Home Economics Teachers’ Participation in International Federation of Home Economics Conference (IFHE) In Malta
Home Economics teachers and Head of Departments (HE) in State and non-State schools were given the opportunity to participate in an international Home Economics Conference organized by the International Federation for Home Economics (IFHE), the European Association for Home Economics (EAHE) and the Nutrition, Family & Consumer Studies Department of the University of Malta. The Conference ‘Action for Family and Consumer Well-being: Home Economics Literacy Bringing Skills to Life’ aimed to provide a vital platform to discuss and examine concepts, potentials, policies and decisions thus contributing towards professional enrichment. The conference held at the University of Malta, Valletta Campus, Valletta on the following dates: Friday 20th March and Saturday 21st March 2015. The HE teachers’ participation in this international conference was sponsored by the Department of Curriculum Management within the Directorate for Quality and Standards in Education.
Key note speeches were facilitated by Prof Donna Pendergast, Griffith University, Australia and Prof Kaija Turkki, University of Helsinki, Finland, Prof Angela Abela, University of Malta, Maria Rauch (TBC), Project Leader LEAP, Malta Family functioning for family well-being: policies and actions, Dr Joao Breda, WHO – Regional Office Europe, Prof Isobel Contento, Teachers College, Columbia University, Victoria Thoresen, UNESCO Chair Educ. for Sustainable Lifestyles, Project Leader PERL, Hamar College, Norway and Marie Brigulio (TBC), University of Malta Education for sustainable consumption – choices, behaviours and behavioural economics.
A number of school visits were organised for the delegates. Support teachers from HESC accompanied IFHE delegates coming from almost thirty countries to school visits which included St. Ignatius College GSS Ħandaq, St. Clare’s College, Pembroke and St.Thomas Moore College, Żejtun. All schools welcomed the delegates by organising orientation visits which included presentations, practical interventions in food labs and traditional Maltese food tasting.
