OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES IN DISTANCE GUIDANCE IN THE FAROE ISLANDS

Deirdre Hansen

MA student in Carreer Guidance and Counselling, Fróðskaparsetur Føroya

NVL seminar, Oslo 11 April 2015

INTRODUCTION

Opportunity

ICT and social media give new dimensions to modern society

Challenge

The concepts of Lifelong Learning and Lifelong Guidance are not implementet in the Faroe Islands yet, but the need for them are there.

Question

How can these two areas meet and result in a positive outcome?

SHORT HISTORY OF EDUCATION

Elementary schooling – 1804

Lower secondary (Real) – 1854 for boys – 1892 girls too

Upper secondary schooling (Student- og HF) – 1937

Technical school - 1934

Educations: teaching 1870 - nursing1960

University - 1965

SHORT HISTORY OF GUIDANCE

Danish ministers asked suitable young girls in Faroese villages to go to Denmark to be educated as midwives – late in1800

School teachers provided young boys (aged 14) with economical means for jobs at sea - early in1900

Historically most social changes have occured in the Faroes because Danes (foreigners) have given orders to make changes – e.g. educational system, social system and health care.

Guidance as we know it now in the educational system started in the late 1970ies

The MA in CGC at FS beginning in 2013 is a result of the guidance counselling in the educational system – the idea came from Faroese guidance counsellors, who gained from cooperating with e.g. NVL

SHORT HISTORY OF MODERN POLITICS

Løgtingið re-established – 1852

Takes time to accept:

- Faroese language

- Faroese culture

- Faroese society

- Islands can co-operate

- Women in politics

OPPORTUNITIESIN IMPLEMENTING ICT GUIDANCE IN THE FAROE ISLANDS

The educational system is ethically well functioning, high ethical standards are valued

Nationally accepted IT platform - The educational system uses IT and has homepages with necessary information and learning material – Lots of time, money and effort is spent on IT in Faroese education – www.nam.fo

It is easy to add more to the educational system’s homepages ICT guidance can be seen as cost-effective ICT guidance can provide better ”life value” for inhabitants NVL is supportive

…..AND CHALLENGES WHEN IMPLEMENTING ICT GUIDANCE

Big difference in ”computer litteracy” among possible users

Big difference in understanding of the importance and possibilities with in education amongst inhabitants

Economy, legislation and structure needed for LLL and LLG – no nationally organized CGC for all citizens yet

Resistence against change - people in power need time, understanding and

OPPORTUNITIES

Nordic network - Career Guidance and Counselling – NVL

CGC in Europe, OECD and UN conventions

CGC education across sectors

Network in the Faroe Islands

Everyone knows someone with influence

….AND CHALLENGES

- Need for Lifelong Learning and Lifelong Guidance

- Need for legislations, structure and economical means

- Resistance towards change

- Changes often seem to be ”bottom-up” ideas

- Weak societal structures with few or no bridges etween the various areas, not enough knowledge about how to build society

- Each system is a like medieval castle with water around it – difficult to enter, bridge and bond

CONCLUSION

CGC is necessary in the Faroe Islands

It has been offered in the educational system for many years – almost 35 years

The bridges between the various sectors need to be strenghtend – and one of the bridges might just be the CGC MA education

CONCLUSION

THE FAROESE PEOPLE OWE NVL AN EXPLANATION, ACTION AND THANKS

Explanation – this presentation – change takes time!

Action – on its way – co-operation between CGC students, Fróðskaparsetur Føroya and NÁM (educational department under the educational ministry, MM, established

Thanks to NVL for patience, economical, educational and moral support – fiery souls invent changes, but need support and encouragement