PROMOTION AND DISTRIBUTION OF THE HANDBOOK FOR PREVENTION AND PROTECTION FROM DISCRIMINATION IN THE EDUCATION PROCESS IN R. MACEDONIA
Enormous gratitude for the spark that you incited in us. Our task is to ignite the fire and to succeed to share our experience on a meeting in schools, said a representative of a school at the promotion.
National Roma Centrum in cooperation with the Ministry of education and science of Republic of Macedonia organized a promotion and distribution of the Handbook for prevention and protection from discrimination in the education process in R.M. for primary and secondary schools, with support from the Roma Education Fund. The handbook was prepared and distribution in printed and electronic version and was translated and available on the languages of the members of all ethnic communities in R.M. in electronic form.
The promotion of the Handbook was realized in the period April and May 2011, in five cities in R. Macedonia (in each of the five cities, representatives from the schools from the surrounding municipalities were invited as well), with this all municipalities from the entire countries were covered in order to promote the Handbook that should find its place in the education institutions. A total number of 96 secondary and 358 primary schools from all municipalities.
Promoters of the Handbook were representatives from MoES and NRC, members of the work group that participated in the preparations and making of the Handbook:
– Redzep Ali Cupi, Director of the Board for development of education of languages of members of communities – coordinator of the working group;
– representatives from MoES: George Nikolov, Dana Biskoska, Ljupco Spasovski, Nazihtere Sulejmani, Nada Stoimenova;
– representative from NRC, Katerina Sojic, member of the working group for the Handbook.
In every city, on a regional level principles and pedagogical services from primary and secondary schools from the host municipality and the neighboring municipalities. The promoters firstly presented the contents of the Handbook and explained the purpose of its issuing and the necessity to apply it in the education process. After finishing of the presentation there was a discussion and each of the present had the opportunity to discuss on the subject. To all of the present a copy of the Handbook was given to them in printed form and two electronic issues. The schools that were invited, and failed to participate, copies of the Handbook were delivered by post.
The first promotion was realized in Skopje on the 27th and 28th April in “Rade Jovcevski Korcagin” high school and representatives from all secondary and primary schools from all municipalities in Skopje were invited. The following promotion event was in Prilep on the 10th of May 2011 in a hall of municipality of Prilep. At this event schools from Prilep, Veles, Kavadarci, Negotino, Bitola, Ohrid, Resen and Struga.
On the 11th May in municipality Tetovo the promotion was held in the hall of the municipality and representatives from primary and secondary schools from Tetovo, Gostivar, Debar, Mavrovo, Krivogastani were invited. The event was open by the Mayor of municipality of Tetovo.
On May 12th in municipality Stip, the promotion was realized in the hall of the municipality and representatives from primary and secondary schools from Stip, kocani, Probistip, Vinica, Delcevo, Strumica, Crnik, Berovo, Trbotiviste, Radovis, Dojran and Valandovo. The event was opened by the Mayor of municipality Stip.
On the 13th May, the promotion was held in the municipal hall in Kumanovo and representatives from primary and secondary schools from Kumanovo, Kriva Palanka, Kratovo, Rankovce, Staro Nagoricane and Lipkovo. The discussion was mainly to point out the need of strengthening of the expert services in the school with employing of a social worked in order to influence discrimination and improving of the general atmosphere in the schools.
Part of the invited participants had the opinion that the Handbook is only applicable for the members of the Roma community since it was made in cooperation and logistics support from the National Roma Centrum. Once again we would like to point out that the purpose of the Handbook is to improve and strengthen the cooperation and coordination between all authorized institutions and individuals included in the education system in a direction to provide equal conditions and possibilities for quality education of all children regardless of their religious, national or any kind of basis.
Inspired by the idea for strengthening of capacities, recognition, prevention and protection from discrimination, the Ministry of education and science in R.M. and the National Roma Centrum prepared the Handbook for prevention and protection from discrimination in the education process, financially supported by the Roma Education Fund. The Handbook represents a useful tool and contribution for planning, realization and control in the education process, in order to prevent occurrences of segregation and discrimination and to promote antidiscrimination policy in schools.
The making of the Handbook began in June 2009 with exchange of experiences with representatives from the Ministry of education of Republic of Serbia and the civil sector. For preparing of the Handbook, working meetings were organized and a poll was conducted in order to receive initial insight in the schools’ condition. In the course of 2009/2010 working meetings were organized in 10 cities which covered a total number of 110 schools, 66 of which were primary and 44 secondary schools.
The working meetings were organized separately with principles, representatives from pedagogical services, representatives from the local self government responsible for education and teachers. The state education inspectors, parents and the pupils were covered with a poll.
On the 16th and 24th September 2010, the National Roma Centrum (NRC) together with the Ministry of education and science of R.M. organized a training of the state education inspectors and authorized municipal inspectors for applying of the Handbook for prevention and protection from discrimination in the education process of Republic of Macedonia.
To work hard in the future as we have so far, because nothing will be accomplished if we stop here. – Statement from a participant on the promotion for the Handbook in front of primary and secondary schools.