Description
The project aims to develop a network and a pilot centre to develop, improve and test strategies, methodologies and action plans for children's inclusion, safety and mitigation of aggressiveness in multi-cultural schools in Brasov City through an integrated initiative. The project contributes to improving the safety, tolerance and inclusion of 800 children aged between 6 and 14 years who attend Secondary School No. 12, Brasov. This is a multicultural school where in most classes there are at least 4 ethnic children : Romanians, Hungarians, Germans and Roma. The project will contribute to reducing discrimination and effective integration of over 30 Roma children through training of teachers, parents and other categories of community representatives from NGOs, other schools, local authorities, and other service providers for children in the private sector such as sports coaches, kindergartens and nurseries. Over 2400 people, including 90 Roma, will benefit from the project activities.
Summary of project results
Over 800 children study in Lower Secondary School no 12 Brașov, coming from various ethnic backgrounds (Romanian, Hungarian, German, Roma). The school area includes two streets with significant Roma population. Just as in other areas of Romania, discrimination is encountered. According to an INSOMAR survey, 72% of respondents considered that Roma people break the rules, while 25% said that they would refuse to have a Roma colleague. Pupils learn the discriminatory behaviour at home and then act in a discriminatory way at school. Verbal or even physical violence in school is not an isolated phenomenon and the teachers are not prepared to prevent and deal with these conflicts. At the same time, the two buildings of School no 12 are old (from 1905 and 1967, respectively) and present hazard risks for children. The project aimed to set up a network and a pilot centre for development and testing of a strategy, methodology and action plan of inclusion, safety and reduced aggresiveness in multi-cultural schools of Brașov. The Centre for Child Safety and Inclusion was established within School No 12 Brașov, in collaboration with bilateral partner “Child Safety House” from Iceland, an integrated fire alarm system has been installed in the building and a protection carpet has been laid on the sport field. A network with 22 members (schools, parents associations, public institutions, companies) has been set up for the goal of increasing the safety and improving social inclusion of children at risk of discrimination. 5 teachers have been trained as trainers/evaluators in the field of school safety of children and have attended a study visit in Iceland, while 50 teachers have been trained in using nonformal education methods for ensuring pupils inclusion and safety in schools. 920 children have benefited from nonformal activities for prevention of exclusion and risks, such as photo-video workshops and projections/exhibitions of short films, while 370 parents out of 1330 who participated in the project have been trained on how to improve collaboration with teachers for reducing violent or discriminatory behaviour of children in school. The project contributed to an increased degree of safety and inclusion in targeted schools from Brașov County, improved cooperation at local level in the area of school safety and inclusion and developed bilateral relations between Romania and Iceland in the project field.
Summary of bilateral results
The bilateral partner, "Child Safety House", Iceland, had a significant contribution to project success. At the beginning of the project, the bilateral partner has evaluated the school building and sport field against risks to child safety, issuing a specialised recommendations report, which have been subsequently put into practice by the PP. Consequently, 5 teachers have attended "training of trainers" course delivered by the partner from Iceland and have participated in a study visit in Iceland. Also, the Icelandic partner has attended 2 network meetings with child safety stakeholders from Brasov and has developed a toolkit for training parents on collaboration with teachers regarding ways to improve child safety and inclusion in schools. The involvement of the bilateral partner in the project contributed to the improvement of child safety and inclusion in schools from Brasov and development of bilateral relations between Romania and Iceland in this field.