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Key concepts of Janusz Korczak’s inspirational view of education and their application in

practice

Lecture by Dr Joop Berding

The International Janusz Korczak Conference

Tokyo, August 7, 2010

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Overview

• Activities of the Korczak Association in The Netherlands

• Key concepts of Korczak’s view of education

• Practical application today: citizenship education; moral education; and the training of teachers

• Project: the daycare brochure

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The Netherlands

• Korczak Association since 1982

• Main activities in the last years

• Upcoming events

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The problem with Korczak

a. ‘Seek your own road ….’;

b. The (un)importance of method;

c. Some key concepts

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Five key-concepts

Respect

Justice

Participation

Dialogue

Self-reflection

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Citizenship and moral education

• Tends to be to formal

• The focus of children’s rights; the three P’s

• Education about or through participation

• Possibilities in schools and daycare centers

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Training of teachers andgroup-leaders

• Requirements of a training: participative, democratic and practical

• Case: training-course for workers in daycare and after-school care centers

• Results

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• Working together as a ‘team’

• Dialogue-ing• Prepare a

presentation about ‘values’

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Questions

What would you like to ask Janusz Korczak? what would you like to do if you lived now? what would you do with my group that I cannot

get under control? does your view go back to your own childhood? how did you deal with uncooperative

colleagues? why are you so obsessed with the rights of

children?

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Follow-up: the brochure

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Addresses

• Janusz Korczak Stichting

• Postbus 70048

• 1007 KA Amsterdam

• www.korczak.nl(with English page)

• info@korczak.nl

• www.joopberding.nl (with English page)

• jwa.berding@ziggo.nl