Transcript Involving the community, family education, quality service

Szilvia Pallaghy, REF
Project Manager A Good Start Project
Carmen Anghelescu
International Step by Step Association (ISSA)
Center for Education and Professional Development “Step by Step - Member of ISSA
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to scale-up access to quality ECEC services for
disadvantaged Roma children
to rise early childhood development outcomes
to support the establishment of non-discriminatory
policies in the field of ECEC
to support policy experimentation and testing of various
approaches to ECEC
to raise the level of awareness and commitment of
decision makers on the issue
to promote the culture of evidence-based, result-oriented
intervention
With support from the European Union
services provided for children aged 0-6
 teachers and parents trained and empowered with regards to
child development
 outreach activities
 need based support - enrolment fee, nutrition, health service
 country specific possible policy implications analysed
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With support from the European Union
With support from the European Union
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International Step By Step Association
Slovak Governance Institute
Fundacion Secretariado Gitano
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Cultural association of Roma in Slovakia
Civic Association EQUAL CHANCES
County Association of Roma Initiatives
Methodological and Pedagogical Centre Bratislava
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Ruhama Foundation
Romani CRISS
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National Roma Centrum
Roma Education Center “Ambrela”
Humanitarian and Charitable Association of the Roma KHAM
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Romano Trajo Association
Unity in Diversity Foundation
College of Nyíregyháza
Evaluation and capacity building by the World Bank and UNDP
With support from the European Union
With support from the European Union
DATA FROM THE HOUSEHOLD SURVEY ON
ENROLLMENT OF ALL CHILDREN AGED 3-7 IN AGS,
2010
number
of
children
aged 3-7
years
A
at home
and not
enrolled
B
mother/
child
program
me
8.2%
C
Crèche
D
kindergarten
E
community
center
G
special
primary
school
H
other
institution
21.8%
1.4%
1.4%
Slovakia
293
45.4%
Romania
97
3.1%
56.7%
29.9%
9.3%
1.0%
Macedonia
282
72.0%
13.1%
0.4%
13.1%
0.4%
Hungary
381
5.8%
0.5%
21.8%
F
primary
school
88.5%
With support from the European Union
5.2%
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lack of proper legislative framework
capacity problem, lack of kindergarten facilities
scarcity of ECEC services for age group 0-3
quality of ECEC services is often under the required
minimum standards
segregation in kindergartens and school education
system
channelling Roma children to special education, or to
zero classes
insufficient preparation with the language of instruction
Poverty and material depravation, poor housing
conditions
health status of children
With support from the European Union
AGS Zborov, Abranovce - capacity problems, language issue,
inter-cultural relations
 community mediators empowered parents to enrol children*
 material support*
 tutoring for children attending zero classes*
 provided financial support to establish preschool services
 employed teacher, Romani teacher assist. and kitchen assist.
 informal preschool class for Roma children run by the church
AGS Martin, Banska Bystrica - capacity problems, transportation
 * above
 monthly kindergarten fee covered
 financing tutoring for children in zero classes
 open house events in kindergartens and primary schools
 transportation and accompaniment
With support from the European Union
AGS Telechiu, Craiova - isolation, extreme poverty, lack of
infrastructure
 community center established in the community – temporary
solution
 alternative, community-based and comprehensive
intervention: social worker, health mediator, education
mediator and pedagogue
 informal adult education (focus on mothers)
 nursery/ crèche for 0-3 established in the centre (in the
process of accreditation)
 liason between municipality and the Roma community
With support from the European Union
AGS Skopje, Shuto Orizari - issues with official documentation,
capacity problems, extreme poverty
 assisted registration of children to obtain birth certificates,
and vaccinations
 financing tuition fee
 material support for families
 evening meetings for mothers
 facilitate access to social services
AGS Eastern-Macedonian localities - transportation issues,
poverty
 commitment of municipalities, joint investment in
infrastructure
 transportation provided, staff employed partly by AGS, partly
by the municipalities
 financing tuition fee
With support from the European Union
AGS 6 localities low quality of services in geographically isolated
communities,
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Home visits by the community mediators
Meséd (Your Story) - literacy for empowernment
developing parenting skills and knowledge to improve ECED
outcomes for young children
training and engagement of local Roma as mentors and
facilitators
Home Pre-School Community Liasion program
Focus on the mainstream society - theoretical and practical part
of teacher’s training modified
curricula adjusted
obligatory practice module modified
With support from the European Union
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Community Assessment
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The application of the Household Survey
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Database of beneficiary children
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Continuum for Assessing Caregivers in Center and Communitybased Programs
Applying regular monitoring tools
With support from the European Union
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More than 9000 home visits to families in the project
776 Roma children enrolled with support from AGS: 483 in kindergarten,
203 in primary school and 90 in other forms of ECD (mother-child
programs)
172 Roma mothers and 451 children participated Your Story program
186 teachers and 36 paraprofessionals trained
More than 300 students (future teachers) participated activities
More than 800 children received material support
In Macedonia, 351 parents and children obtained official documents/
birth certificates; more than 1000 children were assisted with vaccination
About 100 community motivation events held
Good-practice guides and policy papers in preparation
With support from the European Union
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To promote high quality ECEC services based on ISSA Principles of
Quality Pedagogy in center, community and home based learning
environments
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To build the capacity of professionals and paraprofessionals so that
they are able to address the specific needs of Roma children and
their families, to support the early learning and holistic child
development
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To promote principles and practices of social justice and
intercultural participatory approach in the framework of inclusion
With support from the European Union
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Hungary – Partners Hungary Foundation
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Macedonia – Foundation for Educational and Cultural
Initiatives of Macedonia
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Romania – Center for Education and Professional
Development “Step by Step”
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Slovakia – Wide Open School Foundation
With support from the European Union
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Target groups:
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In numbers:
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Kindergarten and Primary School
Teachers
Roma Teaching Assistants
Mediators (community, health)
Community center staff
Family/Health Assistants
Roma Parents
Local authorities
Teachers trained in all 16 communities: 186
Mediators trained in all 16 communities: 36
With support from the European Union
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Types of capacity building
activities:
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1-3 days training workshops
(AGS – EU funds)
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Follow-up meetings,
mentoring (AGS – Bernard van
Leer Foundation additional
funding support)
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Thematic discussions during
community evening events
(AGS – EU funds)
With support from the European Union
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Content areas of trainings:
• Child centered philosophy, child’s holistic
development approach and child development
in early years
• ISSA’s Principles of Quality Pedagogy – putting
knowledge into practice following the seven
Focus Areas of Quality
• Education for Social Justice – combating
discrimination, understanding and celebrating
diversity
• Parent support – strengthening parenting skills
• Home-School-Community Liaison Program
• Mentoring skills, mediation and whole
community approach
• Integrated services for ECD of children from
birth to 3 years old
With support from the European Union
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The trainings alone are not effective if they are not accompanied by
assistance and support to practitioners through mentoring to improve
their competences.
Building the capacity on the level of kindergarten/community center has
to be accompanied by building strong local capacity on ECD of Roma
and non-Roma professionals/experts to support the daily activities of
practitioners.
The capacity building activities are just a piece of a greater system of
support for improving children’s learning, development and their lives.
Building specific competences in workforce to facilitate better
communication with Roma families and communities and to create a
network of support.
Changing attitudes and shifting values takes time! The improvements
might be slow but most important is to make them last!
With support from the European Union
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Creating a common understanding of what quality means,
especially in poor environments
The prejudice that high quality is determined exclusively by
expensive environments, not mainly by the quality of
interactions, the teaching/learning strategies, building on
children’s strengths and partnering with families
Lack of a platform for communication on the local level,
limited institutional and professional cooperation
Assuring the consolidation of the changes/improvements
seeded through the capacity building activities during the
project time.
With support from the European Union
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What makes the difference for long lasting capacity
building investment?
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Create a pool of professional-anchors on the local level
(Roma and non-Roma)
Providing on-going support/mentoring for professionals and
paraprofessionals working in communities through
professional-anchors
Providing professional resources that can help practitioners
in their daily practice
Meeting the specific needs of families, communities and also
of practitioners working in those communities
With support from the European Union
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ISSA Principles of Quality Pedagogy: The Competent
Educator for the 21st Century
A self-assessment/assessment/monitoring tool aiming to
nurture the understanding of quality practices in early
childhood services: Assessing Quality Practices in Inclusive
Early Childhood center/community /home based learning
environments, Scoring Sheet
Instrument for monitoring child’s progress following the
child’s holistic development approach: Child Assessment
Instrument, Scoring Sheet
Building Opportunities in Early Childhood from the Start: A
Teacher’s Guide to Inclusive Early Childhood Services
With support from the European Union
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Two years of subsidized or free kindergartens for all
Inclusive and integrated approach to ECEC
Variety of basic quality services (home-based and
community-based services for children 0-3/
kindergarten for children 3-6)
Quality human resources (teachers, health workers)
Community empowerment with focus on mothers
Greater focus is needed in urban settings
With support from the European Union
Contact:
Szilvia Pallaghy, REF
Email: [email protected]
Carmen Anghelescu, ISSA
Email: [email protected]
With support from the European Union