ColegauCymru has been successful in securing Taith Pathway 2 funding to partner with Colleges and Institutes Canada to establish a Community of Practice between colleges in Wales and Canada to address some of the issues raised in Estyn’s report Peer-on-peer sexual harassment among 16 to 18-year old learners in further education.
The project will address concerns raised in the 2023 published Estyn report, with a particular focus on how to prevent and tackle misogynistic attitudes and cultures among groups of learners in FE colleges.
ColegauCymru Chief Executive, David Hagendyk, said,
"ColegauCymru is committed to ensuring that all learners have the right to a world-class education, delivered in a safe, diverse and inclusive setting and within a sector which supports the wider community, employers and the economy.
It is unacceptable that learners face any form of harassment. While good practice in the sector has been identified, the report rightly highlights the need for improvements around educating learners about appropriate behaviour and healthy relationships and the need for college staff to be equipped with the skills they need to support learners. We’re grateful to Taith for providing this funding which will support the sector in achieving these goals - with a platform to share experiences and best practice, and to implement the recommendations in the report.”
ColegauCymru European and International Project Manager, Siân Holleran, added,
“The project’s aim and key output is to build a transnational Community of Practice, which will bring together FE staff from Wales and our Canadian partner, Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan), with a common interest in this field, to share knowledge, develop new learning and collate examples of best practice through case studies.
This important body of work will support our colleges to build a culture where teachers can confidently challenge misogyny, wherever it is witnessed in colleges, and empower learners to trust and use college reporting systems, confident that their concerns will be listened to and acted upon.”
Alain Roy, Vice-President, International Partnerships for CICan, further added,
“This is an exciting opportunity for ColegauCymru and CICan to build on the Memorandum of Understanding that was signed by both organisations in April 2023. We look forward to working with ColegauCymru, college staff in Wales and staff from some of our community colleges in Canada to contribute to the project’s activities and outcomes.”
Taith’s Pathway 2 Programme supports the sharing of knowledge, expertise and collaborative learning between Welsh and international organisations, to develop theory and practice in education within Wales and internationally. The funding will run from 1 May 2024 – 31 December 2025.
Further Information
Taith
Taith is Wales' international learning exchange programme, creating life-changing opportunities to travel, volunteer, learn and experience.
Taith Pathway 2 Programme Guide
Estyn Thematic Report
Peer-on-peer sexual harassment among 16 to 18-year-old learners in further education
June 2023
Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan)
The voice of Canada’s Colleges and Institutes
Sian Holleran, European and International Project Manager
Sian.Holleran@ColegauCymru.ac.uk
