EU Commission and Stormont Presentations on Inclusive Systems, Professor Paul Downes
Professor Paul Downes gave the keynote presentation, Beyond Diametric Oppositional Spaces of Fear, Hate, Othering, Scapegoating and Bullying: A Concentric Spatial Turn toward Connective Systems of Relational Space in Schools and Communities at the EU Commission Working Group on Equality and Values in Education and Training & Ministry of National Education, Turkey, Peer Learning Activity Conference in Ankara, Turkey on April 7th. The event was attended by senior Education Ministry officials across Europe, as well as by officials from the EU Commission, OECD, the Council of Europe and UNICEF.
Building on his recent books and also EU monographs on this multidimensional interdisciplinary theme across domains of psychology, education, anthropology, philosophy, sociology, health promotion and cultural studies, Professor Downes’ keynote highlighted the need for a spatial turn in education to develop background physical and relational spaces of cooperation and assumed connection in schools and communities, as part of a conception of spaces as being systems. He also drew attention to the limitations of top-down didactic and information based approaches in social and emotional education, as well as citizenship education. He emphasised the need to shift from diametric spaces of hierarchical above/below opposition to a plurality of meaningful connective spaces in schools for inclusive systems. Challenging one size fits all approaches to understanding motivations for hate, violence and bullying, Professor Downes called for differentiated system responses tailored to these diverse psychological motivations, with a focus also on trauma and adverse childhood experiences.
Professor Downes also gave an invited presentation and submission to the Stormont Parliament Education Committee in Belfast on April 2nd, A Socio-Emotional Health Focus to Address Educational Underachievement and Socioeconomic Deprivation. He focused on issues of trauma, adverse childhood experiences, loneliness, alternatives to suspension and reduced timetables, sleep loss and conflict resolution skills. His presentation and subsequent dialogue with the Education Committee was livestreamed and is available to see here from 1hr.09 to 2hr.16,
https://niassembly.tv/committee-for-education-meeting-wednesday-2-april-2025/