Study visit course to Cape Town

Cape Town Street Map licenced under: creative commons (CC by SA)

A professional development opportunity for responding to the need for fresh thinking about the challenges and opportunities of the new Key Stage 3 Curriculum; personal learning about key global society issues; exploring approaches to creative curriculum team work, ... and in the process to develop ideas for practical stimulus material in partnership with South African teacher colleagues.

Cape Town is a dynamic city that is developing imaginative approaches to moving on from its apartheid history. It is named as one of ten cities in the world that are most likely to become a global sustainability centre.

Cape Town is part of the South African Cities Network [SACN]. Their model for planning has potential as a learning tool for this project.

This framework focuses on development and the quality life in an urban environment. It features the need to be inclusive, sustainable, productive and well governed. These dimensions are central to understanding citizenship and development anywhere in the world. They therefore provide a useful learning framework for understanding what is going on in Cape Town and other cities around the world ... as well as here in Birmingham.

Reflecting on Cape Town's experiences and responses to growing urbanisation in a globalised context will stimulate our own thinking about the issues and ideas. It will enable us as a group to work on ideas and approaches to make such concepts accessible to our students and to do this in a way that contributes to the idea of a connected curriculum.

Tide~ also has a range of contacts in the area including schools representing the full spectrum of communities.

In Cape Town the programme will start on Friday with opportunity to get an overview of the city and surrounding area. A visit to the District Six museum will help us consider some of the implications of apartheid. The weekend offers a chance for relaxing and your own itinerary. An opportunity to visit places such as Robben Island, Table Mountain or the Stellenbosch wine area.

The programme will have four strands of work:

• Exploring contrasting communities and their schools. How do young people see their city and its future?
• Working jointly with Cape Town secondary teachers visiting development projects and working on ideas ~ What we would want our students to learn from these ‘case studies'?
• Interviews with people in leadership roles relating to change in the city. How does the city see itself in  relation to the wider world?
•  Individual projects The whole group will come together to share and synthesise ideas and experiences.

Thursday 4th December 5 - 8pm ~ initial briefing meeting and opportunity to meet others in the group over some food

Saturday 17th January 2009 ~ day preparation workshop at Tide~

Wednesday 11th February to Saturday 21st February ~ study visit [Date to be finalised]

Thursday 5th March ~ day conference at Millennium Point.

Dates for other follow up sessions to be agreed with the group

Are you interested?

We plan to form a group with diverse experience for example relating to citizenship, history, geography as well as those in curriculum management or school development roles. We would welcome applications from people with a lot of experience as well as those that are new to the profession.

Email wmc@tidec.org  or phone 0121 202 3290 to request an application form. This should be returned by email or post to the Tide~ Centre by Monday 3rd November.

Interviews will be on Monday 10th November with a view to confirming a group as soon as possible after that.