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The aim of contemporary education is to shape a competent individual capable of solving life problems based on existing knowledge, skills, and abilities, ready to navigate the information space, receive, use, and create information. Achieving this goal requires dedication from education professionals, primarily pedagogues, psychologists, and teachers who must possess integral quality in their profession, which is competency. The main objective of the research is to examine the opinions of pedagogy students about the potentials of a set of workshops collectively named Creative Pedagogical Practices (CPP) for the development of competencies of school pedagogues. The workshops were implemented in secondary schools as part of courses in the field of school pedagogy. The study employed a descriptive research method, using written structured interviews as the research instrument. Research data indicate that students’ expectations regarding the creation and implementation of CPP workshops are met, as they have recognized the potential for developing professional competencies in the domain of didactic-methodological knowledge, social skills, creativity and general competencies for working in school. Regarding the development of personal competencies, respondents mentioned that the implementation of workshops contributed to developing their responsibility, self-confidence, and creativity, which they consider important qualities for future work in schools. The obtained research results can be relevant when creating study programs for educating educators, especially in light of a greater emphasis on practical activities during studies.

Intercultural education constitutes an integral part of the education system reform currently being undertaken in our country. This paper shall indicate the competencies thatteachers are required to develop to successfullyimplement the concept of intercultural education. Special attention shall be paid to analyzing key elements that initial trainingfor intercultural education at Teachers´ Training Faculties should comprise, bearing in mind that developing intercultural competencies in teachers constitute the basis for developing such competencies in students. Apart from providing them with a high-quality initial education, to develop the required competencies in teachers one also needs to furnish them with continuing professional development. The paper shall emphasize the importance of developing specific teaching competencies, and it shall point to various assumptions regarding successful teaching activities aiming at the development of intercultural education.

The paper analyses the relation of contemporary school with the concepts of lifelong learning and sustainable development. It also elaborates the fact that school itself undergoes numerous changes in order to adequately respond to the demands of modern society, some of with refer to developing tools that build students’ capacities for lifelong learning and education for sustainable development. The major changes are felt in the very base of its functioning, moving it from the traditional educational organization toward the learning organization, that adopts modern work models and bases process of learning on active involvement, knowledge transformation and partner relations between students and teachers. Such conceptual changes fully correspond to new educational needs of individuals longing to develop competences for lifelong learning. Consequently, the alignment of school changes with the necessity to prepare students for lifelong education and education for sustainable development makes the central idea of the text. Finally, changes in contemporary school, especially in the part of school learning, are found to support the development of the concept of lifelong learning and education for sustainable development.