Natural disasters are frequently exacerbated by anthropogenic mechanisms and have social and political consequences for communities. The role of community learning in disasters is seen to be increasingly important. However, the ways in which such learning unfolds in a disaster can differ substantially from case to case. This article uses a comparative case study methodology to examine catastrophes and major disasters from five countries (Japan, New Zealand, the UK, the USA and Germany) to consider how community learning and adaptation occurs. An ecological model of learning is considered, where community learning is of small loop (adaptive, incremental, experimental) type or large loop (paradigm changing) type. Using this model, we consider that there are three types of community learning that occur in disasters (navigation, organization, reframing). The type of community learning that actually develops in a disaster depends upon a range of social factors such as stress and trauma, civic innovation and coercion.

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This small-scale, highly original study connects themes which are rarely explored in relation to each other, particularly in a European context: vocational education and training (VET), refugees and race equality, in order to explore how VET policies impact on racial equality, and the ways racial structures in Europe impact on VET. It begins to fill important gaps in cross-European research, firstly around VET and race, and secondly around refugees and VET. The paper is based on a study which examined the meso-social benefits of, and barriers to VET for adult refugees to European countries, commissioned by CEDEFOP, the agency funded by the European Commission to promote the development of VET in the European Union. In the paper we argue that a key factor in shaping refugees' experiences of VET, are the racial structures integral to capitalist societies. Innovatively drawing on key literature which analyses white privilege in the labour market to contextualise our findings, we suggest that barriers faced by refugees are potentially related to structures of white privilege which shape notions of work and workers in Europe and sustain racial hierarchies.

Emergency preparedness can be considered to be a form of lifelong learning and public pedagogy with implications for race equality. The paper is based on an ESRC project 'Preparedness pedagogies and race: an interdisciplinary approach' considering the policy process around the construction of the 'Preparing for Emergencies' (PFE) campaign. This campaign which appeared as a leaflet (distributed to every household in the UK) and as a television campaign was a belated response to preparedness by the UK government post-9/11. The results in the paper are based on 20 interviews and two focus groups conducted in 2009-2010. Interviews were conducted with a previous home secretary, members of the cabinet office, private sector security consultants, civil servants and emergency planning committees. Using a Critical Race Theory (CRT) informed methodology we find that both for white and BME (Black and Minority Ethnic) respondents in our focus groups 'race' and racialised ascriptions are important to their interpretation of PFE. For white respondents PFE is seen to be most relevant in urban areas at risk of crime and terrorism whereas BME respondents considered that they were potentially pathologised by PFE as potential terrorists. In policy interviews we find that a series of signifiers around race are used to consider the need for responsibilisation within PFE. In conclusion we consider that examining preparedness through the lens of public pedagogy extends theoretical and empirical work on securitisation particularly in terms of considering the responses of various audiences. We also argue for further engagement with CRT in security, and more generally lifelong learning, research.

On April 7-8, 2014, the European Hydration Institute hosted a small group of experts at Castle Combe Manor House, United Kingdom, to discuss a range of issues related to human hydration, health, and performance. The meeting included 18 recognized experts who brought a wealth of experience and knowledge to the topics under review. Eight selected topics were addressed, with the key issues being briefly presented before an in-depth discussion. Presented here is the executive summary and conclusions from this meeting.

The acquisition of everyday scientific concepts by 3-6 year old children attending early childhood institutions has been widely studied. In contrast, research on science learning processes among younger children is less extensive. This paper reports on findings from an exploratory empirical study undertaken in a 'stay and play' service used by parents with children aged 0-3 and located within an East London early childhood centre. The research team collaborated with practitioners to deliver a programme of activities aimed at encouraging parents' confidence in their own ability to support emergent scientific thinking among their young children. The programme generated children's engagement and interest. Parents and practitioners reported increased confidence in their ability to promote young children's natural curiosity at home and in early childhood provision. The authors see no reason for positing qualitative differences between the way children acquire scientific and other concepts in their earliest years. Keywords Emergent scientific thinking; everyday scientific concepts; children aged under three; parental confidence; early childhood practitioner confidence onwards Goswami (2015, p. 6-8) referred to patterns of perception forming part of this process that can be defined as 'naive physics,' 'naive biology' and 'naive psychology.' She considered the evidence strong that: Dynamic interrelations between objects perceived in the everyday world give the impression of causality. This perceptual analysis of the dynamic spatial and temporal behaviour of objects and agents appears to be one basis of knowledge construction by the infant and child. (Goswami, 2015, p. 5) The practice, attitudes and perspectives of teachers and other early childhood practitioners form the main focus of some of the international empirical and survey research undertaken in early

This article draws on critical disability studies, challenging the exclusion of right‐brained thinkers from an education system designed to privilege left‐brained thinkers. It focuses on individuals who are labelled dyspraxic, providing data from qualitative interviews with adults about childhood experiences in school and the impact on their emotional well‐being and peer relationships. Utilising Ornstein's pioneering research on the bilateral specialisation of the brain and hemispheric dominance in addition to a critical disability studies theoretical framework, this article innovatively argues that the fact that education in England continues to be delivered in a logical sequential form, even 40 years after Ornstein's work, is systemic discrimination in which dyspraxic children are constructed as ‘deviant’. The article concludes by arguing that individuals with dyspraxia should be seen as having a ‘diff‐ability’ in thinking style rather than a disability and therefore recommends both change and awareness‐raising at institutional level in the education system.

There is a distinct lack of literature considering childhood bereavement within the United Kingdom. There is particularly a lack of age‐specific research into childhood bereavement and the types of support schools are providing for this group of children. In light of this lack of research, the aim of this study was to explore the experiences, perspectives and views of teachers on supporting children in British primary schools. Interviews were analysed using thematic analysis (TA). Analysis revealed four major themes relating to bereavement support: ‘support available is inconsistent’, ‘systemic limitations’, ‘lack of policy and guidance’ and ‘speaking to children about death’. The research showed that bereavement support in British primary schools is varied and inconsistent, with examples of good practice and areas for improvement. At the same time, both childhood bereavement and the support available to bereaved children are socially biased, with those in socioeconomically deprived areas more likely to experience a bereavement and receive lower quality support. This study indicates that government policy or guidance with regards to childhood bereavement would be advantageous, for staff and children alike.