Training programs for teaching and support professionals in primary schools and kindergartens in child abuse cases Erasmus Project

Project Title

Training programs for teaching and support professionals in primary schools and kindergartens in child abuse cases

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for school education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2020

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Pedagogy and didactics; Home and justice affairs (human rights & rule of law); Early childhood education and care

Project Summary

Background of the project:

• Aside from providing education, kindergarten and school authorities’ have principal responsibility for care and welfare of children and youth. A kindergarten and a primary school is a privileged setting to prevent, recognize and intervene on situations that threaten children’s well-being and development.
• Kindergarten and school personnel are sometimes the only persons in a position to recognize that a child is in need of protection. Children who come to school with injuries (physical and emotional) can be identified if kindergarten and school staff is aware of the indicators of abuse and neglect. For some children, their school may be the only place where they feel safe and where it is possible for them to have healthy relationships.
• Teachers in primary schools and kindergartens are requested to detect child abuse and/or neglect domestic abuse: where there are grounds to suspect child abuse or neglect, teachers shall urgently initiate a procedure to protect the rights of the child in accordance with the competent authorities and institutions (SLO: Domestic violence prevention Act, CRO: Law on protection domestic violence, SRB: Low on education)
• However, professionals lack relevant knowledge, skills and competences to identify relevant indicators of abuse, and the knowledge on how to deal with children victims of abuse (research, see below).

General objectives of the project:
– Strengthening the profile of the teaching professions
– Improving professional and general competencies of teachers, headmasters and counsellors in primary schools and kindergartens
– Contribute to diminishing secondary victimisation of abused children

Specific objectives of the projects are:
– To develop and validate training programme and learning materials for primary school teachers
– To develop and validate training programme and learning materials for kindergarten teachers
– To develop and validate training programme and learning materials for kindergarten and primary school headmasters
– To develop and validate training programme and learning materials for counsellors in kindergartens and primary schools
in the field of understanding child abuse and neglect; and adequate reaction of teaching and support professionals.

Target groups:
– Project partners’ stuff
– Project’s associate partners’ stuff
– Organizations outside the partnership that offer initial and continuous education for teaching and support professionals in primary schools and kindergartens (faculties of education, headmaster’s associations and schools, authorities and providers of continuous training for teaching and support professionals in schools and kindergartens, adult education providers…)
Direct final beneficiaries:
– Teachers in primary schools (18.358 in Slovenia, 33.392 in Croatia, over 51.000 in Serbia)
– Kindergarten teachers (11.390 in Slovenia, 13.086 in Croatia, over 18.000 in Serbia)
– Headmasters in kindergartens and primary schools (877 in Slovenia, 2.115 in Croatia, 1.602 in Serbia)
– Counsellors in kindergartens and primary schools (1.371 in Slovenia, 3.810in Croatia, over 4.500 in Serbia)
– Students of Faculty of Education (over 40.000 in Slovenia)
Indirect final beneficiaries:
– Children, facing abuse and neglect; who will receive better and more professional support by the teachers and support professionals in kindergartens and primary schools.

Main project activities will lead to the develop the following intellectual outputs:
• IO1: Detailed analysis of the educational needs of all final beneficiaries’ groups
• IO2: Training programme and learning materials for primary school teachers
• IO3: Training programme and learning materials for kindergarten teachers
• IO4: Training programme and learning materials for kindergarten and primary school headmasters
• IO5: Training programme and learning materials for counsellors in kindergartens and primary schools
in the field of understanding child abuse and neglect; and adequate reaction of teaching and support professionals.

Project will contribute to:
– Strengthening the profile of the teaching professions
– Improving professional and general competencies of teachers, headmasters and counsellors in primary schools and kindergartens
– Contribute to diminishing secondary victimisation of abused children

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 256722 Eur

Project Coordinator

UNIVERZA V LJUBLJANI & Country: SI

Project Partners

• EUROPEAN FORENSIC AGENCY DOO BEOGRAD-VRACAR
• Osnovna Skola Svetozar Miletic
• HRABRI TELEFON
• Dječji vrtić Drniš