Addressing the ECD Gap for Roma children in

Addressing the ECD Gap for Roma children in practice: Overview of the A Good Start Project Conference on Early Childhood Education and Care for Roma Children 4 th June 2012 Brussels 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 1

Call objectives - DG Regio � 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

AGS activities adressing key areas listed in the call services provided for children aged 0 -6 q teachers and parents trained and empowered with regards to child development q outreach activities q need based support - enrolment fee, nutrition, health service q country specific possible policy implications analysed q With support from the European Union

With support from the European Union 4

Partner organizations q q q International Step By Step Association Slovak Governance Institute Fundacion Secretariado Gitano q q Cultural association of Roma in Slovakia Civic Association EQUAL CHANCES County Association of Roma Initiatives Methodological and Pedagogical Centre Bratislava q q Ruhama Foundation Romani CRISS q q q National Roma Centrum Roma Education Center “Ambrela” Humanitarian and Charitable Association of the Roma KHAM q q q 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% Slovakia 293 45. 4% Romania 97 3. 1% 56. 7% 29. 9% 9. 3% 1. 0% Macedonia 282 72. 0% 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%

Challenges in the 4 countries - addressed by AGS Ø Ø Ø Ø Ø 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

Preschool as a bridge to mainstream education Slovakia 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 Ø * above Ø monthly kindergarten fee covered Ø financing tutoring for children in zero classes Ø open house events in kindergartens and primary schools Ø transportation and accompaniment With support from the European Union

Community Resource Centres focused on ECEC in Romania 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

Supporting preschool enrolment in Macedonia AGS Skopje, Shuto Orizari - issues with official documentation, capacity problems, extreme poverty Ø assisted registration of children to obtain birth certificates, and vaccinations Ø financing tuition fee Ø material support for families Ø evening meetings for mothers Ø facilitate access to social services AGS Eastern-Macedonian localities - transportation issues, poverty Ø commitment of municipalities, joint investment in infrastructure Ø transportation provided, staff employed partly by AGS, partly by the municipalities Ø financing tuition fee With support from the European Union

Interconnected interventions in Hungary AGS 6 localities low quality of services in geographically isolated communities, Ø Ø 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

Instruments for evidence-based project implementation � Community Assessment � The application of the Household Survey � Database of beneficiary children � � Continuum for Assessing Caregivers in Center and Communitybased Programs Applying regular monitoring tools With support from the European Union

Outputs at the end of December 2011 ü ü ü ü ü 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

Promoting high quality services to Roma children and families by building capacity of professionals and paraprofesionals - ISSA‘s role in AGS: � To promote high quality ECEC services based on ISSA Principles of Quality Pedagogy in center, community and home based learning environments � 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 � To promote principles and practices of social justice and intercultural participatory approach in the framework of inclusion With support from the European Union 15

ISSA members who provided capacity building activities in the project: Ø Hungary – Partners Hungary Foundation Ø Macedonia – Foundation for Educational and Cultural Initiatives of Macedonia Ø Romania – Center for Education and Professional Development “Step by Step” Ø Slovakia – Wide Open School Foundation With support from the European Union 16

� Kindergarten Target groups: In numbers: 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 17

Types of capacity building activities: � 1 -3 days training workshops (AGS – EU funds) � Follow-up meetings, mentoring (AGS – Bernard van Leer Foundation additional funding support) � Thematic discussions during community evening events (AGS – EU funds) With support from the European Union 18

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

Lesson learnt by providing capacity building activities in all four countries: � � � 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 20

The biggest challenges: � 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 21

What makes the difference for long lasting capacity building investment? � 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 22

ISSA resources used in the projects and developed for the project: � ISSA Principles of Quality Pedagogy: The Competent Educator for the 21 st Century � A self-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

Lessons learned � 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: szpallaghy@romaeducationfund. org Carmen Anghelescu, ISSA Email: carmen. anghelescu@stepbystep. ro With support from the European Union