Join REF at the Annual Meeting of CIES (Comparative and International Education Society) in Washington, D.C., on March 9-11

The Roma Education Fund will be presenting its programs in early childhood development, higher education and desegregation during this year’s CIES in Washington, D.C.

The Roma Education Fund will be presenting its programs in early childhood development, higher education and desegregation during this year’s CIES in Washington, D.C.

On Monday, March 9, Dan Pavel Doghi will present: Students’ Socioeconomic Background, Field of Studies, and Employability: A Case Study of Ethnic Roma Students in Central, Eastern, and South-Eastern Europe.

“[…] Until now there have been several attempts to implement programs based on affirmative action principles in various countries of Central, Eastern, and South-Eastern Europe aimed at facilitating the access to tertiary education for Roma, but with very few efforts in adjusting these policies in a way to avoid the overrepresentation of Roma in specific fields. The evidence that this overrepresentation is associated with Roma’s underprivileged socioeconomic status on the one hand, and with relatively less prospects for decent employment upon graduation associated with the fields in which they are overrepresented on the other hand, may be used for further policy adjustments aiming at creating a more diversified palette of occupations among Roma graduates.”

To find out more: http://tinyurl.com/kf9vqna

On Wednesday, March 11, Anasztazia Nagy and Nadja Kocic-Rakovic will present: The Benefits of Early Childhood Education and Desegregation: Case Study of an Educational Intervention in the Konik Camp in Montenegro

“[…] Most Roma children in Montenegro’s Konik Camp have been studying in a segregated low-quality primary school with little or no chance to enter upper-secondary education. In 2012 a consortium of REF, HELP, and the Montenegrin Ministry of Education implemented a program providing early childhood education combined with the transition to inclusive primary education. This paper analyzes the mutually reinforcing benefits of early childhood education and inclusive compulsory schooling. The analysis is based on the comparison of educational outcomes of program beneficiaries and of non-beneficiaries, using the data from a questionnaire conducted with project stakeholders and additional project data, as well as the available national data. The findings confirm that students enrolled in early childhood education performed better, while their parents had a higher level of involvement in children’s formal education and a better understanding of education benefits. Moreover, Roma children in inclusive education show higher rates of school attendance and improved academic achievement compared to students in segregated education.”

To find out more: http://tinyurl.com/nqlrys8

 

During a simultaneous panel on Mar 11, Szilvia Pallaghy and Senad Mustafov will present: Why is “A Good Start” A Good Practice in Early Childhood Development and Roma Inclusion?

“[…] the quality of ECD is highly influenced by the institutional ECD service if any, and at the same time by the child’s home learning environment. In case parents, mainly mothers provide more stimulation and teaching, child development on all measures will be generally higher, regardless of maternal education level or economic circumstance. The Effective Provision of Preschool Education study – from the UK – proved that the home learning environment in the preschool period has association with all aspects of children’s cognitive and social development.

“In 4 countries of the Decade of Roma Inclusion (Slovakia, Romania, Macedonia and in Hungary) the Roma Education Fund, a foundation working on Roma inclusion in education, implemented an ECD project called ‘A Good Start: Scaling-Up Access to Quality Services for Young Roma Children’ (AGS). The project proved that ensuring access to institutionalized services and providing active parental involvement can significantly boost program effectiveness.”

To find out more: http://tinyurl.com/mq25924