La Città dell’educazione. Agire insieme per l’emancipazione di tutti

Abstract

In order to reach our goal (everyone’s emancipation – children and adult’s one), we offer to create Education Cities.  The action research project we led from 2008 to 2013 thanks to subsidies from the “Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles” got very positive results.  It was run in kindergartens in three Belgian towns (Charleroi, Etterbeek and Péruwelz).  It focused on co-education between school, family and community especially to stimulate three- to six-year-old children’s language development and to enrich parents’ educational practices.  Moreover, we discovered the influence of a mascot called Polo.  This cuddly toy travels from school to children’s homes and opens up a new world.  Families visit new places, do unusual activities, communicate more.  Children’s affective, cognitive and social needs are better fulfilled. 

The family dynamics is improved.  When Polo goes back to school, the child who hosted it at the weekend relates the time spent together.  New words are used in the classroom, different cultures are explained and environmental discoveries are examined.  As you know, “ you learn by teaching”.  So the child gets benefits from this approach because he or she is an actor inside the group to which he or she belongs.  Of course the more people and organizations are involved, the more discoveries will be made. “Education is everyone’s responsibility” is certainly not an empty phrase.