Jose Aguiar - Question time event

I am a freelance educational consultant/trainer. I have a particular interest in projects concerning citizenship education, democratic participation and related areas.

I have been working with agencies, trusts, MPs and government departments to improve education in offender learning institutions.

I gained a bursary from the Institute for Learning to write about the best teaching methods in offender learning.

I am very passionate about citizenship education and its central role in developing people’s knowledge and skills to play an effective role in society. I have degree in Philosophy (University of Oporto); PGCE (University of Greenwich); CPD in Citizenship Studies (University of Warwick) and I am a member of the professional body, the Institute for Learning.

I am a qualified teacher and I have been teaching citizenship for the last 6 years.

As an associate of Learning Skills Network, I have been delivering Train the Trainers programmes to improve the quality of delivering citizenship education, co-ordinating citizenship projects, and writing educational materials.

I work as a consultant/adviser for the Anne Frank Trust UK. In this role, I produce tailor made Open College Network courses and workshops on diversity and prejudice. These are delivered in offender learning institutions, and further education colleges alongside with the flagship exhibition “Anne Frank - A History for today”.

I also work with the Honda Institute. In this role I deliver citizenship, diversity and equal opportunities to the Honda apprentices. These subjects are an integral part of the parallel curriculum, Honda Challenge. The aim of the parallel curriculum is to create employees who are active and responsible citizens, and who understand Honda’s corporate responsibility and its commitment to safety, the environment and the company’s place in the community. In particular, Honda has a commitment to diversity.

Links:

https://crm.lsnlearning.org.uk/user/order.aspx?code=072923&src=XOWEB

http://www.ifl.ac.uk/membership/members-stories/the-honda-challenge-apprenticeship-training-in-action

http://www.excellencegateway.org.uk/page.aspx?o=246157

http://www.excellencegateway.org.uk/page.aspx?o=247415

http://www.annefrank.org.uk/node/207

http://www.ncb.org.uk/dotpdf/open_access_2/healthier_inside_issue3.pdf

Question Time Event

The project aims to provide a unique opportunity for learners to assume responsibility for the organisation and running of an event that involve issues that mattered to them.

The learners have autonomy to plan the event, with me approving arrangements and acting as communicator. They organised meetings and decided on their own roles, the suggested panel participants, the venue, proposed date, learner involvement and the categories for questions including criminal justice, social policy, parenting, education, public services and resettlement. The learners (a diverse group) worked as a team, contributing and listening to each other’s viewpoints, with lively discussions leading to negotiated agreement.

They decided that for this event they wanted to invite the following personalities:

Women's Institute (confirmed)
Helen Goodman MP (confirmed)
Lord Ramsbotham - Confirmed
Juliet Lyon- Prison Reform Trust - Confirmed
Prisons and Probation Ombudsman- Jane Webb - confirmed
Tom Clark - Leader writer - The Guardian (Tom will be the chair of the panel, supported by two people)- Confirmed
Mr Crispin Blunt
Lord Freud

The learners produced posters to inform all offenders of the event and displayed these on each wing and communal areas such as the education department, library, workshops etc.