on Education

5. Problem-solving Mathematics Reading Science The outcomes... (PISA 2003) source: OECD

6. Index of attitudes towards school Index of students' sense of belonging at school But... the attitudes... (PISA 2003)source: OECD Results based on students' self-reports

7. The education reform – I. What should we change in our schools? ...Why? According to: The Research Institute of Education in Prague • attitudes towards pupils‘ needs and capabilities • the ways of motivating pupils • discrepancy between schools and the outside world • teaching efficiency based on the development of the pupils‘ individual dispositions in the natural group of pupils • selection of appropriate teaching methods and ways of classroom management • selection of curriculum; its relevance to practical needs • healthy social environment • evaluation of pupils • relationship with pupils as partners and active participants in the education process

8. The education reform – II. How? (Education reform = Curricular reform) • Shift from acquiring knowledge to developing key competences: • learning competences • problem-solving competences • communicative competences • More time spent at school: • grades 1 to 5 in total: 118 hours per week instead of 114 • grades 6 to 9 in total: 122 hours per week instead of 115 • Framework Educational Programs instead of pre-defined Teaching Programs • Areas and fields of study instead of individual subjects • Thematic links, cross-cutting themes • More flexible time allocation: • grades 1 to 5: 7 „free“ teaching periods instead of 0 • grades 6 to 9: 12 „free“ teaching periods instead of 6 • social competences • civic competences • work competences

9. The education reform – III. The present situation... Approved teaching programs State level ZŠ OŠ NŠ other... School level Schools chose one of the teaching programs...

10. The education reform – IV. The future... (from 1 September 2007) The National Educational Program State level Framework Educational Programs FEP P-S FEP PS FEP SS FEPx School Educational Programs School level SEP1 SEP2 SEP3 SEP4 SEPx

11. The education reform – V.Teaching Plans: “Old & New“

12. The education reform – VI. The mission... According to: The Research Institute of Education in Prague • The curricular reform gives schools the chance to solve their educational situation in a creative way; it is up to school whether they will take it or miss it. • FEP PE and SEPs are important documents representing the program fundamentals; yet, they are not the main purpose of the curricular reform: the purpose lies in introducing changes in schools – changes in relationships with pupils, relationships among teachers, motivation, methods of work, ways of evaluating pupils and schools, etc.

13. Source: OECD Who is going to carry out the reform? • The „statistical in-service teacher“: • a lady in her forties (teaching experience > 20 years) • feeling rather underpaid... • Only approx. 1/3 of FE graduates end up teaching…

14. P4C in Czech Schools? How to motivate teachers to take up P4C courses AND start doing / do philosophy with their children?

15. The Curricular Reform & P4C – I. • The same aims • “Cross-cutting themes“ within the P4C curriculum • Community of Inquiry pedagogy = connection between the curriculum and the aims  P4C should not be considered an „alternative pedagogy“: it may be presented as a „mainstream approach“ helping achieve the declared aims

17. The Curricular Reform & P4C – II. A sample teaching plan(time allocation allowing P4C practice as well as extended teaching of foreign languages)

18. The Curricular Reform & P4C – III.Incorporating P4C curriculum into specific areas of study (ISCED1+2)

19. The Curricular Reform & P4C – IV. • P4C & the Cross-cutting Themes

20. A few practical considerations... • How to evaluate the outcomes? • Who should carry out the reform/innovations? • In-service teachers: • motivation? • background in philosophy? („communist graduates“) • Student teachers: • efficiency? • Should in-service teachers pay for taking courses in P4C or should they be paid for it? • The deadline for School Educational Plans: 1 September 2007 (will the schools be willing to re-design SEPs ?)

21. Thank you for your attention... PaedDr. Petr Bauman Dept. of Education Faculty of Theology University of South Bohemia Kněžská 8 370 01 České Budějovice CZECH REPUBLIC e-mail: bauman@tf.jcu.cz phone: +420 387 773 527 : +420 775 619 337