For immediate release: May 23, 2019
On Saturday, parents, teachers, students, and community members will gather in Halifax for a day of learning and discussion at the Social Justice Education Symposium. The teacher-organized event includes workshops and panel discussions ranging from climate change to supporting African Nova Scotian learners.
“Often when teachers talk about the things that play a role in their classrooms, it is issues that come from beyond the classroom,” says Drew Moore, a local teacher and one of the event organizers. “We want to look at how these factors impact public education and how we can address these issues, both in our schools and beyond.”
Moore says it was important to organizers that the event create a space where people who care about public education from a variety of perspectives could come together.
“Rarely do you have an opportunity for teachers, students, parents, administrators, and members of the community to be in the same room, to hear from each other and share their thoughts. This is an opportunity to learn about and discuss the many factors that impact upon schools, teachers, and students,” Moore says.
Participants can choose from nine workshops and panel discussions. Topics include restorative approaches, poverty, and the growing risks of privatization as the U.S. charter school movement continues to creep into Canada.
“School is a microcosm of society. As Marie Battiste, a prominent Mi’kmaw scholar would say, schools can either be sites of social reproduction, or change. This event is intended to bring people together to discuss how schools can be a site for change towards a more just society through more just schools,” says Moore.
The event will take place Saturday, May 25th from 9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. at the Fort Massey Church in Halifax. It is open to the public, with a suggested donation of $10. Students 18 years old and younger are invited to attend free of charge.
For more information, contact: Drew Moore, member, Educators for Social Justice, drewmoorens@gmail.com
You can also find the conference program and more at esjns.com !