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Description
A recent study reveals that 70% of teachers believe that schools in Romania offer equal opportunities to all children. At the same time, 42.5% of the same respondents reject people of Roma ethnicity, while 33.7% of them reject homosexuals whereas 31.6% believe that violence against children is sometimes justified. Periodically, media articles show the marginalization suffered by children with special educational needs (SEN). Whether we talk about skin color, disabilities or learning difficulties, or any other difference, schools in Romania do not yet have the tools needed to manage diversity and differentiation in teaching.
The project creates a national network of 16 trainers and a network of 160 multipliers, who will transfer to as many schools in Romania as possible solutions for the acceptance and celebration of diversity, and also regarding differentiated teaching, mainly for children with SEN and tangential for any child considered "outside the norm". Through a collaborative, multi-stakeholder process 16 members of the national network will start from 2 studies regarding:
- the situations of violation of the rights of the child, in Romania, in the last 3 years, respectively
- good practices in addressing diversity in school, in Romania and at European level, during the last 5 years
Based on the in-depth Training of Trainers programme (3 modules lasting 5 days) in which they will participate, the members of the national network will develop a "Guide of diversity and differentiation in teaching", which will be disseminated in 8 regional courses for 160 education specialists. With a snowball effect, through multiplication seminars and an awareness campaign in schools, the message and solutions proposed by the project will reach at least 2400 teachers and 2700 students and at least 100 schools will become familiar with the Diversity Charter for Schools, a document that summarizes the working principles and methods of an inclusive functional school.
Summary of project results
Despite de opinion that school provides equal opportunities for all children there is evidence of segregation and discrimination affecting children with special needs, minority, social and economically disadvantaged etc. Research conducted by the project promoter among teachers showed that there is a need for information and resources/instruments to support them in working with children with special needs and for including the perspective of diversity and inclusion in their activity and promote these values in the classroom/school.
The project came up with a training of trainers program for 16 experts that were further involved in training of 167 resource persons and multiplier of information in the field of diversity and inclusion in schools. The design and content of the trainings took in account findings from the research conducted on 1)situations of child rights infringements and 2)good practices in approaching diversity in schools (2 research reports were issued on these topics). The trained teachers became a network of specialists that ensured coordinated activities in 125 schools: the “School for all” awareness campaign and elaboration of the "Guide for diversity and differentiate teaching". The campaign approached issues such as bullying, discrimination, hate speech, inclusion etc. and involved a diversity of methods: group activity, theatre, movies, inviting psychologists etc. The results of the entire work including input from the activities in schools set the fundamentals of a Paper of diversity that was issued, promoted, disseminated and signed by the schools participated in the campaign.
A total number 6232 teachers and students participated in the awareness campaign and benefitted of informal education on diversity and inclusion. The resources created are available on the promoter’s website: studies, guide and paper on diversity. The signing of the Paper of diversity by 125 schools represents a commitment to the principles and values of diversity and inclusion and set path to further collaboration and dissemination of information.
The project builds on previous experience in working with teachers and experts in education and expresses commitment to continue his work in the field of education.