THE INCLUSIVE EDUCATION (equal chances for minorities, for students with special needs, with risk of social exclusion) Study case – Grup Şcolar „Virgil Madgearu” Iaşi, Romania Authors: Mihaela Ţurcănaşu (History Teacher) Daniela Livadaru (Religion Teacher)

For an Inclusive Education… General principles: Non-discrimination; Equal rights and equal chances; Evaluation of person’s capabilities; Evaluation of person’s needs; Right to understanding; Accessibility. The Inclusive Education presupposes : a change in attitude, behaviour and curriculum, a change meant to satisfy children’ s diversity; assurance towards the access to education of the disadvantaged groups, no matter whatever they might be.

Steps towards an Inclusive Education: In Romania, this concern has taken form after 1989 at the same time as the educational system has become democratized. Before that the situation of the children with special needs was an extremely difficult one. Its improvement was possible due to some foreign NGOs’ support too. The new Law of Education 1/2011 tries to meet the needs of the Romanian Education System regarding the assurance of the equality of chances for all the children. Alternative curricula, syllabi, textbooks and teaching methodologies adapted to the type and degree of disability or to each group with special needs are provided.

The Inclusive Education in our school… Main directions: 1. Romany ethnic students, especially in the 1 st to the 8 th grade; 2. Students with special educational needs (SEN); 3. Students with a risk of social exclusion because of the precarious financial resources; 4. Students coming from the Republic of Moldova; 5. Students with parents left for work abroad; 6. Students with different problematic situations; 7. Carrying out “A Second Chance” Programme. I and the World, Clara Tudose

The Inclusive Education in our school… 1. Romany ethnic students, especially in the 1 st to the 8 th grade (58 students out of 250 students); NEEDS: Adaptation difficulties and ethnic discrimination risk; Their precarious financial situation = high risk of student abandonment The World in Their Eyes, Oana Mocanu

The Inclusive Education in our school… 1. Romany ethnic students, especially in the 1 st to the 8 th grade (58 students out of 250 students); SOLUTIONS: There is a school mediator in school who: Prevents abandonment; Offers family and student counselling; Performs home visits; Organises integrative activities in his counselling office; Monitors school progress; Monitors class attendance; Recruits students for the “A Second Chance” Programme; Traditional customs, performed by Magic Eye band

The Inclusive Education in our school… 2. Students with SEN (28 students out of 250 students – in the primary and secondary level); NEEDS: Mild physical and/or intellectual deficiencies; ADHD Syndrome; Learning difficulties or even educational retardation; Social exclusion and school abandonment risk; Activities with children with SEN from our school encouraging their creativity

The Inclusive Education in our school… 2. Students with SEN (28 students out of 250 students – in the primary and secondary level); SOLUTIONS: There is a school mediator in school who: Prevents abandonment; Offers family and student counselling; Performs home visits; Organises integrative activities in his counselling office; Monitors school progress; Monitors class attendance; Recruits students for the “A Second Chance” Programme; Special assistance from the school mediator in our school

The Inclusive Education in our school… 2. Students with SEN (28 students out of 250 students – in the primary and secondary level); ACHIEVEMENTS: Pointing out students’ talents (2 students good at sports - judoka and box, dance/singing – Romany dances troupe, modern dance); Making extracurricular projects through which funds have been raised and used for their trips and excursions; Favouring their school trajectory; Reducing absenteeism, making up for the lost educational retardation/school progress; Carrying out EU financed projects (“Education means Future” – Project financed through the Sectorial Operational Programme for Human Resources Development). Mini-show valuing the talent of our students

The Inclusive Education in our school… 3. Students with a risk of social exclusion because of the precarious financial resources (385 students out of 1040 high school students); NEEDS: School abandonment risk; SOLUTIONS: Supporting scholarships granted through governmental programmes („Bani de liceu”/“High school Money”), social scholarships, scholarships for orphans etc.); „Cornul şi laptele”/The “Roll and Milk” Programme) (for the primary and secondary levels), through governmental programme; School supplies offered to 1-8 graders through foreign financed programmes; Transportation discount for all commuter students. Child portrait, Iuliana Murariu

The Inclusive Education in our school… 4. Students coming from the Republic of Moldova (16 students out of 1040 high school students); NEEDS: Integration in the school collective difficulties; Lack of direct familial support which leads to the development of early autonomy of the child/youth; SOLUTIONS: Granting special scholarships through the Romanian government; Form teacher counselling; Offering support from teachers and students. Always with you, Oana Mocanu

The Inclusive Education in our school… 5. Students with parents left for work abroad (233 students out of 1350 students from the 1st to the 13 th grade); NEEDS: Behavioural disorders which may lead to low school yield/violence/inadaptation and so on; Risk of school abandonment; Emotional vulnerability; SOLUTIONS: Increased attention given by form teachers, class teachers, counselling teacher. The World seen by us, Oana Mocanu

The Inclusive Education in our school… 6. Students with different problematic situations; NEEDS: Behavioural disorders; Risk of school abandonment; Emotional vulnerability; SOLUTIONS: Identifying problematic situations and finding solutions adapted to each particular case by every form teacher; Expert counselling offered by the counselling teacher; Extracurricular and out of school activities meant to harmonise the collectivity of students and to build supportive groups; Extracurricular activity

The Inclusive Education in our school… 7. Carrying out “A Second Chance” Programme; NEEDS: Offering the possibility of finalise the compulsory learning (1-9 grade) for those who abandoned school; Educational retardation; Social isolation; Social exclusion and ethnic discrimination (the majority are Romany ethnic students) risk; SOLUTIONS: Adapted curricula, syllabi and teaching methodologies; Refresher courses for teachers; Adequate allotment of resources.

An Inclusive Education for the future… The inclusive education represents an extremely wide area called to face a variety of challenges. The new legislative framework and the material resources offered by the Romanian government set the premises towards an inclusive education for durable and successful results. To conclude, we also share the opinion that we are at the dawn of it and that we still have a lot to learn by means of knowledge and good practices transfer within the project. Traditional Modernity, Teona Berariu Thank for your attention!