Topic

Improving self-competences and life skills for Roma children and adolescents in Romania, Kosovo and Macedonia by developing teaching and learning material for three age groups to be used in school or in community services.

Background

The integration and education of Roma children and adolescents in Romania is still facing big challenges. The number of school drop-outs in certain regions is high; children and adolescents are occupied with household tasks or have to take small jobs in order to contribute to the family’s life. Apart from the economic situation of Roma, Roma children and adolescents show a rather low self-concept and belief in their own self-competences and life skills. Due to the low attendance of school and the difficulties Roma students face in class, the belief in own competences as well as in education as a value is decreased furthermore.

Goals

The project “FACE – Families and Children in Education - Self-competences and life skills for Roma” aims at improving the self-competences and life skills for Roma children and adolescents through developing and introducing a series of teaching material focussing on self-regulated and co-operative learning in their schools. The material consists of three booklets for students and teachers which will be jointly developed with the experts in Romania. Apart from students and teachers also communities, authorities and parents will be involved in the project trying to raise their awareness for this learning area and the future perspective of the children. It is a declared goal of the project to integrate Roma representatives into the project team, the expert team and the whole implementation from the beginning onwards. By the end of the project a total number of 1’675 students, 220 teachers, 1’675 parents and 40 communities will have been in direct contact with the material.

Project Plan

The project is planned for four years, using year one for a thorough dialogue and exchange for developing the materials adapted to the specific context of Roma students and teachers. In the second year the developed teaching material will be tested in two Roma settlements in Romania. A Baseline-Study with these pilot schools will accompany the project and deliver insights into the expected impact on the students. After the completion of all booklets, an electronic version will be prepared and presented on a website for free download. The material will also be translated and prepared for use in Kosovo and Macedonia. In the years three and four the number of students, teachers and schools involved will be expanded in Romania. In Kosovo and Macedonia, the project implementation will start in three regions.

Facts

The project is to be financed by the Lottery Fund of the Canton of Zurich, Switzerland.

The main components of the project are:

• Development of teaching materials for students and teachers (Series of Me-Booklets for three age groups)

• Implementation in pilot schools

• Expansion and translation of material for use in Kosovo and Macedonia

• Development of website for download of material also electronically

• Baseline-Study

The project takes place in two regions of Romania in the first two years and will be expanded to Kosovo and Macedonia in the last two years.

Partner

Ministry of Education and Scientific Research, Bukarest

Schools in Sacele

Schools in Pietris, Dolhesti

Lead:

Centre (IPE) International Projects in Education, Zurich University of Teacher Education

Lagerstrasse 2, 8090 Zuürich

wiltrud.weidinger@phzh.ch

doris.kuhn@phzh.ch