2018: Let’s be schoolmates! – programme which sustains inclusive school and the pupil focused teaching in a multicultural environment
Project Promoter: Fundația „Copii în Dificultate“
Project Code: 2018-EY-PICR-R1-0004
The Consortium Coordinator, the Foundation of Children in Distress, will implement the project together with 5 schools from rural communities in Arges County: Bughea de Sus, Bughea de Jos, Leresti, Merisani and Stefanesti. Over 82% of the families found in these communities rely on social benefits and are engaged in farming and livestock as means of support. Many pupils have never travelled outside their vilages where social and extracurricular activities are so reduced.
Two primary schools are isolated in the mountain area, lack public transportation, social and leisure opportunities. Their pupils face geographical segregation as they attend separate nursery and elementary school classes in facilities found in social-economically challenged areas.
The project target group includes 200 students with adaptation and integration issues (120 Roma children and 80 non-Roma children), 70 parents (50 Roma and 20 non-Roma parents) and 70 teachers.
Project objectives:
- Promoting non-formal education by participation of Roma students in extracurricular activities;
- Acquiring and developing key competences to facilitate social inclusion;
- Providing information, awareness and counseling services for Roma and non-Roma parents to understand the importance of education for their child’s development, improving their relationship with the school and enhancing levels of communication;
- Acquiring new knowledge and improving teachers’ skills of the five partner schools concerning student-centered teaching methods in a multicultural environment, as well as developing the capacity to enhance and use behavioral education strategies that promote non-discrimination, equality of chances, school and social inclusion.
Achieving these objectives contributes to: the development of social competences of Roma pupils required for social inclusion; improving the attitude and behavior of Roma parents towards school, developing communication and relationships between Roma and non-Roma parents, diversifying teaching methods centered on students through newly developed didactic materials and participation in trainings organized for teachers, all of which lead to increase in the institutional capacity of partner schools to ensure the effective inclusion of Roma children.
