OSCE Mission to Skopje helps future teachers to improve practical skills

From 9 to12 May 2013 the OSCE Mission to Skopje holds a four-day seminar on social aspects of the teaching profession in Strumica.

The event brings together more than 120 future teachers and professors from all teacher-training institutions in the country, as well as primary school teachers and representatives from the Education and Science  Ministry, the Bureau for the Development of Education, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

The seminar aims to equip students with practical skills related to working with children from marginalized groups, teaching in a multi-cultural context, non-violent communication, conflict-resolution, recognizing signs of domestic violence and human trafficking. Following the course, the students will start six-month internships with NGOs outside the formal education system that offer learning support to children of different cultural and ethnic backgrounds, with low academic scores and from economically and socially vulnerable families.

The seminar is the first event of the project "Strengthening the pre-service teacher training system in a multi-ethnic society 2013", funded by the German Federal Government and implemented by the OSCE Mission. The Mission has been involved in pre-service teacher training since 2009.