Development of teachers' skills to combat school dropout - Stay@School project

A common challenge for European education systems is to prevent early school leaving and the phenomenon of school violence. Research conducted at European level highlights the fact that the phenomenon of early school leaving and the phenomenon of school violence involve an increasing number of pupils. This situation describes a scenario in which two fundamental rights of children are violated: the right to education and the right to personal security.

The goal of the Stay @ School project is to help teachers develop the skills needed to combat school dropout to identify early school leavers and acquire a range of useful skills to mitigate or eliminate the phenomenon.

One of the objectives of the project is to develop a collection of educational products on early school leavers prevention by involving teachers in hands-on experiences (learning by action). The aim is to test the skills and abilities gained from the course by creating educational materials and making easy use of flexible information to prevent and counteract the problem of school abandonment (eg brochures, a cartoon, a multimedia educational module, a short movie, etc.).

School dropout is a complex social reality with a multitude of causes and needing, consequently, diversified responses. For this reason, partner schools in the project chose to address this issue through cross-curricular interdisciplinary and cross-curricular activities through extracurricular activities on scenic representations, music and theater.

Cross-curricular teaching covers various activities. Teachers can plan it individually or collectively, links between subjects can be made as other subjects can partially be used to explain one concept in a subject, a large variety of projects can be led by teachers, and so on.

For example, the teachers wanted to help the pupils to grow their interest in studying math and sciences.  The success of education is based on adapting the educational approach to the individual needs of each child.

With the help of knowledge and information they know, they pursued the harmonious development of pupils from a psychological and social point of view.

The school provides multiple instruments and materials that can be used to organized activities outdoors for individual or for groups.

In order to get children to relate to others, to develop positive emotional states, to complement their area of concern, teachers have proposed to broaden the scope of school activities through classroom educational projects in their institutions.

The materials and the sources of inspiration used in carrying out activities are at hand, and to pursuit these activities does not imply any special material . The raw material used was procured from existing textile waste in any households: yarns and scraps of textile materials, pressed leaves and flowers, paper, cardboard, etc.

Teachers have offered the students a really pleasant and useful way of learning leisure, which at the same time develops imagination, creative fantasy and puts them at the service of improving the environment of the class, the school and why not, even the dwelling.

Teachers have given importance to celebrations and important anniversaries in the life of the country and children. These were  good opportunities for dispatch, created good mood, developed children's sense of belonging to their collectivity, and also tought  them to master their emotions.

Competitions on different themes were also particularly attractive moments.

They offered children the ability to demonstrate practically what they have learned at school, at home, to draw different aspects, to make various models.

Contests organized by teachers in a pleasant atmosphere have stimulated the spirit of initiative of the children and gave them the opportunity to integrate in different groups to complete the exercises and easily assimilate all the knowledge.

The conviction of that actions to prevent school dropout should be promoted and implemented as soon as possible, the willingness to support the diversification efforts of teaching-learning methods, the concern for the school and professional orientation of pupils, all these are the main motivations for students to avoid drop-out, while giving them the opportunity to get involved in an artistic project and teamwork. The students have been divided in groups. Each group had to come up with theater themes correlated with what they have learned. Each group had selected a theme which they have translated into a play. There was formed a jury that selected the best play and performance.
The project's activities allow students to strengthen their confidence in themselves by giving them the opportunity to express themselves in other ways, to overcome their limits, to find motivation for study, and to reduce the rate of absenteeism and school drop-out.