Project "Practice education of student towards to better results into elementary-school educational system"

The aim of the project was to improve the learning results and behavior of the primary school children by using alternative methods of education that would create the adequate base for children to continue with their education through secondary schools and universities. An especial importance lies in the fact that project participants are children from the primary school Tinja located in rural area nearby Tuzla town, where are 400 children from refugees families who are largely members of traumatized population. The project has been implemented in the period from March, 1 to December, 31 2007 and financially supported by Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).

Problem which the project addresses
Educational system of primary schools in Bosnia and Herzegovina is in the transition process in which pupils obtain more significant position in whole educational process. In the order to improve educational system and for the pupils to acquire quality knowledge which could be applied in the future schooling, teaching staff must adapt their own skills, habits, knowledge and principles to meet a conditions imposed by new methods of children education. Gaining the new skills and habits in work with the children, teaching staff achieve by additional education and lifelong learning. In such a way, teaching staff through alternative methods of education manage to adapt to new educational trends.
Second important aspect of this problem is impossibility for university students to acquire practice skills in work with children. University students, who will work in schools with children after the graduation, have no necessary skills or knowledge in work with children. The fact is that graduates are starting to work in the schools with the children without any experience at all. They don’t have previous experience in work with groups of school age children. Besides of that they didn’t have an opportunity to gain experience in work with children with special needs or other vulnerable groups.

Activities
In accordance with the name of the project, the biggest focus of the project was the practical training of students of Faculty for Education and Rehabilitation and Faculty of Philosophy, department for Social work, in Tuzla. Through participation in the project, students of the mentioned faculties gained basic knowledge in the field of Art therapy and Non-violent communication as ones of the alternative and applicable ways for working with students that generally give really good results. To realize goals set in the beginning of the project, activities were modulated with the duration of one school year, for University students and elementary school, and for the group leaders from Primary school ''Tinja''. Based on the set up agreements in ten months of the project implementation we managed to complete the following activities:

For three facilitators (teachers of the primary school educated for application of innovative and creative methods in work with children) we organized six supervision meetings.
In May we had prepared the booklet for group facilitators that we distributed during the supervision workshop in June. Also, in June and in December we had organized one-day excursion for the pupils who had been participants in  the project. Along with relaxation effects, these excursions had also educational purpose and represented the end of work with groups of children. Some of the children have visited Tuzla for very first time

Results achieved:

In this education through the workshops, we have avoided the classic way of teaching that use ex-cathedra lectures and adoption of knowledge has been improved by experienced work. Students have personaly experienced the effectiveness of introduced methods. Students who has been chosen for performing the practice in primary school ‘’Tinja’’ could immediately apply gained knowledge and skills through workshops with pupils. Students have held workshops under supervision of facilitators in elementary school ‘’Tinja’’.

Considering the psychosocial structure of the pupils of primary school ''Tinja'', the priority task of workshops was to offer psychosocial support through creative work for children without one or both parents, or pupils who have difficulties with their studying and have behavioral problems. During the formation of the pupils' groups we have took into the consideration all of the listed facts and we have tried to have at least one student with desirable behavior and good grades in order to increase social integration of the children. According to the facilitators, children were interested in work, and were yearning to learn new things. Facilitators have noticed improvement in behavior in most children too. Children have became more open, some have became more confident what they showed in sharing of feelings and thoughts in front of the whole group, they have learned to recognize and express their feelings. Workshops have build feelings of belonging and connection to the group which increased motivation to attend the workshops in the future.
 

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