This issue of the Newsletter is sent in this form ONLY to members who have not sent me their e-mail address. If you receive this and do have e-mail, please send me your address.

I am writing with further information and suggestions about the proposed Network. We now have members in 22 states, and are constructing what I believe what will be a very strong expression of initial interest. I have been in contact with officials in DGXXII (the Socrates Office) and am writing about a number of issues that have arisen. I would be grateful for your responses on the topics listed below::

CONTENTS

• report on the Dublin Thematic Networks Forum
• Extending proposal to include development of modules for HE programmes
• seeking financial support from commercial organisations
• Should we change our name?

Other Destinations. . . Newsletter Contents

• TNPs generally seem under-resourced by DG22. Each Network buts in a total budget for a year's activities - generally only 17 to 40% is met by DG22. This varies between 70,000 and 150,000 ecu, it seems. The rest of the expenditure is accounted for by contributions form participants. This can include a notional costing of participants time, at c 150 - 200 ecus per day, and can include other research/activity income from a variety of sources, including in certain circumstances from other parts of the EU.

• There is pressure from DG22 to limit the total number of TNPs. New proposals are often urged to merge with existing TNPs: this has given rise to quite a bit of tension. We would not, it seems to me, have a clear existing TNP with which to merge, because of our highly inter-disciplinary nature.

• The Teacher Education TNP looks not to be concerned with our issues, or to include the sociologists, political scientists, social and economic psychologists that we include.

• TNPs are not an alternative way to finance research. The intention is simply to co-ordinate and facilitate the sharing of interests, information, data, etc..

• Membership is fixed in each year's plans: the Network cannot add members or substitute new members for old, if this involves giving any funds to the non-named members. Membership is institutional, not individual. Many networks have a large proportion of members whom they describe as associate members (or "sleeping" members) - they draw on the data, sometimes contribute, but are not active in establishing linkages.

Other Destinations. . . Newsletter Contents

But M Sluyters also writes "In writing your proposal, please take into account that TN projects must focus on higher education. That is to say, the topic could only be the education of children up to the age of 15 if this issue is considered from the perspective of, for example, the higher education programmes for teachers who are going to educate those children. The high school or grammar school program as such is not acceptable as a topic for a TN project. I emphasise moreover that the topic must concern education and should not focus on research in a specific domain."

I do not think that we are in any danger here, provided that we emphasise our intention to share information about the learning/understanding of children in order to inform higher education courses (undergraduate and postgraduate level) in disciplines such as sociology (socialisation aspects), political science, social and economic psychology (including child development) and teacher education.

In order to do this, I am suggesting that we include in our proposal an undertaking to work towards establishing shared or common modules, in the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) at a preliminary undergraduate, advanced undergraduate and a postgraduate levels. These modules would draw on case-study materials provided by members of the network as part of our sharing of data and information. Thus students would have access to, and have to use, examples drawn from several European states (using open/distance learning techniques). The modules would be designed so that they could be validated locally, as part of institutions' own programmes, in a variety of disciplines. There might even be an award in the area, based on the modules, in the future.

Given that the data will have direct relevance to how future citizens construct their identities - including a European identity - I think that this will make our proposal much stronger, particularly in the light of M Sluyter's comments. There are, of course, additional funding possibilities for such work through Socrates (ODL - Chapter 3 Action 2); ECTS - Chapter 1 Action 1); 4th Framwork (Telematics Area 3 for ODL), and possibly TESR.

Please send in comments on this as soon as possible.

Other Destinations. . . Newsletter Contents

I suggest that we might approach a number of commercial organisations to ask for substantial financial support over the three-year period. The organisations I am particularly suggesting are the major telecommunications companies - British Telecom, German telecommunications, French telecom, Spanish telecom, Italian telecom and Swedish telecom. The first five are in the ten largest telecommunications groups in the world. They are all relatively profitable, and some, at least, are committed to supporting community-type activities. The network that we are proposing will, of course, heavily use the technologies that they are providing. I propose that we make a co-ordinated approach: that I, as co-ordinator, write with a member of the relevant country, to each company, asking for substantial help (c 100,000 ecu a year), pointing out that we are asking all the major European telecom companies to offer similar support.

I would appreciate comment on this proposal. Assuming that there are not major objections from members to the proposal, I would secondly appreciate a volunteer from each of these states (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden) to (a) translate the letter and (b) sign the letter with me.

Other Destinations. . . Newsletter Contents

Our current title: Children's Social & Economic Learning and Understanding within a European identity

Peter Eklundh's suggestion: Children's Understanding and Learning of Citizenship, in the local, regional, national and European context

An alternative: Children and Citizenship in Europe

Other Destinations. . . Newsletter Contents

Alistair Ross var theDate = ""; theDate = document.lastModified; document.write("Last updated: "); document.write(theDate); document.write();