ETUCE Database of Good Practices

Duration

Project realised 2016-2018, but the outcomes are ongoing.

Partnership

• The Foundation for Social Diversity (FSD) • Local offices for education in local government structures in Warsaw and Gdańsk

Reason it was developed

Supporting and promoting high quality education for children with migration experiences, including refugee children by a teacher trade union in close cooperation with non-government organizations. Working out model solutions for a complete system of education for children with migration experiences, including refugee children. The most common problems reported by staff of the schools attended by children with migration experiences, including refugee children are: (a) lack of quality education materials for learning Polish that are well suited to the age and educational capacity of foreign children and lack of consistent scheme of organizing the educational process itself, including teaching Polish as a foreign language, (b) lack of necessary support in the form of competent psychological and pedagogical diagnosis, (c) lack of or insufficient support in the form of employing people as teacher’s aides or cross-cultural assistants, (d) lack of knowledge and competence by the educational staff to support the education and integration of children with migration experiences, including a lack of appropriate training courses for teachers, pedagogues, psychologists and other specialists.

Activities

Depending on the purpose of the activity, the following methods of its implementation were selected: • Raising the competence of employees and workers of psychological-pedagogical centers in terms of diagnosis in the field of children with experience of migration. Method of implementation: • Formulating the scheme of training courses for female and male workers of psychological and pedagogical counselling centers that diagnose children with migration experiences, including refugee children. Conducting pilot training. Evaluation of training, development of proposals after the evaluation. • Advancing the knowledge and skills of those that work as teacher’s aides and female and male cross-cultural assistants. Method of implementation: Conducting training advancing that are skills needed to work in school, based on a needs analysis conducted by the Foundation for Social Diversity. Evaluation of training, development of proposals after the evaluation. • Better working conditions for people that work as teacher aides and female and male cross-cultural assistants. Method of implementation: Formulating the scheme of training courses school principals and teacher boards, where there are (or will be) people employed as teacher aides and cross-cultural assistants. The aim of the training was to prepare school staff to ensure proper working conditions and build relationships with new employees in the school community, including the implementation of new people, running and monitoring and evaluation of cooperation. Conducting pilot training. Evaluation of training, development of proposals after the evaluation. • Improving the quality of materials for teaching Polish as a foreign language Method of implementation: Carrying out the analysis of educational materials used in teaching the Polish language as a foreign language for children and adolescents. Assessment of their suitability for the education of children with the experience of migration, including refugee children. Preparing a report and education and teaching methodology hints for teachers of Polish as a foreign language and sample materials. • Conducting counselling and workshops for schools where there are children with migration experiences, including refugee children. Method of implementation: Conducting telephone, mail and direct consultations (during personal meetings), organizing meetings with experts, inviting teachers, teacher assistants and school principals that ask for advice and help and participation in the planned training courses (points 1-3). • Conducting a local campaign for high quality education for refugees Method of implementation: Forming a scheme and preparing a local seminars and the national conference. Presentation of test materials - posters, movies - on the webpages of the project partners.

Results

• Formulating the scheme of training courses for female and male workers of psychological and pedagogical counselling centers that diagnose refugee children. • Formulating the scheme of training courses for those that work as teacher’s aides and female and male cross-cultural assistants. • Formulating the scheme of training courses for management of schools and teacher boards regarding building and implementing standards of cooperation between the school staff and those that work as teacher aides and cross-cultural assistants. • Carrying out the analysis of educational materials used in teaching the Polish language as a foreign language for children and adolescents. Formulating the scheme and preparing a campaign regarding high quality education for children with migration experiences, including refugee children. The project idea and each of its phases were presented in: • “Teacher’s Voice” - a weekly publication by the Polish Teachers’ Union • on the webpages of the all project partners: non-governmental organization, local governments and representatives of schools and counselling centers - workers of these institutions will participate in the project • on social media - Facebook, twitter The results of the project were used by the local governments as a part of their strategy and activities regarding the organization of education of foreign students. The worked out reports and recommendations had been sent to all of those that are interested - participants of the seminars and conferences in electronic form.

Funding

EI/ ZNP/ local authorities in Gdańsk and Warsaw.