Aula 08: A number of high-quality events will take place, based on the involvement of various Spanish Ministries
Aula 2008: As a complement to the useful guidance provided at the stands of the exhibiting centres and bodies at AULA '08, the International Educational Opportunities Exhibition will provide the framework for the staging of a packed programme of conferences and coinciding activities, which will also provide valuable guidance to the fair's visitors.
Ifema, the organiser of both the exhibition and the complementary events, has enjoyed the support of a number of outstanding bodies and various Spanish Ministries in preparing the Specialised Conference and Activities Programme for this edition. The sixteenth edition will take place at Feria de Madrid, between 2nd and 6th April 2008.
The Programme will be structured around a series of Specialised Conferences. Thus, on the first day of the fair, 2nd April, the Spanish Ministry for Education and Science (MEC), through the auspices of the Education Department and the Higher Sports Council, will tackle the issue of new teaching methods in sports. It will also organise a debate on a scientific and technological theme, organised in this case by the Higher Council for Scientific Research (CSIC). Meanwhile, the Ministry of Defence will offer information to those who are interested in pursuing a professional military career, presenting the Armed Forces as a key force for integration within society.
On Thursday 3rd April, visitors will be able to attend the following conferences: "What to Do After Completing the School-Leaving Certificate (ESO) and Secondary Education (Bachillerato)" (MEC and Ministry of Defence); "Would You Like to Become a Teacher?" (MEC); "Innovation and School Success" (Madrid Regional Government); and "Civic and Tax Education As a Form of Training in Values" (MEC and the Tax Agency).
On the same day, the Aula Award for Best Educational Book will also be presented. This initiative, promoted by the fair itself and sponsored by Caja Madrid, takes place at every edition of the fair.
On 4th April, the Ministry of Culture and Science (MEC) will consider the future of Vocational Training and will sponsor the presentation of the Greco-Latin Theatre Awards, after a number of secondary education student groups have performed their plays. For its part, the Department for Secondary Education and Teaching in the Region of Madrid will tackle the topic "Implementing the Education Act (LOE) in Secondary Education and Vocational Training".
Finally, on Saturday 5th April, the Board of Education of the Region of Madrid will present some of the "Key Factors for School Success", after which MEC and the Water Department (attached to the Ministry of the Environment) will present an overview of "Water Management in Spain".
Another part of the complementary programme at Aula '08 will consist of the fair's coinciding activities, which will include arranged visits to national museums, such as the Prado Museum, the Science and Technology Museum, the Anthropology Museum, the Archaeology Museum, the Museum of the Americas, the Decorative Arts Museum, the Reina Sofía National Art Centre Museum, the Municipal Museum and the City Museum. The fair will also organise visits to various Centres for High Sporting Performance, including the Centre for High Sporting Performance of Sierra Nevada (CAR) in Granada, and the Centre for High Sporting Performance (CAR) in the Barcelona town of Sant Cugat del Vallés. Furthermore, a number of other bodies and organisations will join the Activities Programme, including different centres and departments attached to the Spanish Ministry of Defence: the Royal Guard (based in El Pardo in Madrid); the Hydrodynamic Experiments Canal; the Naval Museum; and the Madrid Recruitment Department. Visits to CSIC's Royal Botanical Gardens and the National Natural Science Museum will also be organised.
The Youth Orchestra of the Region of Madrid will offer a concert featuring music from Madrid in the National Auditorium on Thursday 3rd April. Finally, on 3rd and 4th April, in the main avenue at the IFEMA exhibition centre, the Dog-Training Departments of the National Police Corps and the Guardia Civil will organise their habitual Guide Dogs Demonstration, which earns the admiration and applause of the public each year.
