At the seventh annual SCoTENS conference on 15 October 2009 titled ‘Reflective Practice: Challenges for Teacher Education’ were (from left to right) Dr Tom Hesketh (Co-Chair, SCoTENS), Director, Regional Training Unit, Belfast, Mr Sean Haughey TD, Minister of State for Lifelong Learning, Professor Andy Pollard, Director of the Teacher & Learning Research Programme at the Institute of Education, University of London and Professor Teresa O’Doherty (Co-Chair, SCoTENS) Dean of Education, Mary Immaculate College, University of Limerick
The Irish Minister for State for Lifelong Learning, Mr Sean Haughey TD, opened the seventh annual conference of the Standing Conference on Teacher Education North and South (SCoTENS) in Malahide on 15th October, under the title ‘Reflective Practice: Challenges for Teacher Education’. He said he was particularly impressed by the “wealth and breadth of research papers published by SCoTENS since 2002”. He singled out for mention the three all-island reports on school leadership; teaching history, geography and science, and special educational needs teachers which were due to be launched at the conference, all of which are the result of collaborations between teams of North-South researchers.
Mr Haughey said that “while an awareness of the special skills required for critical thinking, reflection and problem-solving is not new, what is new is the extent to which changes in our economy and society mean that collective and individual success depends on having such skills.” He particularly welcomed the participation in the conference of speakers from Finland, saying that Ireland could learn much from Finland, which has been “hailed as having one of the world’s most successful education systems – as well as having highly qualified and academically educated teachers with Masters degrees, there is a strong emphasis on the development of teachers’ pedagogical thinking, self-evaluation skills, reflective practice, and on research-based teacher education.”
The Education Minister for Northern Ireland, Ms Caitriona Ruane MLA, addressed the conference on the evening of 15th October while launching the 2008 SCoTENS annual report: School Leadership: Policy and Practice, North and South. She said: “SCoTENS is a prime example of the practical working together of teachers for the benefit of children across the whole island. Through the North/South Ministerial Council, I am progressing a number of key policy areas, including the student teacher exchange programme.”
See the speech by Sean Haughey 
[110kb] and the press release from Catríona Ruane[36kb].
