POL30370 Justice in Education

Academic Year 2019/2020

This course examines a number of questions regarding education and schooling from a normative perspective. We will look at the relevant criteria for evaluating the moral rights and duties of children, parents, and states with regard to education. Students will be introduced to some of the most important concepts in political theory such as justice, equality, liberty, autonomy, and community. We will discuss the different aims of eduction as well as which agents have which responsibilities with regard to enabling children to acquire the capacities for full membership in society. We will consider which understandings of freedom and equality should inform our thinking about multicultural education and/or demands for equal opportunities for the socially disadvantaged and discuss whether and in how far state schools ought to be neutral with regard to religious and/or cultural norms relating to conceptions of the good life.

Show/hide contentOpenClose All

Curricular information is subject to change

Learning Outcomes:

On completion of this course students will be able to:
• explain some key concerns and debates regarding social justice, power, and diversity in education (LO1)
• distinguish between the normative, conceptual, and empirical background assumptions of claims about justice in education (LO2)
• evaluate the claims about the rights of parents and children both in terms of their conceptual form and their normative content (LO3)
• identify the strengths and weaknesses of normative political theory arguments (LO4)
• develop informed arguments for taking one or another particular position on controversial issues regarding justice in education (LO5)
Please note that LA5 is the most important learning outcome and that the other learning outcomes serve as means to this end.

Indicative Module Content:

Should parents be allowed to prevent their children from learning about other religions and world views? May the state promote patriotism through public schools? Is the existence of private schools unjust to those who cannot afford them? - These are the kind of questions that we will be discussing.

Student Effort Hours: 
Student Effort Type Hours
Seminar (or Webinar)

22
Autonomous Student Learning

102
Total

124
Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
The module includes a strong component of task based learning as students develop their own research question for their final essay. Most of the in-class learning happens through analysing normative issues surrounding justice in education informed by the required readings in a seminar style discussion. 
Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations
Learning Recommendations:

Students should have attended at least one prior course in Political Theory or Philosophy.

The following book informs some of the most relevant issues and theories of justice discussed in this module:
Swift, A. (2016) Political Philosophy. A Beginners' Guide for Students and Politicians, Forth Edition, Cambridge: Polity Press.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Additional Information:
Students should have completet either POL20010 or POL20060 to participate in POL30370.


 
Assessment Strategy  
Description Timing Open Book Exam Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade
Assignment: Research puzzle analysis Week 7 n/a Graded No

15
Essay: Essay Coursework (End of Trimester) n/a Graded No

55
Assignment: Text analysis Week 4 n/a Graded No

10
Assignment: Research design Week 9 n/a Graded No

20

Carry forward of passed components
No
 
Resit In Terminal Exam
Spring No
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 
Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Group/class feedback, post-assessment

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Feedback will be provided to students within 20 working days of the deadline for the assignment in accordance with university policy.

Name Role
Assoc Professor Iseult Honohan Lecturer / Co-Lecturer