Access to education for disadvantaged groups Multiannual programme

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Access to education for disadvantaged Access to education for disadvantaged groupsgroups

Multiannual programmeMultiannual programme

ROMANIATHE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND RESEARCH

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RomaRoma registers registers the highest ratethe highest rate of of pre-pre-school and school school and school non-attendance and non-attendance and school abandonschool abandon. .

The causes are multiple, and often The causes are multiple, and often conjugated, limiting the access to quality conjugated, limiting the access to quality educationeducation

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PRESENTATION OF PRESENTATION OF Romanian Romanian PHARE ProgrammePHARE Programme

““Access to education for disadvantaged groupsAccess to education for disadvantaged groups”” The overall objective of the project is to fight against The overall objective of the project is to fight against marginalisation and social exclusion by improving marginalisation and social exclusion by improving access to education for disadvantaged groups, with a access to education for disadvantaged groups, with a special focus on Roma and the project purpose is:special focus on Roma and the project purpose is:

- to increaseto increase the availability and improve the conditions the availability and improve the conditions of pre-school education to stimulate early enrolment of pre-school education to stimulate early enrolment

- to stimulateto stimulate that children finalise compulsory that children finalise compulsory education (prevention of dropout);education (prevention of dropout);

- to provideto provide second chance education for persons who second chance education for persons who did not complete their compulsory education did not complete their compulsory education (correction of dropout).(correction of dropout).

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• Through the MER notification no. Through the MER notification no. 29323/20.04.2004, the school 29323/20.04.2004, the school inspectorates were required inspectorates were required to to analyse the specific situation in all the analyse the specific situation in all the schools in which the percentage of schools in which the percentage of Roma children compared with non-Roma children compared with non-Roma shows a great disproportion Roma shows a great disproportion with the percentage of Roma children with the percentage of Roma children in the total school age population in the total school age population from the area. from the area.

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• The school inspectorates have to initiate an The school inspectorates have to initiate an action plan that aims at eradication of action plan that aims at eradication of segregation. The measures proposed are to segregation. The measures proposed are to be adapted to each situation and will take into be adapted to each situation and will take into consideration the fact that the desegregation consideration the fact that the desegregation process is a difficult one. This plan will process is a difficult one. This plan will include – but will not limit itself at – measures include – but will not limit itself at – measures such as:such as:

• establishment of heterogenic classes for establishment of heterogenic classes for pupils at all levels of education;pupils at all levels of education;

• assuring transportation for Roma pupils to assuring transportation for Roma pupils to school with another ethnic majority, school with another ethnic majority, especially for children from territorial especially for children from territorial segregated areas;segregated areas;

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• common utilisation of existing school spaces common utilisation of existing school spaces and facilities;and facilities;

• training and hiring Roma school mediators;training and hiring Roma school mediators;• offering supplementary teaching hours, as offering supplementary teaching hours, as

remedial action for children who have remedial action for children who have difficulties in learning;difficulties in learning;

• promoting the ethnic identity of Roma in promoting the ethnic identity of Roma in heterogenic schools, including through heterogenic schools, including through curriculum development;curriculum development;

• involve Roma educational staff in schools in involve Roma educational staff in schools in order to assure teaching of the specific order to assure teaching of the specific curricula (Romani language, history and curricula (Romani language, history and traditions of Roma);traditions of Roma);

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• training the educational staff in inclusive training the educational staff in inclusive education, in order to assure a proper education, in order to assure a proper educational climate for a multiethnic educational climate for a multiethnic environment;environment;

• facilitating the transfer of pupils, as a facilitating the transfer of pupils, as a measure aiming at balancing the Roma and measure aiming at balancing the Roma and non-Roma proportion in a school;non-Roma proportion in a school;

• raising awareness of the Roma communities raising awareness of the Roma communities regarding the quality of education in regarding the quality of education in heterogenic schools and involving the heterogenic schools and involving the parents in the decisional process at school parents in the decisional process at school level;level;

• raising awareness of all parents regarding the raising awareness of all parents regarding the benefits of inclusive educations, in order to benefits of inclusive educations, in order to discourage those that demand the enrolling discourage those that demand the enrolling of their children in classes with no Roma or of their children in classes with no Roma or the establishment of separate classes for the establishment of separate classes for Roma pupils.Roma pupils.

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Development of the institutional capacity of the Development of the institutional capacity of the County School Inspectorates and of the schools in County School Inspectorates and of the schools in

order to improve the access to education for order to improve the access to education for disadvantaged groups disadvantaged groups

SPECIFIC activities:SPECIFIC activities:• Training/ facilitation and support Training/ facilitation and support

materials for the elaboration, under the materials for the elaboration, under the co-ordination of School Inspectorates, in co-ordination of School Inspectorates, in partnership with stakeholders, of County partnership with stakeholders, of County strategies for improving access to strategies for improving access to education for disadvantaged groupseducation for disadvantaged groups

• Guidelines and working instruments for Guidelines and working instruments for the establishment of functional Steering the establishment of functional Steering Committees at the county level to Committees at the county level to support the implementation of support the implementation of project/strategy related activitiesproject/strategy related activities


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• Teacher’s guides on inclusive school, active Teacher’s guides on inclusive school, active learning methods, support for adults learning, learning methods, support for adults learning, school based curriculum, management of change, school based curriculum, management of change, community participation, individual learning community participation, individual learning methods methods

• Demonstrative tapes to support training for each Demonstrative tapes to support training for each area mentioned abovearea mentioned above

• at least 10 teacher trainers trained for each pilot at least 10 teacher trainers trained for each pilot countycounty

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• 96 school mediators, from 12 participating 96 school mediators, from 12 participating counties, counties,

• ODL/reduced frequency for Roma primary school ODL/reduced frequency for Roma primary school teachersteachers

• second chance programme at the primary second chance programme at the primary and and lower secondary educationlower secondary education


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• Educational materials for a) pre-school, primary Educational materials for a) pre-school, primary schools, remedial programmes, after school schools, remedial programmes, after school education programmes for students, books, education programmes for students, books, educational games and tapes for children, etc. b) educational games and tapes for children, etc. b) for parents: leaflets, posters etc.for parents: leaflets, posters etc.

• Assessment on essential issues, like contagious Assessment on essential issues, like contagious diseases, child exploitation etc. which have a diseases, child exploitation etc. which have a negative effect on school participation and negative effect on school participation and desegregationdesegregation


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• Guidelines/instruments and monitoring reports Guidelines/instruments and monitoring reports regarding the establishment and functioning of regarding the establishment and functioning of school support groups for each community school support groups for each community participating in the project, with the involvement/ participating in the project, with the involvement/ facilitation of the school mediators.facilitation of the school mediators.

• Assessment of the segregation cases (according Assessment of the segregation cases (according to the definition of the MER notification nr. 29323 to the definition of the MER notification nr. 29323 from 2004) at the level of each participating from 2004) at the level of each participating countycounty


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Recommendations for desegregation plans for Recommendations for desegregation plans for each caseeach case

Monitoring and evaluation system for Monitoring and evaluation system for desegregation plan desegregation plan

Guidelines and monitoring reports regarding the Guidelines and monitoring reports regarding the establishment of functional resources centres establishment of functional resources centres for inclusive educationfor inclusive education

Documents

Access to education for disadvantaged groups Multiannual programme