Meeting of European teacher educators in Volda
Some 30 representatives from teacher training programmes in Europe gathered in Volda in May to share experiences and ideas. They were full of praise for VUC, the student town and the Norwegian schools.
Volda University College (VUC) is the only Norwegian member institution in the Symposion network for European teacher education. This spring Volda was the venue for the network’s annual meeting and in amazing spring weather the group had a chance to experience both VUC, local schools, and the Norwegian national day – Syttende mai.
The participants represented teacher education programmes in Austria, Belgium, France, Ireland, the Netherlands, Serbia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland, and the group had been looking very much forward to this year’s Symposion meeting and the trip to Norway.
– We were given a wonderful presentation of Volda and VUC on our last Symposion meeting in France in 2023 and then everybody said “We want to go to Volda”. Standing here now, it is obvious that this was the right decision, says Austrian Christian Kogler smiling in the unusually warm and sunny May weather.
Full of positive impressions
The Symposion meeting in Volda started with a tour of the VUC campus and a display of the facilities and services. It was evident that the international guests were impressed and inspired.
The newly renovated social area in the Hans Strøm-building was the starting point of the tour, and you could hear the participants whisper:
- So… is this only an area for staff?
- No, this is actually a place for students to relax or work together.
The international meeting place Pangaia never fails to impress, and here the guests were completely in awe of what they saw:
- We should definitely create such a meeting place in our university!
At the wonderful VUC library, the international guests quickly disappeared to the many shelves to explore books and resources. It was clear that many of the international guests could have spent much more than a couple of days in the student town of Volda.
National day celebrations and cultural insights
The organising committee for Symposion had planned for the international guests to experience the Norwegian National Day (May 17th) in addition to a varied academic programme. The national day was a fitting backdrop to the Symposion, being very much a celebration for children and schools. The international guests even got to join the national day parade under the banner of VUC.
We understand that this network meeting will be topped by experiencing the Norwegian National Day celebrations in wonderful spring weather in Volda?
– Yes, this is something that many of us has been really looking forward to, says Kogler with a smile.
Great potential for international cooperation
During the academic prorgamme, discussions ranged from the broader topics on teacher education in Europe, to concrete plans for collaboration and student/staff exchange. The participants were also able to visit local schools in Volda and Ørsta, which laid the grounds for fruitful discussions and comparisons of school systems.
– Other countries are very impressed by the Norwegian teacher education and schools. “You do not fully appreciate how advanced your education system really is” one guest commented to associate professor Hjalmar Eiksund, the VUC representative in the Sypmosion network and one of the coordinators for the meeting.
Another member of the coordinating group, Head of International Office Arne Humberset, says that part of the appeal of hosting the Symposion network is to get the outside view of our own academic programmes and situation.
-The educational sector is a very competent and self-critical industry and we are bombarded with negative news regarding Norwegian schools and teacher education. As such, it is extremely valuable to see ourselves through the eyes of international visitors and to discover that we are in fact doing quite well in a European perspective.
Humberset sees a great potential in closer international collaboration at VUC:
– We want to connect our academic staff with the network participants and strengthen international cooperation in our teacher education programmes. The Norwegian society and schools are becoming increasingly diverse so it is imperative that future teachers are given international impulses and competences during their studies. These two days of the Symposion pass by very quickly, but we hope that this meeting will be the beginning of future cooperation on student exchange, teaching placements and other forms of internationalization.
Inspired by Norwegian classrooms
The school visits in Volda and Ørsta were one of the highlights for the network participants.
-The group has experienced both similar and differences in classroom practices. For example, the standard of no grading in Norwegian primary schools and little emphasis on grading also in higher age groups is quite different from what we are used to. It was very interesting to hear from the pupils on their take on this issue and this spurred good discussions in the group afterwards on the objectives and implications of evaluation and grading. In addition, the freedom in the Norwegian classrooms on another level than in most other countries, for good and bad. As teachers we know that there is no utopian school system that solves all problems, but these comparisons create great discussions.
Kogler, who is also familiar with the Norwegian schools from previous visits, speaks highly of the Norwegian school system.
-I don’t think Norwegians are aware that their schools are in fact very good and something they should be proud of. My impression is that Norwegian teachers meet their pupils with much respect and care, which is fundamental for school wellbeing.