Inclusive Education in Contexts of Social and Cultural Diversity - Regional Seminar

Equal opportunity based supporting policy in public education-

The Hungarian experience in using EU structural funds

Inclusive Education in Contexts of Social and Cultural Diversity - Regional Seminar

Pula and Brijuni, Croatia

17 to 19 September 2009

Legal and financial backgroundLegal and financial background of the Hungarian Educational School Integration

Program

Anti-discrimination provisions Public Education Act Equal Treatment ActChanging the ministerial decree (11/1994.MKM) in order to create the legal

and financial background (39/E: per capita allowance for integrated education)

This regulation introduces the concept of preparatory training for the realization of potential and integration. New forms of assistance are aimed at making it possible for children with different social and cultural backgrounds to be taught together and receive the same level of education. The new integration programs has been introduced in the 2003/2004 school year.

Who is eligible to participate in the integration program?The pupils (mainly Romani pupils) who can benefit from this program are

those students whose parents attended only elementary school and find it difficult to

understand the modern requirements of schools; whose family is eligible for supplementary family allowance, i.e., they

come from an economically disadvantaged environment;

FFinancial inancial mechanisms mechanisms of the Educational School Integration Program

From 2003: per capita allowance for integrated educationFrom 2007: competitive grant funding to support ability-

development, integrated trainings and pre-school development programmes

New financial mechanisms to replace “integration head quotas” and to promote equal opportunity and the closing-up of the gap between disadvantaged and mainstream children.

major transformation of the mechanisms and the system of financing equal opportunity-equity practices as supporting legislation provided mechanisms to apply benchmarks in the provision of funding

in the evaluation of applications performance in competence-development is also taken into account: schools have to attach their results in a table of indicators of National Competence Assessment with a view to the ratio of children with compound disadvantages in the school

What are the methods teachers can use in order to implement these integration

programs?

The Ministry of Education and Culture is providing guidance through the services of the National Educational Integration Network.

Integration methods that have proved to be successful in Hungary and abroad, such as the Step-by-Step Program or other alternative methods tailored to personal needs.

The National Educational Integration Network network from 2003, with its headquarters in Budapest

and regional coordinators in the regions of the country, responsible for providing coordination and a wide range

of professional assistance in education for those schools implementing integration programs.

The Impact of the Educational School Integration Program on Classroom Work,

Skills and Inter-Ethnic Attitudes, 2008

The analysis is based on a matched sample of 30 participating schools and 30 control schools that are very similar to the program schools.

Features: student-centered education, higher levels of student autonomy, wide-spread use of cooperative group workThe study finds that the students of the program schools achieve

somewhat higher grades, their reading skills are also somewhat better, and they are more likely to pursue further education in secondary schools that provide a maturity examination than their peers in control schools.

The effects on cognitive and academic development are largest for the Roma students, it is positive, if often modest, for all student groups.



It is possible to achieve integrated education in which both the Roma and the non-Roma students develop better skills and attitudes.

It is not an easy task for the schools. It may necessitate significant changes in the organization of

education, it may require new teaching methods and a new approach from the schoolteachers, and it surely involves extra work by all teachers and managers.

Those teachers as well as managers need appropriate training, support, and incentives.



Some of the effects are larger for Roma, others for non-Roma students, but again, they are positive for all student group analyzed.

Ethnic prejudice against the Roma is also positively affected by the program.

Non-Roma students of program schools see the Roma in a less stereotyped way, they keep a smaller social distance from them, and they think less in terms of social hierarchy.

Finally, students of program schools are characterized by lower levels of social dominance orientation.

Further modifications 2007, 2008, 2009

Financial support to those disadvantaged families that send their children to kindergarten before the child’s 4th birthday

Schools must participate in the annual National Competence Assessment that provide external evaluation of schools’ teaching performance

The local government of low performing schools must prepare and action plan for school development

Public Education Act § 66. modifies the practice of the free choice of schools by making it mandatory for schools to take children whose residence is within the school district.

Complementary stipend for teachers working with children with compound disadvantages. (more than 13.000 teachers, 600 elementary schools, 450 kindergartens)

Public Education Equal Opportunity Action Plan as an OBLIGATION - condition of support from both EU and national sources (Public Education Act amendment 2007, 2008)

Program types of Hungarian National Development Plan II. relevant to Roma

education (2007-2013)

Regional Development Programs (ROP) – ERDF

Basic infrastructure development of school (each type) and kindergartens (construction/renovation of buildings, purchasing of new equipments related to innovative pedagogy)

Social Infrastructure Operational Program (TIOP) – ESF, ERDFInformation technology development in schools (each type) to support access to broadband internet service and high-standard IT tools

Program types of Hungarian National Development Plan II. relevant to Roma

education (2007-2013)

Social Innovation Operational Program (TÁMOP)

- Measures to enhance employability and to develop employment services (TÁMOP priorities: 1,2)

- Measures to develop higher education services and research and development technology (TÁMOP priority:4)

- Measures to develop social services and to enhance social inclusion (TÁMOP

priority:5)

- Measures on public education development (TÁMOP priority:3)

Overall programs to develop public education (e.g. development of assessment tools, development of competence-based curricula and pedagogical measures)

Targeted programs to promote equal opportunity of multiple disadvantaged and especially Roma children (TÁMOP 3.3 constructions)

Equal Opportunity-based supporting policy in public education

GOALS:

To prevent support for the maintenance of segregated schooling and for educational projects increasing inequalities

To promote equity in education and access to quality education for multiple disadvantaged (Roma) children in all levels of public education from age 3 to 18

To enforce an equal opportunity approach into every public education development project

To support the implementation of equal opportunity development measures, which are adjusted to local situations, problems and needs


TOOLS:

Public Education Equal Opportunity Situation-analysis and Plan must be elaborated by every school maintainer organisation (municipality, micro-regional association of municipalities, church, NGO), which intend to receive support for education development

condition of support from both EU and national sources (Public Education Act 105. §

2007 and 2008) based on the situation-analysis and plan the proposed development project is

evaluated by its potential impact on equity in education in case the project is accepted, the implementation of the Public Education Equal

Opportunity Plan will be a contractual obligation of the beneficiary

Providing free consultancy on the elaboration of situation analysis and Equal Opportunity Plans through a network of trained equal opportunity experts

Providing financial and professional support for the implementation of Equal Opportunity Plans (through an ESF funded equal opportunity development measure of the Social Innovation Operational Program (TAMOP 3.3.2 – total budget: 27,277,399 EUR)

Implementation of the aspects of equal opportunity in all tenders, aiming the development of education.


ACHIEVEMENTS:

Network of 70 trained public education equal opportunity expert was established in 2007

More than 1400 school maintainer made their educational equal opportunity situation analysis

600 school maintainer municipality and micro-regional association received expert assistance for the situation analysis

The situation analysis have been used in the evaluation process of educational infrastructure and information technology development projects in 2008 –total budget: 320,000,000 EUR /253 project receive support for education infrastructure development in the framework of this program in 2008 and have the obligation to start the implementation of their equal opportunity plan/

Call for proposal of TAMOP 3.3.2 measure is published on April 30, 2008 to provide support for the implementation of equal opportunity programs of school maintainers - total budget: 27,277,399 EUR

Horizontal approach

Goal: Promoting equal opportunity for Roma children in every education development program

Tool: Equal Opportunity-based supporting policy

Goal: Promoting access to EU development funds for the most disadvantaged regions

Tool: Micro-regional focus

Regional Focus

Giving priority to projects implemented in the most disadvantaged micro-regions and settlements (‘affirmative action’)

Training professionals in the micro-regions

Map of resources, workshops

Main tools to influence planning in order to attract EU funds for Roma education

Social dialogue Planning of operational programs Planning of action plans Call for proposals

Participation Monitoring Committees of the operational programs

(supervision) Preparatory working groups of tenders (elaboration of tender

documentations)

Thank you for your attention!

Szilvia Pallaghy HegyiEmail: [email protected]: +36-1-473-7085

Documents

Inclusive Education in Contexts of Social and Cultural Diversity - Regional Seminar