WMCFEC
If you’re interested in how Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Development can be integrated into teaching and learning in vocational courses, take a look at the following video and report of a partnership project between Leicester College, the St Philip’s Centre and fbfe, with support from the SFA and NIACE, in 2013-14.
A Very Modern Ministry is the new report by think-tank Theos on the nature and impact of chaplaincy. Author Ben Ryan discusses FE too, noting how further education chaplains do much more than simply pastoral work with students. A number sit on equality and diversity committees, advise college managers on how to handle faith-related issues, and help negotiate where difficulties arise. Some also provide staff training on matters of religion and belief. Read the full report online at: http://www.theosthinktank.co.uk/files/files/Modern%20Ministry%20combined.pdf
A new report exploring the relationship between religion and security emphasises the need for faith literacy, an ethic of inclusivity and consultation with communities, as a precursor to sound policy. Written by Prof John Wolffe and Dr Gavin Moorhead of the Open University, the report also cautions against generalising about the effects that religious (and indeed secular) ideas or movements may have, and notes that ‘religious leaders are potentially effective agents for overcoming community tensions’ (p. 3). The report can be read in full at: http://www.paccsresearch.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Religion-Security-Global-Uncertainties.pdf
Chaplaincy Central is a new network and resource hub for those involved in chaplaincy in schools and colleges, developed by the School Chaplains and Leaders Association (SCALA). Check out their website, now live, and register to be able to access ideas, resources and best practice.
If you offer chaplaincy within a further education college you might be interested to read the recently published report The Church of England’s Involvement in Chaplaincy, produced by the Cardiff Centre for Chaplaincy Studies (CCCS) and the Oxford Centre for Ecclesiology and Practical Theology (OxCEPT). What do you think of the report’s conclusions?
New RSA report ‘Schools with Soul’ report challenges educational providers to take a new approach to Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Development. Free download from the RSA website here. What do you think of the report’s findings?
The report’s writers note that SMSC is becoming marginalised in all but the most confident schools, that it suffers from a ‘scattergun’ approach wherein ‘everything and nothing’ counts as SMSC, and that there is a particular lack of understanding of what the ‘Spiritual’ in SMSC might mean. There’s a particular encouragement for education providers to sustain SMSC provision throughout the teenage years, These conclusions chime with research conducted by Andy Haynes into a sample of FE colleges’ understandings of SMSC in 2011 (see our ‘Resources‘ page).
The report contains nine ‘design principles’ for strengthening SMSC and nine key recommendations. What do you think of these? If they challenge you on the provision of SMSC in your college, WM Churches’ FE Council can help you develop this. Get in touch for a conversation.
When external faith groups are invited into schools and colleges to work with students, we know that this needs doing sensitively and with respect. NATRE (National Association of Teachers of RE) have just published new guidelines for schools and visiting groups here. How might these relate to further education?
Our friends at Dare2Engage have been working hard on a new resource called OPEN, designed to facilitate personal reflection on questions of life, values and faith/belief. If you are a chaplain working in a West Midlands FE college and would like to help trial this, do get in touch with Dare2Engage.
If you are regularly dealing with issues of individual and community conflict in your college, some great resources are available from the West Midlands Quaker Peace Education Project – including some high-quality short films on their Vimeo pages, which can be used as discussion starters. The main focus of the project’s activity is the schools sector, but there’s plenty here that can be used in FE too.
We’re particularly glad to share this information as a tribute to Linda Pegler, much-valued Quaker representative on WM Churches’ FE Council and formerly involved in the WMQPEP, who sadly died earlier this year.
One of the most common issues we hear raised around the place of faith and belief in college life concerns the lack of confidence amongst some members of college staff in curating discussions about faith and belief, or in dealing with disputes and discussions when they arise. Some help is given in a report on Dealing with Faith- and Belief- Based Differences, Disputes and Conflicts, researched for FBFE (The National Council of Faiths and Beliefs in Further Education) by Neville and Yvette Adams, and published last year. Take a look and see what you think.