Annual Report 2010, Helsinki

The network received a healthy number of submissions (more than 80). The reviewers were eager to maintain the quality of the conference, possibly to improve it further. Quite a few proposals had to be redirected. This brings the overall rejection rate for the Helsinki conference around 30 %, similar with the previous year. As always, session 1 was allocated to the invited speaker: Reijo Kupiainen (Aalto University, Helsinki) addressed "Do pupils speak? Rancière and classroom teaching". The programme figured around 50 presentations. The well attended (and thoroughly enjoyed) conference dinner took place on Thursday, August 26.

During the 2010 business meeting several issues were discussed and decided.
The reviewing practice was confirmed: all convenors (6) review all submissions and give an overall appreciation in terms of accept/reject/redirect; if 4 suggest to accept the proposal is accepted; if less than 3 suggest to accept, the proposal is rejected; in case the result is 3 accept and 3 reject, the matter is discussed between the convenors.

Roland Reichenbach decided to step down as link convenor though staying on as convenor for another two years. The network expressed its gratitude for his efforts and leadership during the previous years. It was decided that Paul Smeyers succeeds him as link convenor for the standard period of five years.
As Zdenko Kodelja and Leena Kakkori have been convenor for a very long time, they expressed their wish to be replaced. It was decided that they would stay on for one more year (till September 2011). They were asked to suggest colleagues preferably from the same geographical area to take up their positions (a matter to be decided at the network meeting in 2011).

Recalling the successful 2009 Basel conference (see Network Activities/Future Plans) it was strongly suggested to keep a follow-up in mind.

Finally, attention was given to the relevance of the conference theme (and/or focus) of the annual EERA conference. Though it was generally felt that efforts should be made to give more importance to this overall theme, and also to make in one way or another the conference more distinctive as compared to other philosophy of education meetings, the way how to achieve this was not yet resolved. Colleagues were asked to give attention to this matter which will be an issue to be discussed at the network meeting in 2011.