Professor at the Department of Education and Social Psychology of the Universidad Pablo Olavide Sevilla and leader of the project, Rosa Rodríguez- Izquierdo talks to us about why she is interested in early school leaving, her thoughts on collboration between academics and teachers and on the internationalization of education.
1) Tell us what led you to develop this project?
There are several reasons First, I believe in the internationalization of education. I promote a multitude of Erasmus + agreements so that my students can move around Europe and I have carried out a number of Erasmus + stays. Second is that Erasmus + Ka201 allows for the building of “communities of practice” among teachers, researchers and NGO professionals. Finally, we need European cooperation to give meaningful answers to the issues that affect us today.
2) What excites you most about the project?
School dropout has become a huge problem that fundamentally affects students from the most disadvantaged sectors. I am a believer in the crucial role of the school. Teachers are very creative professionals and collaborating together with other professionals we can create proposals for innovation that, at least, alleviate this enormous challenge.
3) What are your thoughts about the Covid-19 situation occurring during the project time-frame? In particular, do you think we will learn more or less and why?
Everything indicates that the most vulnerable sectors are the ones that will be most affected. Educational inequalities have always worried me and now we have another opportunity to move schools forward towards greater equity. I am a rational optimist and I hope we learn that less is more. We do not need more decontextualized content but more situated practices. Learning moves from school to school but we need to advocate for it to be transferred to all schools. Especially those found in poorer areas.
4) Any last thoughts you wish to share?
This project is a growth opportunity for all partners. I hope that it will also bear fruit for other schools that do not participate directly. I believe that the school needs to change and that we make it possible for all of us to change. I thank SEPIE (Spanish agency Erasmus +) for the opportunity to collaborate and learn together creating value for school improvement in an issue as relevant as early school leaving.