Presentación

“The complexity of education is a reflection of the changing and diverse world in which our society is being built”.

Our educational system has changed from focusing on the professor to focusing almost exclusively on the student and on three principles of learning: first, all students are unique, so we must recognize and accept that diversity and meet not only the special educational needs of all students (including the physically, mentally or sensorially handicapped) but also the needs that are derived from unfavourable social situations (belonging to an ethnic minority, being an immigrant, or coming from a broken family); second, as teachers we must not only pay attention to our students’ minds but also to their feelings and emotions; and third, our students will only learn if they are involved in positive interpersonal relationships and if there is an appropriate classroom atmosphere.

The Timoneda Association defends the position that education involves developing the whole student and believes that quality and excellence are not based exclusively on the accumulation of knowledge but also on the personal growth of our students. We attempt to base today´s education on dialogue and peaceable interaction, convinced that bringing about change in society is a task that must be shared by all members of the educational community. Why? So that our students can become productive members of society who are able to bring about change and handle the conflicts they will encounter. Why? Because when we allow conflicts of any type to escalate, we are opening the door to violence.” (Timoneda Association, Hippokrates 2003)

After years of work, those of us who are part of the support network for the prevention of violence in schools recognize that these ideas and values supersede the specific subject matter that we teach and our classroom relationships, and we are committed to spreading them to family members, health care professionals, social service agencies, police and basically to society at large.