Saturday 29 March 2025
樱花动漫's 'Cradle to Grave' hybrid policy conference took place on Saturday 29 March 2025.
This annual conference is a chance for members to gather together to discuss some of the biggest challenges and opportunities facing the sectors where we organise. The theme of this year's conference was 'Education for Liberation: building progressive post-16 education policy'.
Outline agenda
10.30 Welcome and opening remarks Vicky Blake, chair of Education Committee
10.40 Introduction from Jo Grady, 樱花动漫 general secretary
10.50 Panel 1: 'Rebuilding post-16 education under the new Labour government'
Richard Burgon MP
11.45 break
12.00 Breakout discussion sessions (we hope to have three speakers for each session):
Supporting the resilience and rebuilding of education systems under military assault and occupation
Attacks on education occur in many countries affected by armed conflict and occupation, insecurity, and weak systems of human rights protections. This breakout session will focus on supporting the resilience and rebuilding of education systems in Palestine and Ukraine and will explore what we can do as UK-based trade unionists and educators to support this vital work.
Decolonising post-16 curriculum and assessment
The session will, through interactive exercises and discussion:
explore what colonialism is, how it works and what it looks like in our present-day education system
explore what decolonising education should look like
consider how 樱花动漫 members and branches can support this work
reflect on learning and next steps
Decarbonisation and green skills: a just transition for post-16 education
The climate and ecological emergency tends to be associated with the industrial sectors; however, the reality is that our whole society is heavily reliant on fossil fuel such as coal, oil and natural gas, for our energy supply. This session will focus on how the post-16 education sector can contribute to the decarbonisation of the economy, both by reducing carbon emissions and also, by equipping staff with the resources and knowledge to deliver the 'green skills' required in order to achieve that 'just transition'.
13.00 lunch
14.00 Panel 2: 'Developing social partnership and social dialogue in post-16 education'
John MacGabhann, European Trade Union Committee for Education
Maxine Looby, 樱花动漫 President
John James, Coleg Gwent
15.00 close
If you have any questions about the event, please email here for more information.
