Title of Project:                     Developing Training Programmes for Qualified Teachers to Teach in Prisons (TTIP)

Year:                                      2004

Action:                                    Grundtvig 1

Project No. and Code:          113991-CP-1-2004-1-MT-GRUNDTVIG-G11PP

Coordinator:                          University of Malta

Partners:

European Prison Education Association (EPEA)

Flexischool (Denmark)

Department of Educational Science and Cultural Studies. University of Florence (Italy)

Penitentiary Institution Vught (Netherlands)

Institute of Higher Education and Science, (Portugal)

Caxias Prison Establishment (Portugal)

Faculty of Education, Oslo University College (Norway)

Dept. of Social Pedagogy, Faculty of Educatikon, Masaryk University (Czech Republic)

Description:

This project was conceived by the EPEA after a fairly long process of informal observation of 'prison schools' in many European countries together with direct discussions with senior officials from Ministries responsible for the prison system. The picture formed as a result shows that teaching in prisons follows the methodology applied in primary schools and that teachers are recruited to teach in prisons straight off the primary and secondary schools. This project seeks to rectify this situation (initial steps) by creating a training course to qualify teachers to teach in prisons. It follows that the desire to have better qualified teachers serves the objective of providing quality education in prisons. The immediate target group is serving and prospective prison teachers. The second target group are the prisoners who will benefit from a better service.

In order to achieve these goals the partnership will study the actual classroom practice, analyze the findings, draw up a curriculum, develop the teaching/learning units, prepare training course materials for the teachers and prepare a manual for the course tutors. The course will be piloted and evaluated both internally and externally. The tutors' course manual and the teachers' course material will be products of the project. The EPEA is ideally placed and connected to disseminate the project process and results through its website, membership in about 35 countries and personal links with Justice Ministry and prison service senior officials in most of these.

Project Objectives
- Make teacher training for service in Prisons to be introduced throughout Europe

Coordinating organisation:
The Programme for Education in Prison
Faculty of Education
University of Malta
Msida MSD 2080
Malta
Phone/Fax: +356 2340 2347
Web: www.um.edu.mt

Contact Person: 
Dr Joseph Giordmaina
Web: Joseph.giordmaina@um.edu.mt
Organisation Project website: www.ttip.info