Because of the 2017 General Election and associated ‘Purdah’ regulation, the House of Lords have confirmed that they have cancelled our Prison Education event:  Prison Teachers Matter on 23rd May 2017.  While we are naturally enormously disappointed, we have had confirmation that we would be able to hold the same event later in the year.   The moment we know the new arrangements we will contact everyone with news about the event. Professor Gerry Czerniawski

Confirmed Panel: Carolyn Eggleston (California State University); Professor Jane Hurry (UCL Institute of Education); Erwin James (The Guardian); Nina Champion (Prisoners’ Education Trust); Teresa Carroll (Education and Training Foundation)
Chair: Professor Gerry Czerniawski (University of East London)

In response to Dame Sally Coates’ report Unlocking Potential – A Review of education in prison, the British Educational Research Association (BERA) is bringing together key stakeholders in prison education to discuss the professional development of teachers who work in prisons. The seminar will take place at the House of Lords, with the kind support of Professor Lord Patel of Bradford OBE.

We know that prisons can contribute to the rehabilitation of prisoners by encouraging them to engage in meaningful educational experiences that are not just limited to those associated with ‘employability’. The facilitation of this wider curriculum can come from prison educators resourced, trained and embraced, not just by leading practitioners within the field but also by a wider educational community of teachers, teacher educators, researchers, publishers and policy makers. However, while prison education is facilitated by dedicated and experienced practitioners, they are isolated from the professional training, recognition, accreditation and remuneration of the wider teaching profession.  The seminar will explore what professional developmental strategies exist for teachers working in prisons and how a new approach to these strategies might transform this ‘Cinderella’ of the education system.