MULTIGRADE TEAHING -ROMANIAN POINTS OF VUE-

By Adriana- Daniela CasangiuTeacher for preprimary education Kindergarten “Nicolae Romanescu” The city of Craiova

Musical background by George Enescu “The Romanian Rapsody”,

Did you heard about the corner flower?

It is a rare flower, very sweet and tender, that grows between rocks, on high mountains such as the Carpathians from Romania.

It has been declared a monument of nature and it is protected by law.

But you all have natural wonders in your country's, so why am I telling you about it?

Because I believe that...

MOTTO:

... Each child is a flower. But some flowers grow in isolated places. And it is up to as to help them all flourish !

You should know that Romania is not the scary land of “Dracula”, but a friendly and beautiful country iven thougw the ancient “Bran” castlle of him is there too such as many other castles or monuments.

But let’s start with “România”...

It is somewhere is the South East of Europe that has been heard for the

first time “The Romanian Rapsody”

It is where the rainbow left tree of it’s colors:

into one flag.

ROMANIA

Romania is a member of the European Union

since the 1th January 2007

It is where men looked at the blueof the sky...

and saw the face of God...

ROMANIA

It is where men tried to reach

infinitynot for

conquering it but to praise it

“The column of infinity” made by Constantine Brancusi

ROMANIA...

It is where men wanted cu rip a part

of the nature’s beauty and have it

at it’s feet, not to control it but for longer keeping

it...

ROMANIA...

It is where sports made history and are still making it !

Ilie NataseRomanian tennis player

Nadia ComaneciRomanian Olympicat gym.

Gheorghe Hagi, Romanian football player

ROMANIA...

And I am coming from the city named CRAIOVA, located in the south, a city

where education meets art and fun.

The University

EDUCATION IN ROMANIAEarly education for children from 0 to 3 years, in special kindergarten or nursery groups, not compulsory.Pre-school education for children from 3 to maximum 7 years old and it has a curriculum on two levels:-Level 1: between 3 to 5 years , including the small grouped and the middle grouped.-Level 2: between 5 to 6 or 7 years, including the big groupe and pre preparing groupe. -It is not all compulsory but every child has to attend 1 year to the preparing class before going to primary. Primary education consists of 4 years starting from 6 or 7 year (the staring age beeing at the choice of parents) and includes: Grade IGrade II, Grade III, Grade IVThe gymnasium including 4 years. The high school or the vocation education, at the choice of children according to their results, consisting of 4 years,

EDUCATION IN ROMANIA

Non compulsory education is structured according to the Bologna system and includes:- College of two years and/or University studies of 3 years at the choice of student according to its results in the admission examsMaster degree of two years-Master degree of 2 years.

Doctoral Studies of 4 years under single Romanian guidance or cotutela under international agreements.

Also in addition to formal educational system, the are non formal educational institutions of the state or private and non-governmental organizations whit relevant activity in education.

MULTIGRADE EDUCATION

It can be found in Romania under the name Simultaneous teaching, consisting of a system of teaching very similar to the basic multigrade teaching with different grades studying together in the same classroom and under the guidance of only one teacher; However, from economical and quality reasons the government tried to diminish the number of multigrade schools by creating center schools and providing transportation to them, but it was not a big success everywhere since several administrative and social issues occurred and even legal problems could be involved.

MULTIGRADE EDUCATIONRegarding the process of education there could be also another meaning of multigrade, consisting in individualized education, which is a manner of teaching imposed by the educational reforms, addressing to only one same grade or groupe of children, for example middle groupe in preprimary or grade II in primary, but with children of different levels of knowledge and specific skills, because either some children did and others didn’t attended preprimary or just didn’t developed skills as expected, or even children of different ages because in primary they prefer a certain groupe or teacher or there are no free places in the belonging gouge according to age. Even if multigrade means different curriculums, individualization approaches to it by the differentiations in objectives and activities.

LEGISLATIVE BACKGROUND

-Romania is a member of the European Convention for Human Rights that stipulates the right to education and prohibits all discrimination, and it’s provisions must be directly applied.-In addition the Romanian Constitution reviewed in 2003 stipulates similar provisions and guaranties.

LEGISLATIVE BACKGROUND

-The main law of education in Romania stipulates simultaneous teaching to be organized in isolated localities, when the legal number of children is not achieved, according to Law nr. 84/1995.-However at disciplines where children will take national exams, teaching is made always in separated classes.

LEGISLATIVE BACKGROUND

-The Order nr. 3281/2006 of The Minister of Education established specific provisions , that there should be at least 9 children in one class. -The Order nr. 2990/2007 of The Minister of Education established that at primary there must be at least 4 children from two grades .

LEGAL ISSUESThe right to education is guarantied to all humans without any discrimination, in order to be ensured equal start, access and participation to the democratic living

Equality is not a substantial but a procedural mean of achieving democracy. It means that we must treat equally those ho are in similar situations but treat different those beeing in non-similar situations.

Proportional limitations can be made for democratically reasons but not for opportunity, not for simple economic or time reasons.

LEGAL ISSUESAlso limitations must not touch the right in it’s substance or any other rights.So in application we must achieve the same goal but by different means.

In addition the Romanian Council for Audiovisual decided a television violated the right to personal image when presented a simultaneous class, like less “good”.

This is for example why CEDO decided that it was violated the right to education when a restrained curriculum was applied to children in multigrade classrooms instead of a larger one in a standard class .

LEGAL MEASURESIn order to ensure the right of education there should be organized multigrade education because there can be made no discrimination if providing education, not even related to geographical reasons such as the place where a child lives. At the same time the state can not refuse providing equal education on the reason that it is to expensive or that the number or children do not justify spending many there. It simply must respect their right, it can only find appropriate and maybe different means of achieving it. Still CEDO decided that a differentiation based on the number of people on one territory could be made, but complying to regulations about the democratically need and proportionality with goals.

MULTIGRADE CLASS GROUPING

In Romanian practices the manner of grouping grades is considered very important and it wad been proved more efficient grouping in the binary classes the first grade with the third, and then the second with the fourth. In the case of tree or four grades there must be couple of most important classes made with only one or two of them.

MULTIGRADE METHODOLOGY

We are using the alternate combination of individual tasked working with direct teaching. The methods must be generally most attractive and less time consuming. The didactic materials must also be very attractive and most adequate to the level of knowledge of children and to the objective we must achieve.

FRONTAL TEACHING

AdvantagesAll children are focused on the same thing.The teacher was a direct immediate feedbackThe activity can be faster, if the teacher needs that. Children have direct contact whit one source of correct and adequate informationSensible children feel more safe when they do not talk or work alones.

FRONTAL TEACHING

DisadvantagesLess children are able to express themselvesThe rhythm of activity could not be adequate to some children. Children have less free initiative.It is made more teaching then learning.Sensible children do not show their real potential when talking in front of the whole class.

INDEPENDENT WORK

Is very important because is the main way by which children achieve educational goals and specific skills of knowledge and the main way that will lead to auto education and long life learning education, that are main goals for passing from a society of information to one of knowledge and creation. This is why it must be very attentive made.

THE ROMANIAN EXAMPLE

In order to achieve the same goals in education also in multigrade schools, it has been considered important positive discrimination, like taking certain measures like providing transportation and material means but also better preparing teachers.

There have been implemented many programs for extra preparation of teachers such as “Euro teacher” that brings new methodologies and for the preprimary “PRET” that focuses on early education.There is also a national program for the rural teachers by which they can find specific support from information city centers.

THE ROMANIAN EXAMPLE

Middle groupe and small groupe in preprimary, the first one has the observation of vegetables and the other development of speaking.

MY EXAMPLE

Small groupe coloring while middle group is role playing

MY EXAMPLE

Small group painting while middle group is on sports.

MY EXAMPLE

In every child is a certain potential.It is up to as to take that mask, to discover and develop it for better or for worst.

It is up to as all !

Thank you!