ES1202: Principles in Education

Week 3: Seminar: How to prepare for your symposium

Symposium workshop 30/1/12

o ‘Are Faith Schools/Special Needs Schools/ Selective Schools/Independent Schools in the interest of all?’

o You will need to be prepared to speak for three minutes (no less), and to use Kant’s notion of a principle to argue that your form of education either is or is not in the universal interest. The choice of whether it is or not is up to you. You will find yourself in a group with three others, each of whom will discuss a different form of schooling. After you have all presented your cases, the assessing tutor will ask you a series of questions: some questions will be directed at individuals and some at the group as a whole. It will be your job to explain and defend your position.

o In preparing for this symposium you should therefore anticipate the kinds of questions which you might be asked and be ready to address them.

o In total, symposia will last no longer than 45 minutes.

o You will be marked on two elements: (1) your initial three minute spoken presentation; (2) your defence and discussion of your principle. You will also be asked to submit a 500 word piece of prose, also answering the question ‘Are ‘x’ (Faith Schools, Special Needs Schools, Selective Schools, Independent Schools) in the interest of all?’ Although this piece of writing will have much the same content as your three minute presentation, we ask you not to read this out. You may use notes in order to give your spoken presentation.