Student teachers and social workers complete OSCE-supported practicum placements in multi-ethnic classrooms

Eighty student teachers and social workers received certificates at the end of February from the acting Head of OSCE Mission to Skopje, Ambassador Natalya Drozd, and the Minister of Education and Science Nikola Todorov for completing an OSCE-organized practicum placement in multi-ethnic classrooms, at a ceremony in Skopje.

The students’ placements were organized outside the formal educational system in non-governmental organizations in Skopje and Tetovo which offer learning support to children with low academic results. During the three-month placements, the students worked with small groups of children and their parents - where possible from different ethnic groups - to get a better understanding of the children’s social background, their approach to learning and the reasons for potential learning difficulties. The placements were fully recognized by the universities.

The students were prepared for their placements at a seminar last September on working with children from marginalized groups, teaching and learning in an inter-cultural context, communication skills, conflict resolution skills, and recognizing signs of domestic violence and human trafficking. The OSCE Mission is currently drafting a manual based on this training seminar for use by the pedagogical faculties.

The placements were the result of co-operation between the faculties of pedagogy and philosophy in Skopje, the philosophy faculty of Tetovo State University and the non-governmental educational organizations Sumnal, Open Gate, Aurora and Happy Life.

Since the project began in 2009, nearly 300 future primary teachers have benefited from the seminar and practicum placements.