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Description
In cooperation with a multidisciplinary expert team, we will hold theoretical seminars and practical workshops for a total of 24 primary and secondary school teachers. Their purpose will be to educate teachers in the field of methods and approaches to inclusion, work with the classes, work with children with special educational needs and their integration into the classroom, including Roma minority children.
Thanks to participation in the project, teachers will strengthen their practical competencies and better prepare themselves and their classes to take inclusive measures throughout the school. This experience will also enable them to establish contact with professionals and parents of children with special educational needs. The teacher will learn how to communicate properly with these parties, how to involve them in the inclusion process and how to get the necessary feedback from them. This will break down barriers to inclusion in a timely manner and increase the chances of successful inclusion of disadvantaged groups in education, including children of the Roma minority.
Sharing experiences, practices and know-how with the Norwegian and Czech partners will become a key pillar of the workshops, as well as an inspiration and example for all parties involved in the path to successful inclusion.
Summary of project results
The inclusion of children with special educational needs (SEN) has long been a priority in Czech education, necessitating continuous development of capacities, knowledge, and practical skills among teachers, as well as other pedagogical staff and school representatives. The need for skill enhancement became even more pressing at the start of 2022, when tens of thousands of Ukrainian children suddenly enrolled in Czech schools due to the outbreak of war in Ukraine. Many schools found themselves ill-equipped to address the needs of these new students, lacking both methodological guidance and personal and psychological support for teachers. In response, we initiated the HeartDay project, adapting its content to address the current needs of teachers.
The project comprised several activities, primarily centred around longitudinal monitoring of schools. This involved continuous assessment of the situation through interviews with school principals and teachers, complemented by attentive listening and personalised consultations with a total of 12 schools. Based on this monitoring and the identified needs of school representatives, the project undertook various optimisations. The most significant activity was the implementation of four HeartDays - morning class meetings held in the Fortress of Knowledge in Olomouc. These sessions were filled with games and fun activities aimed at fostering closer relationships among school teams, facilitating connections between Ukrainian and Czech children, and enabling teachers from schools in the Olomouc region to exchange experiences and best practices. The positive impact of these was evident as reflected in the feedback received from participating teachers and ongoing testimonials from local schools and Ukrainian communities.
The main output of the project was the development of a comprehensive methodology. This methodology, which synthesised findings from longitudinal school monitoring, mutual visits with Norwegian partners, and discussions with Czech teachers, encapsulates the collective experience of educators and other stakeholders involved in the inclusion of Ukrainian pupils in education. It serves as a valuable resource for sharing examples of best practice, thereby supporting other schools in their efforts toward inclusion.
Ultimately, the project successfully achieved its main objectives by facilitating the inclusion of Ukrainian children in the classroom, particularly within the participating schools, and by enhancing the knowledge and practical skills of teachers. These newly acquired skills are not only beneficial for integrating foreign language groups of children, but also for addressing the needs of other pupils with special educational needs or from disadvantaged groups, such as Roma communities.
Summary of bilateral results
The collaboration with our partners occurred across multiple levels and significantly influenced the implementation of the project. Notably, Norway stands out as one of the most multicultural countries, admired for its approach to integrating refugees into both education and society, boasting extensive experience in this field. We endeavoured to leverage these experiences to benefit the Czech school environment, aiming to transfer effective practices and strategies for fostering inclusion and intergration.