The Virtues and Values Education Center promotes educational transformation through character and educational leadership
On 6 October, the Virtues and Values Education Center (CEV) held a conference entitled ‘Character Education through the Curriculum and Educational Leadership’, a meeting that brought together leading national and international experts in character education with the aim of sharing experiences and strategies that are transforming schools through virtues and values.
The event was formally opened by Verónica Fernández, Director of the CEV, who welcomed attendees and introduced the main themes of the conference. The congress began with the outstanding participation of María del Pilar Ponce Velasco, President of the School Council of the Community of Madrid, who gave a presentation entitled ‘The Benchmark School,’ focusing on teacher leadership as a driver of change. The president emphasised the importance of providing comprehensive support to students and the need to prepare them for the real challenges of life: ‘We educate our children for Disney, and when they reach real life, they find that it is The Walking Dead.’
From the United Kingdom, Ben Miller, teacher at Warwick School, shared the success story of his school, which managed to improve behaviour and academic results thanks to the implementation of a character education programme. Miller pointed out that ‘84% of parents believe that morals and good values should be taught at school, while teachers think that parents only value academic studies,’ demonstrating the need for a joint approach between families and the school.
James Barker, headmaster of Warwick School and member of the Warwick Schools Foundation, emphasised that the headmaster plays a key role in maintaining a clear mission and vision for the school in order to effectively integrate character education. ‘Education is more than just preparation for an exam; it must equip young people with the virtues and skills necessary for a changing world,’ said Barker.
The day also included the panel ‘Character education in the classroom: educational practices of students in the Master’s Degree in Virtues Pedagogy,’ coordinated by Nicole Haddad, head of the CEV’s schools area. Teachers participated in the panel, sharing specific experiences of applying the model in their centres.
Mercedes Fundió Muñoz (Stella Maris La Gavia) explained how she uses stories without pictures to encourage imagination and moral reflection. Ignacio Lorenzo (Colegio Monte Tabor Schoenstatt) presented his proposal for a ‘pastoral path’ that works on three virtues at each stage of primary school. Finally, José González Gil (Stella Maris College) highlighted the importance of ‘fighting against the utilitarian view of history and teaching that things are good in themselves.’
The meeting concluded with the workshop ‘Innovation tools applied to character education,’ in which participants worked with Design Thinking and Lean Start-up methodologies to address real challenges in virtue education.
The conference provided a unique opportunity to rethink education from the perspective of leadership, character and values, reaffirming our centre’s commitment to a comprehensive education that promotes the human and ethical development of future professionals.
