United Against ESL Erasmus Project

Project Title

United Against ESL

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 2018

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Early School Leaving / combating failure in education; Inclusion – equity; Romas and/or other minorities

Project Summary

Reducing ESL (Early School Leaving) is one of the largest and most important challenges faced by European countries. The high rates of school dropout at the end of compulsory secondary schooling not only hinder the social integration of those who suffer it, but alsoreduce national productivity and competitiveness, put at risk the levels of equity and jeopardize social cohesion. At the beginning of the project the rate of ESL in all project partner countries was over 10 % as is the aim of European Union.
There were many factors pointing by the project partners about to the reasons why children were not enrolled in school, dropped out of school or at risk of dropping out. There was no single way to tackle ESL as there was no single reason that causes it. We understood that measures to reduce early school leaving might be comprehensive and aimed at a wide variety of youth needs. Consequently, it was obvious that teachers, students, parents and all educational staff should have more information about the ways to strengthen the connection between the school and the students.
To cover all the stakeholders the target group of “United against ESL” project were high-risk groups such as students who were in danger of early school leaving, immigrants, from poor families or minorities, teachers educational staff and administrators.
The project had two stages. During the first stage the main activities were related to prevention and early identification of the problem. During the second stage the activities were affiliated to mediation and dealing with the problem. During the whole project period sharing experience and ideas of prevention of ESL were leading.The project achieved the set goal of a comprehensive methodology of ESL, defined by risky students and composed of all stages of the problem so that early school dropouts could be known in details by the entire target group. Among the results of the project is the Schoolkit in six languages that aims to support teachers/educators working with students in identifying and monitoring students in need of greater care and support. In the project, participants learnt how to make effective systems to find long-lasting and lasting solutions using the other project product – Early Warning system to prevent ESL. The System includes developed materials – students’ survey to define those who are at risk of ESL, checklist for the Multidisciplinary School team for observation of identified students at risk of dropping out, Multiple Intelligence Test defining the type of intelligence of student. Following the developed steps in the System, teachers chose the most appropriate measures of Councelling programme for each student.
In the project 118 teachers and 505 students were involved. 45 students at risk of early school leaving were identified.
With the help of parents, meetings and seminars, teachers and experts in each project country developed more supportive school environment for second chance and compensation options for the students detected at risk. Students’ suggestions were taken into account in the developing of the materials. Interaction between school, parents,teachers, students and all stakeholders increase which helped us to fight against ESL.
A Handbook with eleven innovative lesson plans developing different types of intelligence according to Howard Gardner was made by sharing teachers’ experience. These lesson plans were used with the students to prevent their early school leaving and to reengage them with school by providing motivating school process and support on time. At the end all detected students recieved certificates for participation in the project. None of them dropped out.
The project had two Transnational project meetings, and three Learning/Teaching/Training activities. At transnational meetings (first and last meeting), management of the project, its implementation, budget, activities, planning, meetings, reports and completion were covered. In Learning/Teaching/Training activities, project partner countries organized trainings on a different side of the early school dropout following the stages of the project. All the partners shared their experience in reducing early school leaving which enriched their knowledge about ESL and helped them to improve their daily school work.
Seminars, meetings, local and International conferences were organized to disseminate project results. At these events more than 450 participants were involved. In addition, social media was used effectively and the developments in the project was announced to followers and related with the help of newspapers, online newspapers,social media (Facebook and Instagram), corporate websites and project website. In addition, international dissemination activities was carried out with the help of Facebook group and E-twinning project with the same name.
All these useful educational products ensure that the project is long-term.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 82605 Eur

Project Coordinator

Regional Department of Education – Pazardzhik & Country: BG

Project Partners

• ASSOCIACAO EDUCATIVA NACIONAL DE INCLUSAO E INOVAÇAO NAS ESCOLAS
• SAHNAHAN ORTAOKULU
• INSPECTORATUL SCOLAR JUDETEAN BACAU
• ISTITUTO COMPRENSIVO STATALE “ALDO MORO”