At the start of the lockdown in New Zealand over 7 weeks ago work began on an arts-based resource to support teachers when they would return to schools. The resource, Te Rito Toi www.teritotoi.org, was launched on April 24. A partnership between the NZ Principal’s Federation, the national teacher’s union NZEI and UNESCO NZ meant that when New Zealand schools reopened they returned with a focus on the arts and student well being.
In the three weeks Te Rito Toi was up before teachers returned the website received over 225,000 page views from all over the world as teachers considered the best way back to school. There is a rare moment for us to advocate for a similar response globally. Imagine if the 2 billion children in the world came back to classrooms through the joy and wonder of the arts.
Professor Peter O’Connor will be presenting a webinar focusing on Te Rito Toi and hosted by the World Alliance for Arts Education and UNESCO as part of the International ArtsEducation Week next week. The webinar is a UNESCO-sanctioned project and will occur Monday 25 May from 14:00 – 15:00 NZDT (2:00 – 3:00 UTC). In the webinar Peter will speak to Te Rito Toi in alignment with the themes identified by WAAE and UNESCO: arts education (and its diverse forms) and arts educators playing a critical role in fostering and transforming humanity, particularly in difficult times like the COVID-19 pandemic. UNESCO hopes to highlight and amplify promising practices, which can benefit the future development of arts education during and after the pandemic.It would be great if you could pass along the webinar link, listed below, across your various networks. Lets make the arts the global path for a return to school.
The webinar is now available to watch:
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