Margrét Pála: Educating children differently
Margrét Pála Ólafsdóttir is a preschool management specialist in Iceland who advocates sex-segregated classes, natural play material instead of conventional toys, and a long-forgotten belief in discipline to develop optimism, courage, and resiliency in young children. "Feel the cold! I even take them into the snow -- and then the lava. Scream a little bit! But continue! And enjoy it!"
Ted Talk- not only Children
The TEDx talk titled "Not Only Children - They are Boys and Girls" by Margrét Pála Ólafsdóttir, presented at TEDxReykjavík, explores educational approaches tailored to the distinct needs of boys and girls. Ólafsdóttir discusses the potential shortcomings of a one-size-fits-all education system and questions whether it fails both genders by not addressing their specific requirements. She delves into the concept of single-sex educational settings, examining their benefits and potential drawbacks. With over 30 years of experience in teaching and school management, Ólafsdóttir is the creator of the Hjalli model, an innovative educational ideology that emphasizes gender-specific approaches in early childhood education.
BBC World - (Spanish) Interview with Margrét Pála Ólafsdóttir, author of the Hjalli Model
Cuando en 1989 una educadora islandesa decidió separar a los niños y niñas en los colegios muchos lo vieron como un regreso al pasado.
Educación: por qué defiendo separar a los niños y a las niñas en las escuelas
Julia Tena de la Nuez, BBC News Mundo
Cuando en 1989 una educadora islandesa decidió separar a los niños y niñas en los colegios muchos lo vieron como un regreso al pasado.
Margrét Pála Ólafsdóttir es una educadora feminista y la creadora del método Hjalli, un currículo que separa a niños y niñas la mayor parte del día.
La idea es desmontar los prejudicios y debilidades de cada sexo: a los chicos se les refuerza que deben comunicarse y hablar más sobre sus sentimientos y a que se hagan cargo los unos de los otros. A las niñas se les anima a ser asertivas y hacer gala de su resistencia física.
Hjalli, A Rather Unusual Nursery (Catalan/English)
“The idea of splitting up the sexes comes from the children. They give me lots of ideas.” - Margrét Pála Ólafsdóttir, 1992
“The idea of splitting up the sexes comes from the children. They give me lots of ideas.” - Margrét Pála Ólafsdóttir, 1992
Este video presenta la experiencia de una escuela islandesa, en que las maestras realizaban algunas actuaciones concretas con grupos de niñas y niños por separado, con la intención de trabajar aquellos aspectos que debido a su socialización de género estaban menos trabajados. Con estas actuaciones pretendían superar las limitaciones derivadas de dicha socialización de género, que limitaban las posibilidades tanto de niñas como de niños, aunque de formas distintas, tal y como se puede ver. Sin duda es una gran experiencia. Vale la pena aprender de experiencias del pasado para seguir mejorando el presente. El video se elaboró en 1992, y en 2013, des de la Associació CoeducAcció lo hemos editado añadiendo los subtítulos en catalán.
NBC News: Iceland's answer to gender equality: Compensate for differences between boys, girls
Boys put on nail polish and play with gender-neutral dolls, while girls are taught to be more courageous and self-confident.
by Saphora Smith / Oct.04.2018 / 8:52 AM GMT+1 / Updated Oct.04.2018 / 1:34 PM GMT+1
A girl jumps off a table while shouting "I am strong" at the Laufásborg kindergarten in Reykjavik, Iceland.Brynjar Gunnarsson / for NBC News
REYKJAVIK, Iceland — Elia climbed onto the table in front of her classmates. She threw her fists into the air and jumped on to the blue mats below.
“I am strong,” the 3-year-old said, her eyes alight with pride and exhilaration.
On the other side of this nursery school in the chic neighborhood of Laufásborg, boys were practicing having “gentle hands” by massaging each other with lotion.
Iceland is consistently ranked first in the world for gender equality. But the Hjalli teaching model, as practiced in the nursery school, is considered progressive even in Iceland.
Euronews: Margrét Pála Ólafsdóttir: Getting girls out of the "Pink haze"
Margrét Pála Ólafsdóttir is an educator, founder and CEO of the Hjallastefnan schools. She has developed the “Hjalli” method, separating girls and boys in nursery and primary schools. She tells euronews reporter Valérie Gauriat how this actually helps to empower girls, breaks gender stereotypes, and paves the way for more democratic societies.
“We want girls to go out of the safe zone. We want to teach them to be noisy, to teach them to scream and jump, and take place. To use their voice! ”
The Christian Science Monitor
In Iceland, one of the world's most gender-equal countries, a pre-school educator is using a unique method to undo gender stereotypes before they take root in children. "They are two years old when they have formed this ender identity, and they become so gender traditional," says Margrét Pálá Ólafsdóttir.
In Iceland, one of the world's most gender-equal countries, a pre-school educator is using a unique method to undo gender stereotypes before they take root in children. "They are two years old when they have formed this ender identity, and they become so gender traditional," says Margrét Pálá Ólafsdóttir.
Euronews: Iceland's recipe for gender parity
In Iceland, equality begins at school. Euronews reporter Valerie Gauriat takes us on a journey through Icelandic society to discover the secret ingredients that give the country a lead in the fight for gender equality.
Irish Times
Equality from infancy to maternity: How did Icelandic women achieve their progressive lifestyle?
Equality from infancy to maternity: How did Icelandic women achieve their progressive lifestyle?
The Guardian
A performance by Reykjavíkurdætur (the Daughters of Reykjavik), an Icelandic feminist rap collective who rap about gender issues. Photograph: Nicholas Rhodes/Corbis via Getty Images
Why Iceland is the best place in the world to be a woman
Since 1975, the Nordic country has blazed the trail in gender equality and now, from infancy to maternity, women and girls enjoy a progressive lifestyle. But how did they achieve itS?
- Source, The Guardian
Hjalli Model in "An Equal Difference"
Many people, even in Iceland, shut down at the mention of single-sex education. It seems counter-productive to equality but it isn’t. The classes are segregated for intelligent reasons, and all the children play together during breaks.
Excerpted from An Equal Difference published 2016 London ISBN: 978-0-9954856-0-0
"The Hjalli model is mostly known for single-sex classes and for trying to liberate children from traditional gender roles and stereotypical behaviours. Children at Hjalli schools are encouraged to express all human qualities, in the belief that every child should have every avenue open to them, regardless of their gender. Many people, even in Iceland, shut down at the mention of single-sex education. It seems counter-productive to equality but it isn’t. The classes are segregated for intelligent reasons, and all the children play together during breaks.
The war of the sexes begins at an early age. Generalised differences between boys and girls can be the source of early conflict and can easily develop into confidence issues. Girls tend to develop their verbal and reasoning abilities earlier, and boys tend to develop their motor skills earlier. They can use these advantages to intimidate each other. Single-sex classes create an environment in which children can learn and grow more confident without cross-sex competition. Confidence is essential for learning and health. When boys or girls are not naturally inclined to, say, speak in front of an audience or show empathy to a classmate, they are given the opportunity to learn these behaviours away from the watchful, often critical, eyes of the opposite sex."
-G.S. Motola, An Equal Difference
Mercatornet
Credit: Mercatornet - Girl Scouts compete in the USS California Science Experience at Naval Surface Warfare. US Navy via Wikimedia
Closing the gender gap in education: lessons from Iceland
Single-sex education has an unexpected champion – a Nordic gender feminist.
-Source, Mercatornet
Magga Pála - Educating Children Differently (Pop Tech)
Margrét Pála Ólafsdóttir is a preschool management specialist in Iceland who advocates sex-segregated classes, natural play material instead of conventional toys, and a long-forgotten belief in discipline to develop optimism, courage, and resiliency in young children. "Feel the cold! I even take them into the snow -- and then the lava. Scream a little bit! But continue! And enjoy it!"
Margrét Pála Ólafsdóttir is a preschool management specialist in Iceland who advocates sex-segregated classes, natural play material instead of conventional toys, and a long-forgotten belief in discipline to develop optimism, courage, and resiliency in young children. "Feel the cold! I even take them into the snow -- and then the lava. Scream a little bit! But continue! And enjoy it!"