Changing Boundaries: Spirituality and Education
Interdisciplinary Conference
Conference Feedback
| Date: | 22 – 23 June 2010 |
| Location: | Dublin City University, Dublin 9. Ireland. |
| Click here for the Conference Flyer (pdf will open in new window) | |
Convened by DCU School of Education Studies, All Hallows College, Mater Dei Institute of Education, and St. Patrick’s College in conjunction with the Wellbeing, Interculturalism and Spirituality in Education Research (WISER) Consortium
This conference is being held to consider the role of education in promoting the spiritual wellbeing of children, young people and adults in an EU and international context. This conference will consider the academic study of spirituality and the way in which personal, cultural and societal identities and affiliations interact with educational provision, full human development and the curriculum.
The economic downturn has touched everyone. However, children and young people and their local communities from which they come are among those groups in society which may suffer disproportionately. Where children and young people’s spirituality and wellbeing are concerned, the costs of recession are diverse and complex. In the face of reduced revenue and increased need, governments are forced to make difficult decisions about funding to all educational settings. Teachers are expected to maintain the spiritual wellbeing of their students within this tight economic context.
It is proposed that this conference will provide an opportunity for teachers, academics, parents, chaplains, guidance counsellors and policy makers to consider the evolving discourse on spirituality and education within an EU and international context.
For centuries, spirituality in Ireland (North and South) has been synonymous with religion. While this situation reflected the largely homogenous Christian faith of the population of the island of Ireland, it seems that many individuals are now considering spirituality as a more fundamental aspect of the human condition and as such are not choosing to always express it through the established churches in Ireland.
Consequently, considering the emergence of a post-Good Friday Agreement generation and the increasing secularisation of society both North and South, it is time for us to consider the traditional role of education in promoting the concepts of spirituality and religion as one. Thus we call this conference “Changing Boundaries”.
Who is this conference for?
This conference will be of interest to academics, teachers, parents, school administrators, and youth workers, as well as those who work in pastoral ministry and faith development with children and young people.
