SAVE THE DATE May 29, 2018 Bratislava

At the Final Conference of the project Building the Hope – Improving Life in Roma Ghettos, which we organize on May 29, 2018 at the Mercure Hotel in Bratislava, we will be searching, together with you for answers to this question: “What is helping to improve the school performance of pupils from excluded Roma communities?”

Within the Building Hope project – Improving live in Roma ghettos, supported by the Velux Foundations, for five years ETP Slovakia has been experimentally checking at the Elementary School in Veľká Ida, near Košice, the innovative pedagogical method of the Feuerstein’s Instrumental Enrichment (FIE).

Our experience has shown that of the 18 children who were taught by the Feuerstein method, 14 of them passed from the zero to the fourth grade. By contrast, out of the 12 peer children who did not have the benefit of the Feuerstein method, sadly only one pupil is in the fourth grade. In addition, the Feuerstein group children have also had fewer absences and better marks.

The environment of excluded Roma communities provides children with stimulus different than those considered to be key for a school success. Parents of pupils mostly grew up in the same community – and, like their children, they experienced limited successes at school. Therefore, they often cannot support their children to prepare for a class.

What helps to improve the school performance of pupils from socially excluded Roma communities? Is it a mentor, who mediates different experience, motivates them? Is it a trained Feuerstein mediator?

We would like you to join us to share your experience of teaching excellence. You are warmly welcome! If you know of any examples of good practice, please forward this invitation to other specialists.

Further information about the venue and the agenda will be forthcoming soon.

Meanwhile, Lenka Czikkova at czikkova@ke.etp.sk is available to answer any questions.