At the beginning of February this year, over 30 teachers from 5 counties in the country participated in a workshop organized by the Terre des hommes Foundation. This workshop is part of the project “NOROC in education” (Norwegian-Romanian Initiative for Quality in Education), carried out by the Terre des hommes Foundation in partnership with ASCHFR Filiala Vâlcea and FAFO (The Fafo Institute for Labor and Social Research) from Norway, project joins the other initiatives of the authorities and NGOs in Romania, regarding the prevention and combating of school dropout, proposing interventions that lead to the decrease of the risk of school dropout in the case of children from disadvantaged groups in rural and small urban areas in five counties: Olt, Dolj, Gorj, Bacau, Vâlcea.
In this context, the purpose of the meeting was to prepare teachers for afterschool activities and work with children at risk of dropping out of school and/or with special educational needs. In this sense, the integrated intervention guidelines for preventing and combating school dropout and working with children with CES were presented. The guidelines detail the ways of working with children, parents and mentors, exemplifying the positive results obtained and detailing work recommendations, offering concrete tools (sheet for identification and monitoring of children at risk of dropping out of school, mentoring methodology and methodology for working with parents). These interventions will aim to reduce the risk of school dropout and improve the lives of students from partner schools in the NOROC project.
The methodology for identifying and monitoring children at risk of dropping out of school has the following objectives:
1. Identification of children at risk of school dropout from the educational units involved in the project, for the identification/analysis of risk factors and ensuring early intervention;
2. Monitoring of children at risk of school dropout from the educational units involved in the project, to adapt interventions and prevent school failure.
During the development of the project activities, as the methodology is implemented, the project team will make additions and adaptations, so that it responds as best as possible to the realities on the ground and provides effective examples of work for the identification and monitoring of children at risk of school dropout. The methodology will later be included in an integrated intervention guide for preventing and combating school dropout and working with children with SEN, and the guide will be distributed nationally.
“The involvement of all teaching staff in the development and implementation of an early warning system regarding the risk of school dropout, the assumption of a proactive attitude and the careful monitoring of students at risk of dropping out, the involvement of all interested factors, increase the chances of planning and achieving interventions adapted to children’s needs, being able to provide a consistent basis for preventing dropout and ensuring school success. School absenteeism, abandonment, early school leaving, reflect at the same time problems of an individual and social nature, having multiple roots and consequences on all levels related to the individual and society.
Considering the school dropout rates recorded in Romania and the particularities of the phenomenon from several perspectives (vulnerable groups, disadvantaged areas, the multitude of causes and favoring factors), it is imperative that the efforts of the interested factors be common, the interventions be integrated, and the monitoring and periodic evaluation to be part of a coherent system for preventing and combating school dropout”, says trainer Ema Șeclăman.
