1. Title:
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Support to the Ministry for Human and Minority Rights to Co-ordinate Assistance to the Roma in Serbia, component: Roma Teaching Assistants (RTA)
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2. Rationale:
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Only a relatively small percentage of Roma children attends primary schools, and even smaller percentage secondary schools. This is due to a number of factors, which include: a) low family income; b) difficulties related to school entrance tests; c) language problems; and d) socio-cultural differences. Successful attendance in the first grades and integration of Roma pupils at schools, as well as their willingness to continue schooling, do not only lay the basis for their future personal development (e.g. their professional and economic perspectives), but also for the improvement of inter-ethnic relations in the country.
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3. Objective(s):
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To support the integration of Roma children into schools; assist them in improving their knowledge of Serbian, and work with families to ensure regular attendance. RTAs have completed their training and 28 of them began working in schools throughout Serbia.
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4. Target ethnic group(s):
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Roma Teaching Assistants and pupils of Roma origin located all over Serbia (Leskovac, Vranjska Banja, Bujanovac, Vranje, Nis, Aleksinac, Kraljevo, Kikinda, Alibunar, Deronje, Subotica, Tovarishevo, Novi Sad, Becej, Beograd, Sabac, Jagodina and Kragujevac). Schools where RTAs are engaged are in the areas with larger Roma population.
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5. Involvement of ethnic group in:
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This project originated from the Action Plan on Education of Roma adopted by the Serbian Government. Roma participated in the development of this Action Plan, where one of the measures was introducing RTAs in educational system. With the purpose of scoping of this project, the OSCE organised workshops where Roma National Council and Roma NGOs participated in.
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Roma Teaching Assistants have implemented this project within a framework of the OSCE/MoE IAA
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The Ministry of Education conducted assessment in order to evaluate results of this action. Roma employed by the Ministry was involved in the assessment.
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6. Main activities:
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Work with the most vulnerable ethnic groups in Serbia within the curricula framework:
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announcing open competition for RTA position
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selection of candidates (criteria included Romany language and previous work experience with Roma children)
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training of the candidates (54 )
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introducing RTA in schools (20)
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RTA assist Romani children during classes and additional work with children to overcome gaps in their knowledge
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7. Duration of the project:
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June 2006 - September 2007
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8. Main results:
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Direct participation and inclusion of Roma into Serbian society in the sphere of education
Educational inferiority leads to social exclusion. The RNSS, in co-operation with the MOES and the Roma National Council, has worked on a special measure aimed at increasing the number of students of Roma origin in secondary and higher education. In the 2003/2004 school year, textbooks were provided free of charge to 5,886 pupils in elementary schools from vulnerable Roma families. In the same school year, 42 Roma students were enrolled in secondary schools, and 51 Roma students were enrolled in higher schools. In the school year 2004/2005, 70 students were enrolled in secondary schools, and 89 students were enrolled in higher schools and universities. It was imperative to continue to focus on removing obstacles to school attendance of Roma children. This was done within a framework of systemic reforms, which would provide for sustainable solutions (introduction of RTAs in pre- and primary school institutions as it became practice in the countries included in the Roma Decade) and special measures. Based on its strategic partnership with the MOE as well as experience in the implementation of projects related to ethnic groups’ education, the OSCE Mission has directly implemented this component of the Project. The evaluation is not completed yet , therefore no information is available concerning achieved results.
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9. Total budget and sources of funding:
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87,000 EUR (OSCE Programme financially supported by the EAR)
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10. Assessment of effectiveness:
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MoES/Government adopts (in a sub-legal act) legal, methodological, financial and administrative requirements for RTAs, Informed Roma communities on RTAs, Identified RTA candidates, Identified schools for placement of RTAs, Trained teachers and headmasters at schools where RTAs should work, Trained experienced RTAs according to newly adopted curricula, Conducted exam for experienced RTAs (28 RTAs were successful). In addition to capacity-building targeting RTAs, school officials and RTA mentors received training tailored to the developmental and education needs particularly for Roma. Bringing individual school counterparts together with RTAs in a focused environment built working relations and eased RTA-school integration.
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11. Sustainability:
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Support for 26 RTAs is planned in order to supplement the MoE’s RTA existing RTAs (28) and an additional 26 (who were trained in 2006). The total number of MoE RTAs supported by the RAP (2) would be 80. Still there is no strong evidence of the MOE financial support to allocate resources for RTAs and no official decision is adopted as yet.
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12. Difficulties and reasons of insuccess (if any):
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Some schools show low interest for introducing RTAs, so raising awareness on Roma inclusion among majority population might be helpful in overcoming these obstacles.
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13. Transferability:
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It has been already fit into curricula and within the national legal framework and it is not a single measure but whole strategy towards Roma inclusion, also taking into consideration cultural and linguistic environment.
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