Theme of the February 2024 seminar:
Our schools in the face of quality requirement
This 2024 seminar brought together 170 participants, coming from 24 schools in France, 4 from French-speaking Switzerland, 2 from Germany and one from Albania.
The reasons for this theme.
Since our schools want to be “works of God”, of Him, for Him and by Him, our mission is to be quality schools. Hence the choice of this theme for our Mathurin Cordier Seminar in 2024: “our schools facing the demand for quality”. This new movement to establish Protestant schools, launched in 1985/86, now has around forty establishments in France. Real experience has been acquired and the results are encouraging. But there are also points of weakness. For example, the status of a school outside of a contract, without state subsidy, constitutes a real financial challenge to overcome: how to preserve and improve quality in this context? Likewise, the “specific character” of our establishments, that is to say the vision which drives us, must be able to be expressed in all areas of the life of a school. How to ensure this? If we take biblical language, how can we ensure that we are building on this foundation of Jesus Christ with gold, silver, precious stones, and not with wood, hay and stubble? (1Co 3:11-13).
A case study methodology.
The case study is a collaborative and interactive educational formula, which allows us to make links between theory and practice and to solve problems specific to our field. From selected cases, that is to say problems that we encounter in our schools and which need to be resolved, it involves working in a group to make a diagnosis, propose solutions and deduce some rules or principles. . applicable to similar cases. This group work will make it possible to implement collective intelligence: the critical analysis of the situation by comparing the solutions proposed at the level of individuals or schools, the reformulation and construction of a common solution.
We have chosen to model ourselves on the ACSI tool the “CSIP” or “school improvement platform” which distinguishes 5 standards or main areas of quality development of a school:
- Philosophy and foundations
- Leadership and personnel management
- Teaching and learning
- Spiritual formation
- The strategic development plan of a school.
The cases that will be treated during the Seminar will each time fall into one of these 5 areas. Each session will also be dedicated to deepening one of the 5 areas, with the intervention of an expert.
Qualified speakers.
This list is not exhaustive. We are awaiting confirmation of the participation of other resource people. Here are our main guests already confirmed
Dr Janet Lowrie NASON.
She has worked with ACSI internationally, particularly in Asia and has extensive experience with Christian schools. She excels at connecting and creating synergy between people, projects and ideas. She is a valued consultant, also co-founder of the Greenville Christian School, facilitator of collaborative projects. Her core competencies are everything related to school culture, student protection, collaborative program development, and international master's programs in Christian education.
Prof. Dr Wolfgang STOCK.
Responsible for the network of evangelical Protestant schools in Germany. www.VEBS.de . He was a German journalist, essayist, university professor and consultant for corporate communications. He studied history and political science at the Julius Maximilian University of Würzburg and the University of Oxford. He received his doctorate from the University of Oxford with a thesis on the role of states in German European politics. He is also a graduate of the Advanced Management Program at IESE Business School in Barcelona.
Micaël CHEVALLEY
Micaël is a teacher in Switzerland, but he has also worked in Belgium. He is the author of the online resource site “enseignement.org”. He led thematic workshops as part of our network.
Pierre BONIN
Pierre is married to Josette, they have 6 children. His entire professional life has taken place in the business world, which is a place of relationships, human adventure and challenges. For 20 years, Pierre has been leading projects in engineering and change management, and another project which is a lever for men and women, engaged in the city, who put into practice the values and principles of the Kingdom of God in order to reform our nation's economy. Pierre is involved in ID2R and “FDD manager training”. He is also involved in the Dynamic Entrepreneurship Network (RED https://www.reseau-red.org/ ) and works as a consultant and trainer within the Mathurin Cordier Network.
Luc BUSSIERE
Luc Bussière is married to Manuela. Together they have 4 adult children and 8 grandchildren. They founded with another parent a private evangelical educational establishment in 1986, the “Daniel” private establishment, the first college of this type in France, of which they ensured the direction and presidency of the managing association for many years. . They also planned an evangelical church in Guebwiller, in Alsace, of which they are the pastors, with a team. Professor of philosophy, graduate in theology from the Jean Calvin Faculty of Theology, author of several works on education, popular speaker, Luc is currently president of the Mathurin Cordier Network, member of the CNEF, which brings together evangelical Protestant establishments in France. He continues to inspire and support many Christian schools and school projects, to raise awareness in the Body of Christ of the need to take up this mandate that Jesus gave us to teach and make disciples of nations, by challenging families and the church to take up the challenge of transmission and the formation of Christian thought. He is also involved at the international level, in the French-speaking world in particular.
Adriel SCHMITT
A former student of the Daniel private school, Adriel now teaches there as a philosophy teacher, after having graduated in philosophy and theology. He is convinced of the necessity and relevance of Christian schools, and of the formation of Christian thought in particular.
Amélie LEMAN
Educational psychologist, trainer in positive discipline for parents and education professionals. Amélie and her husband are parents of students at the Mathurin Cordier school. She runs workshops which provide the necessary foundations for the best overall development of the family or school group by transmitting advice and tools which contribute to:
- to the development of quality relationships,
- the establishment of a school climate conducive to learning,
- practicing good communication between students, families and teachers,
- establishing a culture of mutual respect and motivation
- to allow students to discover that they are capable,
- to develop self-discipline and self-control, teamwork, communication skills, cooperation, empathy, responsibility, adaptability, flexibility, integrity, love for oneself and love for one's neighbor,
- to use the wisdom of the Holy Spirit to be able to evaluate and act in various situations.
Dana-Jo and Franck
Parents of students at the Daniel Establishment, both are artists. Dana Jo is an author, composer and performer. They will lead worship Sunday morning. More informations here. And YouTube channel:
Partner networks: ACSI, EDUCAVIE, YOUTH IN MISSION, PROTESTANT FAMILY ASSOCIATIONS (AFP)
School directors and teachers, parents, project leaders and all participants, stakeholders in education.
The participation of all, particularly in the case studies, will contribute to the richness and success of this seminar.