TTIP (Training Teachers in Prisons)

DEVELOPING TRAINING PROGRAMMES FOR QUALIFIED TEACHERS TO TEACH IN PRISONS 113991-CP-1-2004-1-MT-GRUNDTVIG-G11

Project Objectives:
"Make teacher training for service in Prisons to be introduced thoughout Europe"

This project was conceived by the EPEA after a fairly long process of informal observation of 'prison schools' in many European countries together with direct discussions with senior officials from Ministries responsible for the prison system. The picture formed as a result shows that teaching in prisons follows the methodology applied in primary schools and that teachers are recruited to teach in prisons straight off the primary and secondary schools. This project seeks to rectify this situation (initial steps) by creating a training course to qualify teachers to teach in prisons. It follows that the desire to have better qualified teachers serves the objective of providing quality education in prisons. The immediate target group is serving and prospective prison teachers. The second target group are the prisoners who will benefit from a better service.
  In order to achieve these goals the partnership will study the actual classroom practice, analyze the findings, draw up a curriculum, develop the teaching/learning units, prepare training course materials for the teachers and prepare a manual for the course tutors. The course will be piloted and evaluated both internally and externally. The tutors' course manual and the teachers' course material will be products of the project. The EPEA is ideally placed and connected to disseminate the project process and results through its website, membership in about 35 countries and personal links with Justice ministry and prison service senior officials in most of these.

Training Course

 
Training Teachers and Instructors to Teach in Prisons/Detention Centres
Reference Number: MT-2010-444-002
The Course (Language of instruction: English)

 
Objectives Given that

1. prisoners/detainees are not a homogenous group of people
2. the social, economic and cultural baggage they bring with them to prison/detention centres may be widely different
3. life for prisoners/detainees becomes very complex once inside and for a large proportion it is so prior to conviction/detention
4. a prison/detention centre regime is rigid, complicated, at times uncomplimentary to education, strictly enforced and therefore unaccommodating
5. prisoners/detainees are adults or on the threshold of adulthood, sometimes including children as well and
6. for most of them their experience of school was negative the course aims to prepare teachers to teach in such institutions it is clear that teachers and educational officers working with such a group need specific training and preparation to work within such difficult environments.

The course aims at providing/sharing such knowledge and understanding of what it means to work and educate in detention centres and correctional facilities.

Methodology 

The methodology involves the use of a training manual developed during a Grundtvig project specifically for this purpose of training teachers to work in prison and detention centres. The methodology will involve a number of lectures by experts in their fields of research, visits to training centres, dialogue and discussions, as well as a sharing of different experiences from the participating countries.

Follow-up 

A network of people working in this field will be formed once the course is over. The idea is that participants will be able to share and support one another, as well as plan and apply for funds for projects in this area.

The Programme:

Day 1
Presentation of the outline of the course
Presentation of the participants
Theme of the day: Education, Human rights and the Lifelong learning key competencies
Topics:
The relationship between Human Rights, LLL key competencies and learning in detention centres
Formal, Informal and Non-formal learning activities in detention centres – contributions from the participants
Formal/vocational education in Prison/Detention Centres
Goals of Education in Prisoner/Detention Centers

Day 2
Theme of the Day: The Detainees
Topics:
The Prisoner: A Profile
Age difference and Needs
Working with youths
Educating ‘lifers’
Gender differences in educating prison inmates
Catering for special needs of prison inmates
Psychological/pathological
The Illegal immigrant: A Profile
Age difference and Needs
Working with youths
Educating lifers, Gender differences in educating illegal immigrant, and catering for special needs of illegal immigrants

Day 3
Theme of the Day: Education in Practice – the Context
Morning: Educational Visit to Corradino Correctional Facility
Afternoon: Educational Visit to Detention Centre

Day 4
Theme of the Day: The role of the ‘educational leaders’ in detention centres
The teacher
The correctional officer/detainee officer as educator
The relationship between the prison/detention centre and formal education institutions (schools,
vocational centres, employment centres, universities)
The role of NGO’s in education in Prison/Detention Centers

Day 5
Theme of the Day: Education Methodologies
Teaching Adults in Prison/Detention Centres: methodologies and ideas
Teaching Children and Young Adults in Prison/Detention Centres: methodologies and ideas
Cultural visit of the Maltese islands.

SESSION 1
SESSION ID: 26073
DATE OF START: 24/05/2010   DATE OF END: 28/05/2010  
Deadline for registration: 30/04/2010

SESSION 2
SESSION ID: 26075
DATE OF START: 13/09/2010   DATE OF END: 17/09/2010  
Deadline for registration: 27/08/2010
Host Institution:   European Prison Education Association - Malta Branch
Country:   Malta
Contact  Person:   Dr. Joseph Giordmaina 
Email :    joseph.giordmaina@um.edu.mt
Email :   epeamalta@gmail.com
Webpage:   http://epeamalta.wordpress.com/

FEE IN € FOR ACCOMMODATION AND MEALS :  850.00
COURSE FEE IN € (TUITION AND MATERIALS):  400.00
CANCELLATION FEE IN €   100.00

Apply for your grant to attend this course at your National Agency

1. Contact your own National Agency to obtain a grant application form and to check the deadline for submitting your application. National Agency contact details can be found at: http://ec.europa.eu/education/programmes/llp/national_en.html
   
2. Contact the training organiser  joseph.giordmaina@um.edu.mt  to check that places are still available. You may need to enclose confirmation of your provisional registration for the training with your grant application.
   
3. Send your grant application form to your National Agency.
   
4. Your National Agency will inform you if you have been awarded a grant.
   
5. You should then immediately contact the training provider to formally register for the course or to confirm your pre-registration.

For more information see the Commission database on http://ec.europa.eu/education/trainingdatabase/
In ‘Searchform’ type MT-2010-444-002 in the Reference Number box

Contact the Project

Write the project at writeto@ttip.info