Reflections on the Community/School Visit

Reflections on the community/school visit Facilitators: Jose Manuel Fresno, EU consultant Carolina Fernández, Fundación Secretariado Gitano (FSG)

The objective of the school visits was to share experiences on measures to address diversity in an EU country. The visit was organised in a half day for the presentation of policies and measures and their underpinning normative standards to see how the implementation of measures addressing diversity works in practice, the response of the Italian education system to social and cultural diversity, to inclusive schooling as the priority, and to measures to address educational inequalities due to social and cultural factors and learning community – a programme for transforming schools with the objective of reaching educational equality and improving the living-together and interactive learning as an educational practice aiming to the educational achievement of all pupils.

1. Differences and similarities between the experiences visited and the situation in your country

Differences Similarities

Flexibility of curricula Multiethnic mix of children Resources Centralised system Clear framework Ghetoization Quality of training inputs Mixed classes Positive feeling of Roma children According to the children rights convention Law Integrated approach Law allocated by financial budget Lack of knowledge of the language of majority Social welfare of the children Children of different ethnic backgrounds integrated in schools There are no separate schools for immigrants Curriculum common core 20% autonomous and Roma Smaller number of children in school All children go to the same school Language preparation lessons They follow the same curriculum More diverse minority groups Individual education plans No special language classes for minority groups

2. What has surprised you more? Please comment on both positive and negative aspects

Positive Negative Commitment of the staff The new law on segregation Innovative and motivated Parents not effective participants High self-esteem of children/pupils Some tendencies towards assimilation of minorities Very good commitment of teachers High percentage of migrants in the classroom Positive climate within the school Celebrate diversity Very vivid democratic climate Evaluation of level School entry any time Principal can request additional teacher (selection through ministry) Positive situation with regards to the discrepancy between the legislation and the solutions on the local level 3. What ideas or actions are transferable to your context or work?

Transferable ideas or actions Commitment of the municipalities Strong partnership in the implementation of all actors

4. If you had to summarize the visit on a message and you want to share it with the others, what would it be?

Messages

Excellent experience Importance of school context in identifying the capacities needed to be developed, attitudes that need to be formed/changed and practices that need to be adapted in order to create a school culture that contributes directly to a better implementation of national anti-discrimination policies in view of reducing disparities in education attainment of the different ethnic groups Need for teachers to be trained to work in multy culture institution, with children from different backgrounds. The Western Balkan stakeholders consider all these issues as firmly interlinked with the professional development of education practitioners and teaching/learning practices.