Didactic Approaches And Innovative Educative
Methods In Learning And Teaching Social Skills:
EUROPEAN RESEARCH
Connections between the lack of social skills and the participation in
training activities of the socially vulnerable target-groups
MoMa
MONTESSORI METHOD FOR ORIENTING AND MOTIVATING ADULTS | Project n. 527800-LLP-1-2012-1-IT-GRUNDTVIGGMP | Agreement n. 2012- 4193/001 – 001. This project has been funded with support from the European
Commission. This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible
for any use, which may be made of the information contained therein.
Mr Fabrizio Boldrini – Centro Studi e Formazione Villa Montesca (Italy)
Ms Maria Rita Bracchini – Centro Studi e Formazione Villa Montesca (Italy)
Ms Maria Florindo – Universidade Sénior de Evora (Portugal)
Ms Patricia Pasadas - Universidade Sénior de Evora (Portugal)
Ms Mihaela Poroch – Colegiul Tehnic de Transporturi Iasi (Romania)
Ms Roznovan Anca Eugentina – Colegiul Tehnic de Transporturi Iasi (Romania)
Ms Tufescu Lacramioara – Colegiul Tehnic de Transporturi Iasi (Romania)
Ms Mercy Maclean - HP-MOS Health Psychology Management Organisation Services (UK)
Mr David Luigi Fuschi - HP-MOS Health Psychology Management Organisation Services (UK)
Ms M. Angeles Serrano - Asociacion de Personas Participantes Agora (Spain)
Ms Adelaida Morte - Asociacion de Personas Participantes Agora (Spain)
Ms Svetlana Novopolskaja - The Public Institution Roma Community Centre (Lituania)
Mr Marius Nariunas - The Public Institution Roma Community Centre (Lituania)
Ms Ingibjörg Pétursdóttir - Chancengleich in Europa e.V. (Germany)
Ms Györgyi Turoczy - Chancengleich in Europa e.V. (Germany)
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National Research Report Italy
1st RESEARCH: National Research/Survey of the Montessori Method as an educational
method for adults or children
The purpose of the 1st phase of the research is to gather research studies of the Montessori
Method approach and give an overview of the “discipline”, under study with the provided
template.
The Montessori Method research/survey:



Identify and summarise research studies for the Montessori method approach and
the experiences realised at National level for adults OR children.
The research studies and the experiences realised at National level will verify the
strengths and weaknesses with the provided template.
Identify the different approaches adopted and mainly, the results achieved,
according to the different typologies of target groups (Adults OR Children).
1 THE METHOD IN ACTION
Name(s) of Researches: Clara Tornar, Alessandra Ciambecchini, Monica Salassa,
Cristina Stringer
ABSTRACT
AIMS
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Experiential survey of the characteristics of the Montessori method in relation
to its processes, activities and context.
The project provides empirical data from systematic observations for the
identification of quantitative and qualitative characteristics of the use of the
Montessori Method in Italy, in order to prompt discussions and establish the
degree of relevance of the method itself. The starting hypothesis is whether
there are significant features in the Montessori method which distinguish it
from 'traditional' teaching. Verify with empirical data the specific
characteristics of the Montessori method which still make it up-to-date.
POPULATION/SOCIAL
CATEGORIES/DISABILITIES
Design/Method
Results/Outcomes
Assessed
Preschool and primary school
children
Institutional/School
context
Conclusion
Direct observation through time sampling.
The empirical data reveal that the Montessori school
proposal is aimed at all types of activities depending on
the age of the student, to his/her free choice of the
action to be taken, to individual work and interaction
with the teacher, without neglecting the social context.
Preschool and primary schools adopting the Montessori
method and those with traditional teaching.
The actual data collected are only partial, but they
already allow to define a Montessori approach.
SWOT ANLYSIS: Factors to assess the usefulness of the Montessori Method methodology
STRENGTHS
The offer of all types of activities according to the age of
the student, for the attainment of a complete training and
development of the child.
In addition, particular attention is paid to cognitive
development through a personalized methodology.
OPPORTUNITIES
Peculiarities of the method that are not present in other
traditional teaching approaches.
WEAKNESSES
The method is mainly individualized even if the
differences in the opposite direction are not particularly
relevant.
THREATS
There have been no major threats.
2.THE MONTESSORI METHOD AND VISUAL IMPAIRMENT IN PRESCHOOL
Name(s) of Researches: Mirko Montecchiani, Sara Polini
ABSTRACT
AIMS
POPULATION/SOCIAL
CATEGORIES/DISABILITIES
Children with visual impairment
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The sensory materials of the Montessori method prove to be an effective
approach for a school including disabled students
Research on the educational value of the Montessori method and its application
to education for students with special needs and at the same time valid for
teaching normal children.
Innovative application of the Montessori method and materials for autonomous
learning and integration in class of visually impaired children
Revision of the Montessori Sensorial Material
Design/Method
Allows the visually impaired child to learn through the
Results/Outcomes
Montessori sensorial materials, allowing cooperation
Assessed
with ‘non disabled’ peers
Institutional/School Primary School (children aged 3 to 6 years)
context
Areas of application: logical - mathematical
Even the visually impaired child has the right to a
Conclusion
stimulating learning environment designed for his/her
needs, which can foster learning, autonomy and
socialization.
SWOT ANLYSIS: Factors to assess the usefulness of the Montessori Method methodology
STRENGTHS
Adaptability and handling of the Montessori sensory
method.
Harmonious development of the individual.
Possibility of experiencing through the sense of touch
abstract mathematical concepts.
WEAKNESSES
Difficulties in the processing of materials for the
transition from visual to tactile experience, maintaining
the recognition of each quality, typical of the Montessori
learning materials.
OPPORTUNITIES
The visually impaired child can play and learn together
with his/her peers without discrimination of any kind,
establishing relationships and learning in the same way,
thanks to the same method and the same materials.
THREATS
Scarce personality, creativity and commitment by the
teachers to learn about both the Montessori method and
the sensory materials and lack of ability to adapt these to
the needs of the students.
3. THE MONTESSORI SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN ITALY
Name(s) of Researches: Monica Salasso
ABSTRACT
AIMS
POPULATION/SOCIAL
CATEGORIES/DISABILITIES
Students from 12 to 14 years of
age
Presentation of experiences in Montessori secondary schools in Italy from the
1950s to 2004. (Case Study).
Outline a pedagogical, educational and historical profile of the experiences of
the Montessori method in first grade secondary schools in Italy.
Application of the Montessori Method
Design/Method
Presentation of activities and methods
Results/Outcomes
Assessed
Institutional/School First grade secondary school
context
The method is well adapted to the context of reference
Conclusion
SWOT ANLYSIS: Factors to assess the usefulness of the Montessori Method methodology
STRENGTHS
The Montessori method, revised for this age group and
the external environment, has been able to adapt to the
needs of the national curriculum and include the
everyday activities, in this case related to school, and
others for building competences, for the attainment of
autonomy, empowerment and awareness, without
neglecting the social and collective aspects.
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WEAKNESSES
In the afternoon activities the teacher-student
relationship seems very strong whereas the relationship
amongst peers seems weaker. In addition, it is not clear
whether and to what extent the idea of freedom of choice
of educational activities was maintained.
OPPORTUNITIES
THREATS
Poor or non-existent training of secondary school
teachers in the Montessori method, therefore we had to
find people ready to train or who had already taught the
method to younger children.
4. THE MONTESSORI METHOD AND THE ACQUISITION OF COMPETENCES FOR
LIFELONG LEARNING
Name(s) of Researches: Federica Traversi
ABSTRACT
AIMS
POPULATION/SOCIAL
CATEGORIES/DISABILITIES
Teaching children
Discover the principles and materials needed for the acquisition of skills for the
future life of the student through interviews with former students from
Montessori schools.
Discovering the role of the Montessori method for the acquisition of skills in a
Longlife Learning perspective.
Quality research through interviews
Design/Method
Assessment of the value of the Montessori method in
Results/Outcomes
achieving the skills of active citizenship, personal
Assessed
fulfillment, employability and social inclusion
Institutional/School Italian schools adopting the Montessori method
context
The cornerstones of the Montessori approach bring the
Conclusion
individual to acquire those specific skills considered
essential in today's society.
SWOT ANLYSIS: Factors to assess the usefulness of the Montessori Method methodology
STRENGTHS
The Montessori approach is always in line with the
current education methods and allows the full training of
the subject and the acquisition of skills in line with
lifelong learning.
This method teaches respect, responsibility,
socialization, sharing, democracy, independence, a sense
of the value of commitment and of work, problem
solving and above all learning how to learn.
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WEAKNESSES
Little attention given to the development of emotions,
their self-management and how to learn through them.
OPPORTUNITIES
Broadens children’s minds and helps the self-building of
their personality in order to be ready for the challenges
of life within society.
THREATS
5. ENGLISH WORKSHOP IN THE MONTESSORI SCHOOLS
Name(s) of Researches: Daniele Franchini, Maria Carbosiero e Antonella D’Angelo
ABSTRACT
AIMS
POPULATION/SOCIAL
CATEGORIES/DISABILITIES
Children
Learning English through the Montessori method.
English language workshop based on sensory experiences, game and action.
Language workshop:
Design/Method
listening, speaking, reading and writing.
Learning English in a natural and easy way.
Results/Outcomes
Assessed
Institutional/School Primary school adopting the Montessori method.
context
Positive experience.
Conclusion
SWOT ANLYSIS: Factors to assess the usefulness of the Montessori Method methodology
STRENGTHS
The importance given to listening as a first step in
learning the language and the construction of the
learning environment around the child and his/her life.
OPPORTUNITIES
The contribution of the teacher and the preparation of
materials and the environment is an extremely
important resource for the success of learning.
WEAKNESSES
THREATS
The absence of audio-video materials and of
development materials in English.
6. THE COMPUTER IN THE ‘CASA DEI BAMBINI’
Name(s) of Researches: Patrizia Enzi
ABSTRACT
AIMS
POPULATION/SOCIAL
CATEGORIES/DISABILITIES
Children and the use of personal computers
Observation and evaluation of the child’s approach to the use of a computer.
Design/Method
The principles of the Montessori method for the direct
use of a Personal Computer
Results/Outcomes
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The children have self-trained in the use of the
Assessed
Children between 3-5/6 years of
age
Institutional/School
context
Conclusion
computer; they have also established a set of rules for
its use (when and how) shared and respectful.
Children from the ‘Casa dei Bambini’ in Brescia
Good results regarding the children’s commitment and
interest in exploration.
SWOT ANLYSIS: Factors to assess the usefulness of the Montessori Method methodology
STRENGTHS
Free interaction with the tool.
Continuous stimulation to experiment with both the
computer and its peripherals, which allow a meeting
point between the real and the virtual.
OPPORTUNITIES
Learn how to use the personal computer and its
peripherals at school if one does not have them at home.
WEAKNESSES
Little attention given to teamwork.
THREATS
Teacher not experienced in the use of the computer and
does not understand its educational value.
7. TEACHING MULTIMEDIA
Name(s) of Researches: Di Anna Colucci
ABSTRACT
AIMS
POPULATION/SOCIAL
CATEGORIES/DISABILITIES
Children 5 years of age
8
The Montessori method while using a Personal Computer
Assess the interaction between child and computer according to the Montessori
method and evaluation of the results.
The Montessori method applied to the discovery and
Design/Method
use of new technologies.
Results/Outcomes
5 year old children have shown very good results in
Assessed
learning, in the development of reading and writing, in
creativity, graphics and have improved their level of
concentration.
In addition, a rich production of digital products,
structured learning and repetition of the exercises.
Institutional/School Prep school adopting the Montessori method
context
The results were qualitatively and quantitatively
Conclusion
superior to those that would have been achieved with
the use of computers in the school computer lab.
SWOT ANLYSIS: Factors to assess the usefulness of the Montessori Method methodology
STRENGTHS
The creation of true learning.
OPPORTUNITIES
Good knowledge in computer use by teachers.
Financial resources allowed the purchase of 2 personal
computers and peripherals such as scanners and CD
burners.
WEAKNESSES
The teacher should be present in order to make students
pay more attention when they are not concentrating.
THREATS
Fundraising for the purchase of the equipment when not
internally supplied.
8. VIRTUAL GEOMETRY AND LOGO LANGUAGE
Name(s) of Researches: Luisa Aragosa e Benedetto Scoppola
ABSTRACT
AIMS
POPULATION/SOCIAL
CATEGORIES/DISABILITIES
Children
Research on learning geometry with the Logo. Application of the Montessori
method with innovative tools.
Alternative approach to learning geometry
The use of the Logo language with the Montessori
Design/Method
Method
Learning geometry
Results/Outcomes
Assessed
Institutional/School Montessori school
context
Learning and enjoying geometry with computers
Conclusion
SWOT ANLYSIS: Factors to assess the usefulness of the Montessori Method methodology
STRENGTHS
The transition from written language to geometric
processing.
The immediacy of the Logo language.
OPPORTUNITIES
Role of the teacher who will have to avoid the liability
of the learning subject, but let him
Teachers should avoid passive learning but students
should be free to experiment and find the solution to
develop a virtual, geometrical creations.
WEAKNESSES
Difficult creation of complex shapes that can still be
designed after several attempts and error tests.
THREATS
The lack of personal computers.
9. Project “kidsINNscience” in the Montessori School
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Name(s) of Researches: Laura Mayer
ABSTRACT
AIMS
POPULATION/SOCIAL
CATEGORIES/DISABILITIES
Children 8-9 years of age
The European Project "kidsINNscience" has experimented an innovative
method for the study of science derived from a foreign context.
The implementation with the Montessori method has allowed two different
comparisons: one methodological and the other cultural.
Adapt the experimentation to the environment and to the Montessori method.
Observe and assess the results.
Design/Method
The Montessori method applied to experimental
sciences with the approach of "Posing the question
why."
Practices carried out either individually or in pairs.
Children have shown a high level of initiative when
Results/Outcomes
working with scientific experimentation. Good results
Assessed
have been obtained also by disadvantaged subjects.
Institutional/School Montessori primary school in Rome
context
The initiative was welcomed, with a good and active
Conclusion
participation and responsibility by the children.
Observations showed gender differences in the attitudes
of experimentation and formulation of hypotheses.The
experiment was also carried out the following year.
SWOT ANLYSIS: Factors to assess the usefulness of the Montessori Method methodology
STRENGTHS
Respect for the free initiative of children, their learning
time.
Optimal preparation and stimulating learning
environment.
OPPORTUNITIES
The assessment by the teacher should be very accurate
since he /she has the responsibility to intervene when
the results are not spontaneously achieved by
children.As in the experiments described the teacher had
to organise moments of sharing and discussion in large
groups or with the whole class.
WEAKNESSES
The experimentation has raised to many questions
"about why" in children who had difficulty in presenting
scientific hypotheses which could explain the
phenomenon.
THREATS
The impossibility to set up a space for experimentation.
This space should be re-organised every day with new
materials each time.
10. DOMUS/MIGUELIN/GROWING LANGUAGE
Name(s) of Researches: ASINITAS ONLUS
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ABSTRACT
AIMS
POPULATION/SOCIAL
CATEGORIES/DISABILITIES
Adults migrants, refugees, both
men and women
The Montessori approach in literacy teaching for adult foreigners.
Learning Italian by immigrants as a tool for communication, empowerment, building
relationships, recounting life experiences and social advancement.
Teaching Italian as L2 using various methodologies
Design/Method
including the Montessori method
Learning Italian by immigrants
Results/Outcomes
Assessed
Institutional/School
context
Conclusion
Non-profit association for the promotion of interdisciplinary
activities, education and hospitality for foreign adults and
children operating both in Rome and in Milan.
Foreigners will learn the “powerful of literacy” not only to be
able to communicate in the language of the society in which
they live, but also to read, write and be part of it.
SWOT ANLYSIS: Factors to assess the usefulness of the Montessori Method methodology
STRENGTHS
The basic step taken in learning the new language is the
familiarization with sounds, phonemes and phones.
The second step is learning the lexicon, i.e. words which
indicate things and actions closely linked to everyday
life.
OPPORTUNITIES
The intrinsic and extrinsic motivation allow a better and
more rapid learning of the language.
The learning environment should be welcoming and
should encourage learning.
WEAKNESSES
Little attention is paid to sharing and exercising of
learning in pairs or small groups.
THREATS
The absence of a common language among immigrants
and the teachers of the host country.
The psyche of an adult is less flexible than that of a
child.
Life experiences, previous education, the sense of
welcome in a new society may affect the learning of a
language.
2nd RESEARCH: National Research/Survey to investigate the social and cultural barriers to
"ALTERNATIVE" ADULT Education for people with varying disabilities and special needs
The purpose of the 2nd phase of the research is to gather evidence of social and cultural
barriers for ADULTS with social hardship, special needs and disabilities in participating in
LIFE LONG LEARNING activities/education.
The Evidence of the social and cultural barriers of research/survey:
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- will analyse the social basis of this paradox, investigating the social and cultural reasons of the
barriers to education for these groups of adults with special needs.
- the role of social competences and the relationships between - lack of social competences and
participation of these target groups to any form of adult education/activities.
- analyse the pedagogic approaches, related to the areas of social competences, addressed to
adults, based on participatory and cooperative methods.
1.“NIDI DI MAMME”
Name(s) of Researches: Municipality of Naples
INTRODUCTION
AIMS
POPULATION/SOCIAL
CATEGORIES/
DISABILITIES/SPECIAL NEEDS
Adult women
Project of social value and educational promotion intended as a mean for
employment.
The objectives of the project are various. One of these is to guarantee education
for women in state of poverty to prevent their marginalization and social
exclusion and to give them the possibility to enter in the labour market.
Type of
Realization of a free education path in view of a
Education/Activities
following work placement.
The aim is to achieve a Primary and Secondary school
certificate, and/or a professional qualification.
Furthermore the objective is to acquire theoretical and
practical skills to carry out the activities of the
professional profile of the preschool collaborator.
Social and Cultural Social -Environmental barrier.
Barriers Assessed
Institutional/
Organisation context
Conclusion
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Adult women in state of poverty, living in the most
degraded and poor neighborhoods of Naples.
Municipality of Naples, Social services, schools.
Creation of a positive space of education and social
integration
SWOT ANLYSIS: Factors to assess the usefulness of the Montessori Method methodology
STRENGTHS
WEAKNESSES
Encourage participation in the education, offering as
second objective the possibility to find a job ( preschool
collaborator)
OPPORTUNITIES
There are not evident and relevant weak points.
THREATS
It is possible to point out the presence of a training
system, integrated between the local territory and the
municipality, addressed to the adults education.
Possible creation of an education centre for cultural
promotion and, thanks to this, for the fight against the
social exclusion.
There are not significant threats.
2. Regional Project: information support desk and access to inmate immigrant rights.
Initiative of ‘cultural mediation’ in prisons, organised by Emilia-Romagna Regional
government
Name(s) of Researches: Regional Government of Emilia-Romagna and Penitentiary
administration
INTRODUCTION
AIMS
POPULATION/SOCIAL
CATEGORIES/
DISABILITIES/SPECIAL NEEDS
Immigrant inmates
Prisons of Emilia-Romagna: Support desk for immigrant inmates (also about education
issue)
Support desk activation for inmate immigrants within prisons. This service provides
information about rights, re-integration opportunities and creates a link with the
possibilities offered by the territory about social, educational and job activities
Some support desks provide information about cultural
Type of
initiatives and educational activities. Moreover they create a
Education/Activities
network with the local education agencies, and the possibility
to meet with educators and social workers.
Inmate request:
Continuous education courses. Access to education in general.
Social and Cultural Physical Barrier
Barriers Assessed
The prisons that allow the access to education are:
Institutional/
Prison of Parma, Modena, Bologna, Piacenza and Reggio
Organisation context
Emilia
Conclusion
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The purpose is to provide information, accompany, sustain the
inmate in the contacts with the outside (training and
employment);
To give help in orientation and in the possibility of reintegration; to create a connection with the local services.
The Project has achieved positive results.
SWOT ANLYSIS: Factors to assess the usefulness of the Montessori Method methodology
STRENGTHS
WEAKNESSES
Pay attention to the inmates requests related to
education.
OPPORTUNITIES
There are not evident weak points.
THREATS
Create a network between the inmate and the territory
and with the places of education for the inmates’ future
social inclusion.
There are not evident threats.
3. Mobility service for people with disabilities
Name(s) of Researches: Municipality of Rome
INTRODUCTION
AIMS
POPULATION/SOCIAL
CATEGORIES/
DISABILITIES/SPECIAL NEEDS
People with serious physical
disabilities, blind people, who cannot
access the local shuttle service.
Since 1983 the Municipality of Rome offers a taxi service for people with serious
disabilities living in Rome, and that cannot use the public transports
Give the possibility to reach places of education, employment, health care and social
activities.
Type of
Education/Activities
Social and Cultural
Barriers Assessed
Institutional/
Organisation context
Conclusion
14
Use of specific taxi and equipped vehicle.
People with disability have a free Mobility Card to access the
service.
Physical and social barriers.
Municipality of Rome , Public service transport ATAC spa
The service is free and allows the social inclusion of this
category of disabled people. That cuts down the physical and
social barriers which prevent the reaching of places of culture,
education, employment, care, leisure…
SWOT ANLYSIS: Factors to assess the usefulness of the Montessori Method methodology
STRENGTHS
A good cooperation between the municipality and local
authorities to guarantee the citizens’ rights.
OPPORTUNITIES
Give the disabled the possibility to reach the desired
places and gives equal opportunities.
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WEAKNESSES
There are not evident weak points.
THREATS
There are not evident threats.
National Research Report Germany
Barriers to further education of disadvantaged people and alternative adult education in Germany
The application of the Montessori Method in Germany
I.1 Introduction: Disadvantages and the disadvantaged
Disadvantages and disadvantaged groups in adult education are much discussed and much
researched areas of social and educational matters in Germany. Among the numerous studies
written in this field Prof. Gerhild Brüning’s comprehensive and extensive analysis
„Disadvantaged people in further education“ gives us a great overview of the situation in
Germany. Therefore first we would like to summarize these questions according to her findings.
Depending on the social-political constellation, the disadvantaged and disadvantages in further
education are themes standing more or less strongly in the forefront. At the end of the 1950s a
new discussion started a new phase of opening of the education system to make a mass education
possible instead of an elite education. Promoting equal opportunities was a democratic postulate
as well as an economic necessity. This concept had a chance of realization as long as the
economy needed new labour force. Economic recessions on the labour market and rationalization
in the industry lead to heavy job losses especially for semi-skilled and unskilled people. At the
end of the 70s and beginning of the 80s the federal government started programs under the
explicit title of „Supporting the disadvantaged“ to help reintegration into the labour market.
These programs orientated themselves on the premiss that our society is based on earning your
living and that participation in society is defined mainly by participation in gainful employment.
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The terms disadvantaged and disadvantage have to be examined from the point of view of
society as well as that of the individual. From society’s perspective the reduction of
disadvantages is a social-political task that occurs over and over again. Societies change and
disadvantages today might not be the same as those of tomorrow. At the level of the individual
disadvantages are terminable or reducible, but so far we have very little knowledge about which
factors play a role there and what the meaning of disadvantages and terminated disadvantages
have in regard to the further course of life of the person.
Disadvantages need to be considered from the aspects of social, labour market, economic and
educational policies. Further education is only one of more approaches to reduce disadvantages,
especially social ones.
Disadvantages need to be assessed according to the goals set to decrease or terminate them.
Goals are not constant, they change, they are extended or constricted depending on societal
developments, political value orientation or vocational demands. Disadavantage is not yet
exclusion but it can be its preliminary stage. There are six central dimensions specified in the
literature where social exclusion is manifested: exclusion on the labour market, economic and
cultural exclusion, exclusion through social isolation, spatial and institutional exclusion. If three
or more of these dimensions coincide then social exclusion is presumable.
Factors that contribute to disadvantages rest on the subjective and social levels of the individual.
Apart from that they also show themselves as barriers to access to education and further
education that are drawn by the general conditions of educational insitutions, of the different
forms of funding as well as the individual funding possibilities, and of the legal structures. It is
certainly not one single decisive factor that makes somebody considered or be disadvantaged,
but it is an accumulation of factors that lead to disadvantages in further education as well as in
society.
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The normally used terms of “disadvantaged, disadvantaged target groups, supporting the
disadvantaged” are an improper reduction of individual as well as social problem areas lying
behind. They reinforce the deficient vision of a person and they disregard his/her competences.
The look at the individual fades out the social context, in which the person lives, and which
influences, determines, extends, and also restricts the individual scope of shaping his life. The
term “disadvantage” is more adequate as it extends the perception horizon to the factors that lie
beyond an individual and that strongly influence the emergence of disadvantage.
Under the paradigm of lifelong learning chances also have to be available lifelong. If knowledge
and skills need to be continuously updated, it is put into a different perspective what one had
learnt in the school or in his training.
I.2 Attitudes to further education
The discussion about educational participation in the context of disadvantage assumes that
disadvantages can be reduced through further education or that further education can have a
preventative effect against disadvantage. If we can find out which factors influence participation
in further education then it is also easier to establish which factors lead to non-participation.
Non-participation in further education thus is in connection with educational disadvantage, from
which then vocational and also social disadvantages accrue.
The decision about participation / non-participation in further education depends on factors at
different levels. There are subjective and social-demographic factors. In addition, financial
conditions and contents of available learning programs, of educational institutions, of support
programs, of projects and of supporting structures also play an important role. The structure of
the educational system, the legal conditions of further education as well as the structure of the
whole society also have a great effect.
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What belongs to subjective factors? Learning interests, utilization interests, individual values and
attitudes towards further education. They provide the basis for the structure of motivation, which
is at the end a decisive factor for whether participation in further education happens or not.
The important social-demographic factors that influence the decision about further education are
school and vocational educational background, employment, vocational position, social origin,
gender, age and nationality.
The higher the level of school education, the higher participation in further education gets, and it
increases even further in the case of having additional vocational qualification.
Already school education channels the path to vocational training and to the later vocational and
social status, even if the educational system has become more permeable since the educational
reform.
Employment increases the interest in further education.
The participation of men and women in further education increased continuously in the last few
years. In vocational education, by the employed as well as the unemployed, men have a higher
participation rate than women. This might be attributed to the fact that with women we need to
consider further influence factors that hinder participation such as part-time employment and
family.
Younger people take part in further education more often than older people. There seems to be
an age limit of 40 for further education offers at the workplace. Older employees are not offered
education by the employers anymore. In addition, they think themselves that they are too old to
take part in further education.
Non-Germans were asked about their attitudes to further education first in 1997. Their
participation rates are well below that of Germans.
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I.3 Disadvantaged target groups
According to the educational and social-political approach of target group orientation specific
socially disadvantaged groups are addressed, whose everyday problems are considered complex
and multilayered, which are interpreted as the reasons for their distance to educational offers.
This approach assumes that through education social disadvantages can also be reduced.
Although there is increasing criticism of the target group concept (it disregards educationally
relevant areas of life; it concentrates on deficits instead of competences that could lead to
stigmatization and exclusion; there is a danger of education becoming an instrument to solve
social and labour market problems), the support programs set up from the beginning of the 80s
started with this concept. They put an accumulation of factors as an underlying reason for the
emergence of disadvantages, which varied group by group. The target groups addressed have the
following factors leading to disadvantages:
Young adults without school- and vocational qualifications are disadvantaged because of
learning difficulties, difficulties with socialization, missing school qualifications, missing
training place and school / apprenticeship drop-out.
The unemployed, long-term unemployed and people receiving social benefits are disadvantaged
because of missing vocational qualifications, qualifications not in demand, their age, health
problems, missing educational offers, missing infrastructure, their gender and their nationality.
Women are disadvantaged because of the missing gender democracy, restricted vocational
choices, restricted vocational opportunities, double socialization, less social and political
participation possibilities.
Migrants are disadvantaged because of their legal status, the non-recognition of school,
vocational and university qualifications, lower language skills, the complexity of the school,
training and further education systems.
20
Illiterate people are disadvantaged because of difficult family relations, learning problems
already in the first primary school years, missing school / vocational qualifications.
In addition to the classical target groups there are new disadvantages appearing. We find in these
groups those who have no access to new media, who work in professions dying out, who have no
access to further education or cannot pay for it.
I.4 Recommendations from further education projects
Prof. Brüning compared the recommendations for these target groups coming from different
measures /projects in the last 20 years. It became apparent form these recommendations that
there have been no significant changes in the concepts. Certain approaches are used with all
target groups:
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Searching and motivating adults for further education
Learning counselling of participants that is personal and participant-orientated
Orientation at living environement (Lebenswelt) and biographical approach
Professionalization of teachers
Small learning groups, which makes intensive and effective learning situations possible
Participant-orientated teaching materials, developed in a procedural, individual and
course-related way
In newer concepts it is pointed out that in addition to these:
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Orientation at competence-approach is necessary;
A potential-analysis should be carried out;
The heterogeneity of groups should be valued positively;
The meaning of cooperation and networking should get a stronger weight.
I.5 Necessary orientations of action
According to the analysis of Prof. Brüning the realization of these recommendations from
projects were facing major problems. One problem was the non-binding character of the
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recommendations. Whether and/or who should implement them was not regulated. In addition to
that came information and dissemination problems, as most recommendations were applied only
in relatively small scale and mostly limited to local organizations. Communication between all
parties involved also proved to be insufficient.
The following orientations of action are suggested by results of studies and recommendations of
projects:
Prevention has to become a political demand as a defined goal of overriding importance to
prevent disadvantages. It also includes a system of explicit preventive measures.
The reduction of disadvantages has to be formulated as a political goal. The value orientation at
social justice needs to be realized more efficiently and continuously by political parties. To
achieve that a system needs to be installed with the continual task of following the developments
of disadvantage-reduction. The further education system has to be checked systematically for
inherent disadvantage factors. That includes the requirement that the legal framework of the
further education system does not allow (even if it is unintentional) excluding arrangements
through the design of contents and formulation. Likewise, access to further education, transitions
in the education system (school – training – further education) and the funding of the system
have to be examined for possibilities of disadvantages.
The transfer of project experiences into everyday practice has been given too little attention so
far. There should be a greater emphasis on evaluation of model projects with regard to the
possibilities of transfer of their results.
Promoting sustainability should have a higher value. Findings and experience from measures
directed at people with disadvantages have to be monitored for sustainability for social-political
and financial reasons.
Demands on the education system have changed too. Educational institutions have to develop
into learning organizations and competence centres. There is an increasing need for pedagogical
22
staff to have qualifications in counselling, knowledge of business management and the ability to
work in a team.
Cooperation and networking of educational organizations as well as all parties involved need to
be improved in order to use the scarce resources better and to reach synergy effects.
Didactics and methodology have to be developed suited to adult learners. As a general principle,
competence approach, potential-analysis, consideration of social and cultural background,
learning to learn and learning to use new media need to be integrated into educational measures.
The diversity and complexity of available further educational courses make it necessary to press
ahead with the development and systematisation of the support system. That includes the
improvement of the information system for all parties concerned, of the counselling
opportunities at all levels, of the transparency and clarity of educational courses. Further forums
of interdisciplinary exchange need to be established and discourses to be facilitated. Continuing
training and support for pedagogical staff have to become self-evident.
II. Adult education in Germany
As part of lifelong learning, continuing education is assuming greater importance and is
increasingly becoming a field of education in its own right. New forms of learning, for example,
as part of non-formal learning, are becoming increasingly important in continuing education.
Continuing education encompasses the general, vocational and socio-political domains in equal
measure.
Continuing
education
is
offered
by municipal
institutions,
in
particular
Volkshochschulen (people’s schools), as well as by private institutions, church institutions, the
trade unions, the various chambers of industry and commerce, political parties and associations,
companies and public authorities, family education centres, academies, Fachschulen
(technical/vocational schools), institutions of higher education and distance learning institutions.
23
Adult education (AE) in Germany is classically divided into:
General AE with special areas such as political AE; cultural learning, family learning etc.
Vocational AE, where the largest part is company-initiated.
In Germany, it is estimated that there are approximately 25,000 adult education institutions (2008).
These are: institutions that provide regular and publicly organized education as a primary or
secondary task.
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37% of the institutions offer general and vocational continuing education
56% only vocational continuing education
6% only general continuing education (with political and cultural education)
41.3% are private providers
23.5% are adult education centres.
The most important financers of AE in Germany are the participants themselves, followed by
companies. Public sponsors (federal government, states, communities, EU) take third place with
taxes and revenue from unemployment insurance used for educational measures for job-seekers.
III. Studies and research projects chosen for the Report
III.1 Participation and barriers to participation in adult education. Alternative methods in adult
education
There is an abundance of research projects and research studies concerning adult education in
Germany. The organizations providing adult educational courses are also great in number, and
the system is rather complex and non-transparent. There is no centralised list of courses available
and even the institutions themselves have little information about the activities of other
institutions. Therefore it is very difficult to establish which institutions, how many of them and
in what ways offer courses working with alternative methods. The 20 studies we have chosen to
analyse in our Templates are all connected to the themes of disadvantaged groups and/or barriers
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to further education and/or alternative methods. These three themes appear mixed in the studies,
it is difficult to separate them completely (for example our study on the illiteracy problems of
migrant women concerns two target groups – women and migrants -, alphabetisation as a main
barrier and also alternative solutions to the problem). Therefore we grouped our studies related to
the issues and problems appearing most in discussions, with a special focus on our own target
group, people with a migrant background with regards to disadvantages migrant might face.
According to our categorization the 6 for us most important themes in the field of research are:
1. Theme: Alphabetization
 great problem with first generation migrants, especially women
2. Theme: Education of older people
 first generation of migrants who did not attend school as children
3. Theme: Further education and disadvantages
 extensive and comprehensive studies and data collections about all aspects of further
education in relation to disadvantages - with great amount of data on migrant groups in
Germany
4. Theme: Social environment studies (“Milieu-studies”)
 migrants are a heterogene group of people with very different backgrounds - that must be
taken into account with further education courses
5. Theme: Migrants and adult education
 their interests, participation and non-participation and factors affecting participation in
further education, barriers to education, differences among migrant groups
6. Theme: New ways of learning
 emotional learning, learning spaces, integrative education, experiential education,
program planning
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III.2 Migrant groups in Germany – disadvantages and participation in further education
As the main target group of our organization is people with a migrant background, we had a
special focus on studies concerning disadvantaged migrant groups. The main findings of these
studies that are important for our further work in the project were:
1. Possible reasons for becoming disadvantaged as a migrant:
* legal status due to the non-German nationality
* school and university certificates/degrees not being recognized
* limited access to the labour market
* low language skills
* complexity and non-transparency of the school, training and further education systems
* racism and exclusion.
2. Participation of people with a migrant background in further education (2007)
(First appearance of “foreigners” in data collection: 1997; of “people with a migrant
background”: 2003)
* Germans: 44%
* People with a German citizenship and a migrant background: 34%
* Migrants with a foreign nationality: 39%
3. Low participation in vocational further education:
* People with a German citizenship and a migrant background: 20%
* Migrants with a foreign nationality: 18%
* Especially low participation in some groups according to country of origin:
- Turkey: 8,8%
- Italy: 12,7%
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III.3 The Research project “Alphamar”
There is one research project in Germany that caught our special attention with regards to the
aims of the MOMA project. The project is called “Alphamar” and it was run by the University of
Marburg between 2009 and 2011. The goal of the project was to test different alternative
methods to help illiterate adults with a migrant background to learn to read and write. Among the
various methods they tested was the method of Maria Montessori. In two language courses at the
Volkshochschule in Frankfurt they taught alphabetization according to the principles of the
Montessori Method, which according to the first results achieved great success with the
participants.
We need to find out more about the detailed final results of the project (waiting for them to be
published), and about whether the project lead to any further courses, measures or further
development of the Montessori Method in adult education.
IV. The Montessori Method in Germany
IV.1 Montessori institutions in Germany - http://www.montessori-deutschland.de
(Montessori Dachverband Deutschland e.V.)
There are over 1.000 schools and kindergartens in Germany that work according to the principles
of the Montessori pedagogy.
The number of children’s day care institutions working with the Montessori pedagogy is around
600. As they are affiliated to and (co-) financed by municipalities, their participation in unions at
regional level is limited to some extent. Therefore this number should be taken as a conservative
estimate.
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In the last 15-20 years a real boom started in independent (not state-funded) schools. In Bayern
for example, five Montessori schools organized themselves into the Regional Montessori Union
in 1985, today they have 80 members.
There are more than 400 schools working with the method of Maria Montessori (including
ordinary schools with Montessori classes). In more detail:
Out of these 400 Montessori schools appr. 300 are primary schools and over 100 secondary
schools.
Appr. 65 % of the Montessori schools are private schools (at the primary level 60%, at the
secondary level 80% ). The private schools are mostly pure Montessori schools, in state schools
it is more common to have some ordinary and some Montessori classes.
About 10% of private schools have a church as their funding body, the rest are mostly parents’
initiatives.
Only less than 5% of Montessori primary schools are for children with special needs, almost all
of them state schools.
The distribution of Montessori schools at secondary level is as follows: grammar schools 40%,
comprehensive schools 25%, intermediate secondary schools (5-10th class, Realschule in
German) 15%, secondary general school (5-9th class, Hauptschule in German) 20%.
There are Montessori schools in every state of Germany; considering the number of pupils
Bayern and Berlin are at the top of the list, and there are relatively few Montessori schools in
North-Germany.
Since 2005 appr. every seventh (14%) of the 50 newly founded schools per year has been a
private Montessori school, mostly a parents’ initiative.
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IV. 2 Studies and research carried out in Germany concerning the Montessori Method
Most researches we found about the Montessori Method in Germany took us to the end of the
20th Century. In the 10 studies we have chosen to analyse in our Templates the main topic of
interest was achievement and performance of children in Montessori classes in primary and
secondary schools. Another main topic was the comparison between performance and
competences of children from Montessori classes and classes from “ordinary” schools.
The achievement results at the end of every particular study and survey were nearly the same.
The Montessori Method allows for more individual advancement and gains better results in
achievements in school.
Children of Montessori classes are more able and ready to form a group and to work in a group
as children at the same age but in an ordinary class. Montessori school children are also better in
developing group processes themselves. All the studies and observations show that usually all
children have an inner willingness to act cooperatively and fairly. Children at the primary school
are able to solve conflicts on their own and in upcoming conflicts they behave peacefully.
The free choice of exercises is one significant aspect of the Montessori Method in Montessori
schools. Free work in groups is usual and seems to be meaningful for example for further
discussions among the children. Without an interruption of a teacher they learn behavioral rules
by themselves, for example to respect each other, let everybody speak, listen to classmates and
much more. In general they seem to become more independent than children at the same age in
ordinary schools. Pupils without a high achievement potential are better able to make up learning
deficits during free work and the survey has shown that they really do it. During the learning
processes of children the teacher's help is necessary and not replaceable. He or she plays an
important role during the acquisition of skills. All studies show children's interest and eagerness
for knowledge. They use their time for free work willingly and effectively.
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Another specific and interesting field of the Montessori Method is the integrated education. In
contrast with some concerns, integrated education with healthy and disabled children, according
to the study results, is life-enhancing and successful. Healthy children learn how to deal with
disabilities and start to become considerate and attentive towards disabled children. They will be
well prepared for a respectful contact to each other in the future. An important point of integrated
education, met with criticism by parents of healthy children, was the solicitude about disabled
children disturbing the achievements of healthy classmates. But the results of studies in Germany
showed that the achievements of healthy children are not disturbed or get lower because of an
education with some children who have mental, social or physical disabilities. Observance of the
class size and of what type of disabilities some children have in one group are important.
The usual drill in ordinary schools, for example fast calculation skills, which is more typical in
conventional and traditional schools, is more convenient for “good pupils” at the expense of
pupils who are not such good and fast learners. In Montessori schools the pupils, no matter what
kind of physical disability, mental or social disadvantages they have, are able to decide what and
when to learn and work on in their own speed and according to their on learning potential and
power.
IV.3 Montessori for adults. Montessori pedagogy for old people
The principles of the reform pedagogy of Maria Montessori are also applied in homes for old
people with dementia. An important element of the work is activating care that helps people
suffering from dementia through development/improvement of the senses with specifically
developed Montessori materials. One of our interviewees, Ms Hella Klein, is the mind behind
this new approach in care for people with dementia, she is the one who updated and modified the
Montessori approach to fit the needs of this group. She also developed a course curriculum for
people working with old people with dementia, which has been officially recognized in Germany
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as certified training material. The main pillars of the Montessori approach, attentiveness,
observation and individual promotion are as valid in working with seniors as with children.
Therefore the Montessori pedagogy offers the basic precondition of a holistic concept in the field
of special needs in a late age, too. The Materials can motivate, stimulate, inspire, and at the same
time they also facilitate error checking and success factor. Thus the approach can promote selfawareness, independence and self-confidence.
IV.4 Interview with Hella Klein
Ms Hella Klein is an 86 years old Montessori preschool teacher and Montessori educator who
had worked in the past with children and young people in a social hotspot. She also gives
seminars, for example in Düsseldorf or Berlin, for future Montessori teachers.
7 years ago Hella Klein's husband was suffering from Alzheimer dementia. She began to deal
with the disease and visited regularly a daily care center for Alzheimer people in the
neighborhood. She decided to develop the Montessori Method further in the work with
Alzheimer patients and use it to bring more light in their life. In 2011 she wrote a book “Ten
after ten” about her methods and her experiences and she still works in this field.
Today Hella Klein is officially authorized by the German Montessori Society to train volunteers,
who work with dementia/Alzheimer patients. She gives a basic course in the Montessori Method
and a special training in using this method with Alzheimer patients.
The volunteers receive a diploma at the end of the course. The course lasts six weekends and the
participants must visit and observe Ms Klein's work in the day care center at least four times.
The students receive the appropriate Montessori materials from Ms Klein. During the interview
with her it becomes clear, that she does not do but live the Montessori Method. There are
methods and special skills necessary to learn for the work with children or dementia patients.
She pointed out:
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“People are in the center - I am here for the people who depend on me”
There are principles of the Montessori Method in the work with Alzheimer patients that are
particularly important for Hella Klein. The most important thing by using this method and work
with diseased old people is to watch and observe them. For a successful cooperation with these
patients it is necessary to get to know them a little bit better, for example what they liked to do
before they developed Alzheimer and to know something about their lives. It is necessary to
evolve sympathy for the patients' situation and always to think about the reason why someone
acts and behaves in the way he or she does. The voluntary aspect of the work with Dementia
patients by using the Montessori Method is important for the success. In practice it means to
always ask the parties if they want to work with you. Trust, humility and patience are the basis
on which the success of work depends. The basic aspect of the Montessori idea and Hella Klein's
work is not to correct the people but stress the strengths not the deficits. The main aim is to
extract old people with dementia out of their lethargy and to activate them. They should be able
to spend the last stage of their life with dignity. According to Ms Klein they should be taken out
of their loneliness and be happy but can also be sad in the community with others. Old people
with dementia should always be addressed as individuals. Their social and emotional skills are to
be promoted. Ms Klein wants to help people to be independent as long as possible. She wants to
be the link between people and the world.
Hella Klein has developed the existing Montessori material by changing parts of it and adapting
the material to the need of the individual sick people. Typical for the Montessori approach and
also implemented in Ms Klein's work is the preparation of the environment, because according to
the understanding of Montessori it is the order from outside that radiates to the inner order.
While working with dementia patients there are different activities on offer at different tables.
Another point of regard is always to start with the individual who is the center of attention. The
innovative aspect of the Montessori Method in the work with Alzheimer patients is the
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possibility to adapt the method to the needs of old people. It is put on a different level as means
of activating and communication. The advantage of this method here is to motivate people, who
did not cooperate at all, to help them out of their lethargy. They started to take part in the
activities with the others and even had a bit of fun.
Even experienced staff members were surprised at the effect and success of the Montessori
activities. The strength of the Montessori Method in the work with Alzheimer patients is to
motivate these demented people in a special way, so they start to communicate and start to take
part although they were isolated and withdrawn before. These patients become part of a group
and find interest in learning and exercising through the activation of staff members until they
reach higher activity levels. These demented people feel that they are taken seriously and
encountered with dignity. The opportunities of the method in the work with Alzheimer patients,
which became clear during the interview with Ms Klein, are the motivation and activation people
with Dementia diseases get by the use of Montessori materials. It helps these diseased people to
learn again something they forgot or to learn something new. For further developments of
adapting the Montessori Method for Dementia patients it will be necessary to address other
stakeholders, for example politicians, to communicate it. Also pedagogues and carers can build
networks and work on solutions by themselves. The method can provide a significant
contribution to the improvement of daily life of patients.
During the work on the tasks for this project it was not easy to find weaknesses of the method,
because the advantages and the success of using the adapted Montessori Method with Alzheimer
patients were clear to see. Intrinsically the method shows no weaknesses, but maybe it is
problematic that there are only a few experts who can work with Hella Klein's method and the
fact that her work is mainly based on voluntary work. In homes for elderly people with
Alzheimer there is also a very strict time program and bad paying of staff members. This method
takes time and should be paid. The question is if policy makers/government is ready to do that.
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Pedagogues are convinced that the Montessori Method is effective, but they do not have time in
their everyday work to use it. According to Ms Klein it is important that the Montessori
pedagogues do not stay in their own cliques, and that the hierarchy in their associations does not
become more important than the individuals themselves. She also told us her worry about the
process of further development of the method, which is too slow.
In conclusion, the Montessori Method in the work with Dementia patients is worth to be further
developed and introduced in wider circles. At the moment the method is more or less in the hand
of one person, but Hella Klein is doing some education seminars for trainers, who hopefully
carry on with the idea. Also, the German Montessori Association “legalized” the method.
IV.5 Interview with Tessa Zakrziwski
Ms Tessa Zakrziwski is a pedagogue and Montessori educator and now she works as a teacher in
a vocational school where she educates future pre-school teachers and social pedagogues in
Düsseldorf. Ms Zakrziwski grew up in Poland in the time of communism. As a young woman
she was already very interested in the theories and work of Maria Montessori. Unfortunately
there was only some material from M.Montessori available from the time before the Second
World War in Poland. Later Ms Zakrziwski came to Germany and completed the 3 years training
of Montessori educator. Now she teaches adults pedagogy and alternative education concepts.
She partly uses the Montessori material in her teaching. Her students are in the age from 18 to 55
years old.
For several years Tessa led a youth center with socially disadvantaged children and young
people. In this center she started to use the Montessori approach in her work.
In her opinion the Montessori Method is very suitable in the work with socially disadvantaged
children and youngsters, who have problems in schools. Many of them have migrant background
and difficulties in learning mathematics and the German language.
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The Montessori approach often is reduced to the materials - but it is more.
Montessori is an educational insight and an attitude. There are many possibilities to develop the
approach further and use the Montessori method and materials in different fields of education
today. Ms Zakrziwski thinks that the Montessori Method is particularly good for teaching the
grammar of a foreign language. Through the intuitive material the students can "touch" the
language and understand it much better. Here it would be important to modify the method and
adapt it to the respective language.
This way of teaching a foreign language with the help of the Montessori Method is also ideal for
teaching adults. She would then change some materials to be more related to adult needs. This is
also the case for learning and better understanding mathematics.
Tessa Zakrziwski teaches her future pre-school teachers to use some elements of these methods
in their profession later, although Ms Zakrziwski's school is not a Montessori school. There are
many Montessori pre-schools and primary schools in Germany, but only few secondary schools
and high schools.
In Ms Zakrziwski's opinion you could also use the Montessori approach in the work with
disadvantaged long-term Unemployed. They often lack structure and feel useless. There it is
important to give them a structure and show them that they are free to decide themselves what
they would like to do/work (self-determination) and with the help of the Montessori method
wake their curiosity and interest. Also in Ms Zakrziwski's point of view the Montessori approach
gives good opportunities to develop the creativity of an individual. Both interview partners
advised to reconsider some old fashioned exercises, which are still part of the Montessori
Method, and update them. The material has to be further developed and adapted to be usable in
educational work with adults. The goal of the Montessori exercises Ms Zakrziwski uses is to
promote creativity and to move the outside order to the inner order.
35
The conclusion of the interview with Ms Tessa Zakrziwski was similar to the continuing
thoughts of the interview with Hella Klein. The Montessori Method needs to be further
developed so that it can be used in Adult Education. The approach could be then introduced in
wider circles, for example in Adult Education centers. Many teachers would be glad to use some
materials and methods in their teaching if they had better access to them. They need to discover
the possibilities to reach their educational goals with the help of the Montessori method. In
conclusion, a better promotion of the Montessori Method is needed.
V. 3 Best Practices from projects applying the Montessori Method in Germany
1. NonnaAnna (www.nonna-anna.com)
An educational care concept for seniors based on the Montessori method
NonnaAnna is based on the Montessori method. Effective impulses and educational care can and
should be integrated into the daily care routine without any difficulty.
A holistic and individual care and occupation concept that enables the patient to feel
comfortable, it helps to keep up the patient’s mental strength as long as possible. Patients who
are taken care of according to the NonnaAnna method are much calmer and more balanced. It
results in a daily care routine with less stress and an increasingly relaxed atmosphere between the
caregiver and the patient.
The state of exhaustion among family member carers decreases considerably. Working senseoriented with material developed especially for that reason enables a form of communication
apart from language and intellect. This means that the basis for the ideal preservation of one’s
mental strength can in particular be found in everyday life situations.
36
The material is tailor-made according to the patient’s personal preferences. By working together
with the material, a positive general atmosphere develops. The patient “is reminded of old times,
of a time that has long passed”. This creates an “old/new familiarity”.
2. Peter Hesse Foundation - solidarity in partnership for ONE world in diversity
http://www.solidarity.org/en/montessori-projects.html
“Education is a catalyst for sustainable social improvement and change for a peaceful and just
future. Since 1983 we train Montessori teachers and help them to establish schools for
underprivileged children in Haiti – and since 2008 also in Africa.” - Zitat
The Peter Hesse Foundation began its Montessori initiative with the objective of improving the
quality of early childhood education in Haiti. To be able to do this effectively, the Foundation
launched its efforts in two directions: training teachers and establishing pre-schools.
A teaching training center, “Centre Montessori d’Haiti” was created in 1986 to train teachers to
teach children between the ages of 2 1/2 to 6 years old. A Montessori demonstration pre-school,
where student teachers could experience the Montessori method in action, was attached to the
center. By the year 2006, after over 20 years of yearly Montessori-teacher-training, well over
600 students have participated, over 500 Montessori preschool-diplomas were handed out. 84 of
them successfully passed a second exam to become "Montessori-Directresses", the international
level, comparable worldwide.
“The "secret of success" of our work in Haiti is very simple, but must be strictly maintained:
Quality of teachers + ownership of the preschools by the teachers, parents and by the
community.”
A film about the project is available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mrlIF0RC_8
37
3. Montessori Method for old people with dementia – care concept and training course for
carers
We have described the concept and the training course designed by Ms Hella Klein in a previous
chapter of the Report.
VI. How can the Montessori Method help disadvantaged migrants in adult education?
First thoughts:
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38
learning German
illiterate migrants - learning to read and write
supporting voluntary learning and self-learning - free working periods
attention to each individual and her/his needs and background - “everything is too
fast in courses”
considers and supports the strengths and skills of a person, not the deficits
exam anxieties - a deterring factor for adults - reference to Montessori study
letting people work and learn at their own speed
learning through games
intensified learning by working in groups
National Research Report Portugal
Other types and Methods of Education in Portugal
In the structure of the Portuguese educational system there are the following types of
special school education: special education, Vocational Training, Distance Education,
Portuguese teaching abroad. Each of these methods is an integral part of school education, but is
ruled by special provisions.
 Special Education
The education of disabled children in Portugal began in the nineteenth century, in two
strands: Assistance (for which they were created asylums) and Education, from 1822, with the
creation of the first establishment to serve the deaf and blind later added to Casa Pia de Lisboa.
This was followed by the creation of responses at the level of deafness and blindness.
In 1929 was created the Bureau of Primary Education and Normal Teaching in order to
organize special classes, and the first was opened in 1929, in Lisbon. It was also in the academic
year 1929/1930 that through an order signed by the Minister Eduardo Costa Ferreira, the Bureau
of Primary Education and Normal Teaching was allowed to form new classes, recruiting staff
from specialist teachers.
In 1930, special classes are created in other schools in Lisbon. The Navarro de Paiva
Institute starts integrating and educating children and said abnormal offenders presented to the
Juvenile Courts. In February 1930, were installed in primary schools in Lisbon special classes
for "retarded", involving about 300 children.
In 1942, in collaboration with the Institute Aurélio da Costa Ferreira, a boost occurred in
the education of mentally handicapped and disabled people.
In the 1950's, new intervention centers and associations in the field of disability are
created, many streamlined by groups of parents: in 1955, the Juvenile Centre Hellen Keller, by
the Portuguese League for Disabled People, in 1960, the Portuguese Association for Cerebral
Palsy is created, with its headquarters in Lisbon.
in 1962, the Portuguese Association of Parents and Friends of Children Mongoloids it’s
created later renamed the Portuguese Association of Parents and Friends of Children Mental
Decreased. In 1964, the Institute for Assistance to Minors creates the Disability Education
Services. Also in 1964, the creation of the specialization of Teachers Maladjusted Children. In
1970, it created in Coimbra, the Cerebral Palsy Center, in 1971; it created the Portuguese
Association for the Protection of Autistic Children.
In the 1970s, reflecting the movements that internationally were defending equality
prospects, there have been some attempts to promote the integration of special education into
39
mainstream education. In 1971, it published the Law n. 6/71, November 8th - Law on the
Rehabilitation and Integration of Disabled Persons - which promulgates the foundation for the
rehabilitation and social integration, governments will give importance and special education
support. With the Veiga Reform, in 1973, the Ministry of Education is responsible for the
Special Education and published in the legislation related to the organization of the General
Management of Primary and Secondary Education already in several divisions with the aim of
organizing educational structures.
Between 1970 and 1980, three juridical devices configured the set of legal principles of
the fundamental rights of disabled citizens: the Portuguese Constitution (1976), Law on the
Education System (1986) and Law on Prevention and the Rehabilitation and Integration of
People with Disabilities (1989). In regular school, soon began to intervene in a more noticeable
way since 1975, first with teachers roaming and later with the creation of teams of Special
Education (1976), which aim to integrate the disabled into regular classes. In this process of
democratization of education CERCI's” are created “and other institutions to support mental
disabilities, such as the Portuguese Association of Cerebral Palsy in Porto.
In 1977, Decree-Law No. 174/77, of May 2, applied to the Preparatory and Secondary
Education, allows special enrollment conditions and assessment for students with disabilities.
The International Year of Disabled Persons (1981) and the World Programme of Action
concerning disabled persons constituted a milestone awareness of society to the human rights of
people with disabilities, which would become more effective as a result of the Decade of the
United Nations for Persons with Disabilities (1983-1992).
Portugal, by signing the Salamanca Statement (UNESCO, 1994) is committed to apply its
principles, which has not been a linear task, since they still linger concepts, structures, norms and
practices which contradict the values that guide Inclusive Education. In recent years there has
been a set of conceptual and socio-legal changes, which introduced instability and uncertainty in
the educational system, which may be perhaps promoting an inclusive school or on the contrary,
may be generating situations of segregation and / or educational and social exclusion.
 Vocational Training
Overview
The system of continuing vocational education and training in Portugal consists of a
range of flexible training pathways which make it possible to build a vocational qualification that
suits individual trainees’ interests and needs. The aim is that trainees acquire or develop
knowledge and skills in the technical and social fields allowing them to re-enter or improve their
position on the labour market.
40
Continuing adult education and training courses
Adult education and training courses are aimed at adults over the age of 18 who have no
qualifications or whose qualifications are inadequate for integration in the labour market. The
process of Recognition, Validation and Certification of Skills is the most common platform for
access to these courses.
The aim of these courses is to raise the adult population’s academic ability and vocational
qualifications by offering a combination of education and training that enhances their
employability and certifies acquired learning. Courses are based on:
• flexible training pathways designed on the basis of recognition and validation of the
skills adults have acquired via formal, non-formal and informal routes;
• coordinated training pathways that comprise basic training and technology training or
just basic training;
• training focusing on the acquisition of knowledge, know-how and skills that
complement and promote apprenticeships.
These courses lead to a Cycle 3 basic education certificate and a Level 2 vocational
training certificate, or a secondary-education certificate and a Level 3 vocational training
certificate. Attendance of an EFA course that does not lead to certification entitles participants to
request a certificate of validation of skills, which lists all the skills validated during the training
process.
EFA courses are designed and run by the respective instigating bodies or by a third party.
In both cases, the training body must be part of the network of training institutions included in
the national qualifications system. EFA courses that focus on improving academic abilities are
run by public, private or cooperative education establishments with autonomy over the training
they provide, or by direct-management or joint-management Vocational Training Institute for
Employment and Vocational Training.
Training for groups with special integration problems. In addition to the forms of
training described in the previous section, there are also courses aimed specifically at groups that
face special problems in joining the labour market. Most of these courses are promoted by the
Institute for Employment and Vocational Training.
Vocational training courses for disadvantaged groups
These are vocational training and guidance courses that are designed to meet the
particular needs of the target group, with a view to promoting their social and occupational
(re)integration. Target groups include the long-term unemployed, ethnic minorities, immigrants,
young people and adults with poor literacy skills and with inadequate personal, social and
vocational skills, as well as other people who, because of their socioeconomic situation or their
behavior and attitudes, are experiencing serious difficulties as regards social and occupational
integration.
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Special vocational training courses
These are vocational training courses aimed at specific target groups – young people at
risk, drug addicts, ex-prisoners, ethnic minorities and other disadvantaged population groups –
with a view to helping them to obtain a basic vocational qualification so they can enter the labour
market.
Vocational training for people with disabilities
The aim here is to provide people with disabilities with the knowledge and skills they
need to obtain a vocational qualification that will enable them to secure or maintain a job and/or
improve their position on the labor market. Training is personalized, based on individual training
plans, and lasts for a maximum of four years, which may in exceptional cases be increased to
five years.
 Distance Education in Portugal
The evidence that it was possible to provide high quality teaching in most scientific,
humanistic and cultural subjects, through a process which did not require the students to be
physically present in the classroom, and allow them to learn on their own through the use of
didactic materials purposely developed was established by the Open University in Great Britain.
This success determined the spread of distance teaching universities (commonly known as open
universities) all over the world (Trindade, 1989). Portugal could not remain inattentive to this
happening. In 1988, the Universidade Aberta de Portugal was created.

A glance at the evolution of Distance Education
As early as 1927, during the First Republic in Portugal, the possible advantages and
dangers of the use of audio-visual aids in the educational process was already an issue. Five
years after, due to the assumed importance of cinematography in educating people, a commission
was formed, called Comissão do Cinema Educativo (Commission for Educational Cinema)
under the Ministry of Public Instruction, with the objective of proposing the production,
authorship and distribution of educational films.
Thirty years later, in 1963, a big step was taken in the direction of developing educational
audiovisuals with the creation of the Centro de Estudos de Pedagogia Audio-visual (Centre of
Studies on Audio-visual Pedagogy) whose aim was mainly laboratory research in two areas: one
regarding the use of audio-visual processes in education (as support mechanisms) and another of
stimulating, co-ordinating and evaluating its applications in this area. The above research pointed
to the need to create an organisation that could energise the production of educational materials,
and the Instituto de Meios Audiovisuais de Ensino - IMAVE (Institute for Media Support in
Teaching) was created in the National Ministry of Education. The main purpose of the Instituto
42
was the production, buying, dissemination and management of educational programmes to be
transmitted through the radio and television aimed at a specific population.
In this same year, the Telescola (Teleschool) was launched in Portugal. This was the first
systematic use of the media in the formal educational context. Its use was a way of meeting the
shortage of teachers needed to put in practice increased compulsory education (to the 6th grade
of schooling). Yet, Rocha Trindade (1990) argues that, in technical terms, this system was not
distance teaching. In his manual Introduction to Educational Communication while describing
the use of media in school context, he describes in detail this programme. In his manual
Introduction to Educational Communication while describing the use of media in school context,
he describes in detail this programme. He says: "Note-se que, em termos técnicos, a metodologia
própria da telescola não se confunde com ensino a distância: o único ponto de contacto entre os
dois conceitos reside na utilização intensiva de materiais didácticos mediatizados. Trata-se, por
conseguinte, de ensino presencial (em classe, sujeito a horário, coma presença do professor), mas
apoioado por meios audio-visuais. Adesignação de ensino semi-directo, aplicado à Telescola,
embora algo enganador, é relativamente aceitável".
The average number of students using Telescola reached 60,000 per year with an overall
through-put of one million students (Trindade, 1990).
In the following year, with the educational reforms of Veiga Simão, IMAVE was
substituted by the Instituto de Tecnologia Educativa - ITE (Institute of Educational Technology).
This new institution had the same objectives as the former institute, but with the added clear
objectives of updating pedagogical methods, through the use of the most modern ways of
teaching.
In 1975, one year after the Portuguese Revolution, a report by an ad hoc commission
recommending the creation of a distance teaching university and presenting a prospective
working model which, as Rocha Trindade says (1989), was the first important step in the
direction of the creation of a distance university in Portugal. In 1976 UNIABE - Universidade
Aberta was created with the objective of contributing to the progress of democracy and the
construction of socialism. In spite of its good intentions, this represented a false start, for the
decree of creation was not put into actual action.
The first initiative in distance education was the Ano Propedêutico (the pre-university
year) which arose as an ad hoc solution to the problem of university access after the Revolution
of 1974. This programme proved the viability of developing a centralised distance teaching
programme to large adult audiences geographically dispersed. This experience, led in the year
1979 to the creation of the Instituto Português de Ensino a Distância (Portuguese Institute for
Distance Education) with the goals of acquiring knowledge, professional competence, facilities
and equipment and preparing the ground for the future Universidade Aberta. In 1984 the team of
IPED, whose president was Trindade, considered the institute ready to implement the third goal -
43
launch the Universidade Aberta. Despite this fact, new difficulties arose at that time, both
financial and cultural. The lack of compatibility, at the level of decision-making, among many
other priorities of the educational system and the assumed permanent high costs requested by a
new educational structure with rather unconventional, deep, and innovative characteristics raised
much scepticism and rejection among the Portuguese intelligenzia (Trindade, 1989).
A significant encouragement to the internal recognition of the need to create an open
university in Portugal, through a project adjusted to the particular characteristics of the
Portuguese social environment, was given by the European Association of Distance Teaching
Universities, created in 1987. The Project Universidade Aberta was a founding member of this
group. A technical evaluation elaborated by the leaders of the Association was addressed to the
Portuguese Government in defence of the Projecto Universidade Aberta. The issuing of a
recommendation of the European Parliament on the significance of open universities in the
construction of Europe and the increasing importance given by Community authorities to the
same problem (as, for instance, the programmes ERASMUS, DELTA, Strand D of COMETT),
may well have contributed to overcoming the difficulties presented by several Portuguese
decision-making entities. Progress advanced quickly and in 1988 at the closing ceremony of the
Conference "Long Term Developments for European Distance Education" held in Lisbon with
representatives of all European open universities, the decision to create the Universidade Aberta
of Portugal was publicly announced by the Portuguese Ministry of Education.
 Portuguese Teaching Abroad
Arising from the sharp economic, social, technical and educational, the Portuguese
Teaching Abroad covers different realities, having been undergoing significant changes.
Concerning this type of teaching, the first programs of Portuguese Language and Culture
of 1978, were designed on the basis of equivalence to the Portuguese curriculum and had as its
target audience children and young people within the Portuguese communities. Three decades
later, it appears that the profile of the of the Portuguese public learner is increasingly diverse,
covering children and young children of Portuguese workers in situations of recent mobility, the
Portuguese descendants who already belong to the second or third generation, as well as speakers
of other languages.
The Portuguese Teaching Abroad is therefore a reality polysemic, which currently
involves a set of different situations:
a) Teaching of Portuguese language and culture to Portuguese descendants;
b) Teaching of Portuguese language and culture courses integrated in the educational systems
of the host countries;
c) Teaching of Portuguese language and portuguese culture to speakers of other languages;
d) Curriculum support in cases of mobility of Portuguese citizens to other countries of the
European Union 3;
44
e) Experiences of bilingual education;
f) Portuguese language teaching in the countries of sub-Saharan Africa;
g) Teaching perspective of the Portuguese language in some of the countries of Mercosur.
Research phase in Portugal
At this point, we have conducted a research about possible studies and scientific articles
related to the application of the Montessori Method in Portugal. However, there are very few
studies in Portugal about it.
We could only find one study directly related to the Montessori Method: Montessori
Method applied to dementia Authors: Daniela Filipa Soares Brandão and José Ignacio Martín.
The Montessori method was initially applied to children, but now it has also been applied
to people with dementia. The purpose of this study is to systematically review the research on the
effectiveness of this method, using Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online
(Medline) with the keywords dementia and Montessori method. We selected 10 studies, in which
there were significant improvements in participation and constructive engagement, and reduction
of negative affects and passive engagement. Nevertheless, systematic reviews about this nonpharmacological intervention in dementia rate this method as weak in terms of effectiveness.
This apparent discrepancy can be explained because the Montessori method may have, in fact, a
small influence on dimensions such as behavioral problems, or because there is no research
about this method with high levels of control, such as the presence of several control groups or a
double-blind study.
Data collection for this integrative review was performed by database Medical Literature
Analysis and Retrieval System Online (MEDLINE). This covers a large number of scientific
articles, particularly in the area of health and, specifically, of dementia. The integrative review is
a research method that aims to critically evaluate and synthesize the available evidence on the
topic under study. This review aimed at the horizon from 1997 to 2010, and took place between
December 2010 and January 2011, having been used keywords Montessori method and dementia
The search using the keywords above showed a total of 16 studies. As inclusion criteria we
considered the fact that the articles are original and empirical studies cover as elderly
participants. Given these criteria, the available studies on the subject of the method applied to
dementia de Montessori reduced to 10 study cases.
The studies included in this review shows some discrepancies but also similarities
between them. The main similarities occur at the level of the criteria for the selection of
individuals at the level of the sample size (which are small), the chosen indicators for impact
assessment (symptoms of agitation, affection, involvement) and the choice of methodological
consider two time points and the existence of control groups.
45
Most studies (4-5, 10-16) considers relevant to assess in advance the mental and / or
functional individuals. Considered as selection criteria the diagnosis of dementia, the degree of
cognitive impairment and the absence of severe functional limitations. This preliminary
assessment is to identify situations that impede the realization of certain activities, including the
existence of sensory changes in vision and hearing (2). The small size of the samples can be
considered as eminently individual associated with this intervention, the difficulty in
operationalizing homogeneous groups of individuals with dementia, as well as the difficulty in
integrating and study the Montessori activities at institutions that have other predefined activities
for individuals with dementia.
All comparative studies (10-14) have considered the existence of the condition and / or
groups of control and experimental group, who were previously evaluated and after the
intervention. Only one (10) considered the existence of an evaluation point of follow-up (6
months after the beginning of intervention).
The assessment instruments selected to analyze the impact of the activities considered
constructs usually require observation and / or fill the coach. This methodology can be associated
with a greater subjectivity, being more difficult to ensure validity among raters. However, since
the intervention takes place from individuals with dementia, autofill constitute a reliable solution
impractical.
The main discrepancies between the studies analyzed in this review are verified at the
level of methodology, as well as the intensity and duration of interventions. The methodology
used to analyze the impacts of activities differs Montessori studies considered. There is a
prevalence of comparative studies that compare the impacts of activities based on the Montessori
method with the regular activities of the institution where the study is conducted.
This discrepancy between the various studies makes it difficult to assess the effectiveness
of the Montessori method. However, empirical studies considered in this review seem to indicate
that Montessori activities are associated with an increased involvement and participation
affection of individuals, as well as a reduction of signs of agitation and aggressiveness. Learning
without error and the progressive nature increase the sense of control and allow the individual to
successfully achieve a certain level, you feel motivated to continue. Thus, it is possible to justify
the greater involvement and positive mood which is checked during Montessori activities.
During the intervention, is also enhanced contact with technical or other individuals, which may
explain the increased participation and interaction of the individual. This method can be
motivating since learning takes place by contact with the environment and involves stimulation
of the functional dimensions, cognitive, and relational. Also has the advantage of quick and easy
adjustment of the difficulty of the remaining activities to the capabilities of individuals with
dementia and consider that a clear therapeutic character of cognitive stimulation and
individualized programming.
46
However, it is important to think carefully about these results. While empirical studies
demonstrate the benefits of Montessori method at various levels (10, 12, 15), based upon
literature evidence indicates that the effectiveness of this intervention is reduced (8).
This disparity may be related to the constructs and outcome measures that are defined to
evaluate its effectiveness (2). Studies show that low evidence emphasize the effects on
depression and agitation, which are insignificant. The studies emphasize the involvement of
affective states, social interaction and cognitive skills are those that reveal more benefits of this
technique. The constructs evaluated so observational (eg involvement, agitation) present more
representative results. However, the observational assessment may also be associated with a
higher subjectivity. Once the component has a Montessori activities eminently practical impact
of this method the first feel these constructs. Impacts on levels of depression possibly only be
found when considering a follow up after the intervention. The uniformity of the constructs and
assessment tools to consider in assessing the effectiveness of this method is particularly
important for an analysis of the effectiveness of this method.
However, we found several scientific articles that reflect the work and methodology of
M. Montessori:
 Storytelling through Drawings: Evaluating Tangible Interfaces for Children - Authors:
Cristina Sylla, Pedro Branco, Eduarda Coquet, David Škaroupka and Carla Coutinho,
University of Minho
 TUIs vs. GUIs: comparing the learning potential with preschoolers - Authors : Cristina
Sylla, Pedro Branco, Clara Coutinho, Eduarda Coquet, University of Minho
 TOK – a Tangible Interface for Storytelling Authors : Cristina Sylla, Pedro
Branco, Clara Coutinho, University of Minho
We present the design of the first prototype of TOK - a tangible interface for children to
create their own stories. Based on data collected with two groups of five years old preschoolers
we present our findings regarding the interaction design of the system. The picture cards have
shown to generate ideas, acting as input for the creation of stories, promoting creativity while
proposing a framework that supports and guides the construction of logical structures. This is a
first step in an effort to build a toolkit of tangible interfaces allowing children and teachers to
build their own digital enhanced learning activities.
 Some reflections around a post-modern education - Author: Laura Ferreira dos Santos,
University of Minho
“In the first part of this article, the author endeavors to show how the thought of M.
Montessori, A. S. Neill and the “comrade-teachers” of Hamburg provoked a change in traditional
values, devaluating the role of the teacher and of the adult; for thus they were strongly criticized.
In a second phase, citing thinkers like Lipovestky and Lyotard, an attempt is made to understand
how the theses of the authors mentioned in the first phase have been banalized; this was due to
47
the advent of what has been currently termed “postmodernity”. Finally, within the context thus
established, the author proposes some thoughts for a reflexion on state of education today”
Altogether, the Montessori method is not recognized by the Portuguese Ministry of
Education. Consequently, there are a very few entities which use this method of education
among its students.
For the interview, due almost non existence of entities applying the Montessori Method
in Portugal, we could only record an interview.
Unfortunately, the interviewed didn´t allow video recording and just answered the
questions by email.
Let's see the summary of the interview of Dr. Soraya Fernandes, Headmaster of
Montessori Nursery in Loulé, Portugal:
1) Can you tell me how your school is run with the Montessori Method approach with children
and what ages are they?
“The Montessori Method is applied in the classroom
through five areas: practical
life, sensorial, cultural,
math and language. Each area has developmentally
appropriate activities that are placed on the shelves
with the specific goal of
helping the child develop their potential. This approach focuses on the child's
learning
is aimed at children between 3 and 6
years old.”
2) How is the Montessori Method approach in your school designed to develop independence
and responsibility of the children?
“Montessori believed that the prepared environment is directly related to the child's
development. The class room is an area specifically designed solely for children. Through free
choice activities children develop their intrinsic motivation to learn.
Independence
and
responsibility are developed through activities in the area of practical life, such as dressing
tables, pouring activities, choose the snack time, set the table, take care of their own plant in the
garden, helping to dress younger or is put toothpaste on the brush, and so on.”
3) How have you organized the classroom, the method of teaching, and the practical life
lessons toward helping the child become a self-sufficient and disciplined individual?
“The Montessori classroom is a meticulously prepared environment and specifically
organized to meet the physical, cognitive, social and emotional needs of the children.
One aspect of the prepared environment includes the activities of Practical Life. Through
the activities of Practical Life, the child will also develop and improve their social skills.
Practical Life skills are an essential component in the Montessori classroom. Not only provide
a link between home and school for the latest Montessori student, but alsolay the foundation for
a love of lifelong learning.”
4) What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages of the use of the Montessori Method
approach for children who attend your school?
48
Advantages:
• Materials real and beautiful allow the child to develop a deeper level of understanding of the
concepts.
• A child-centered approach allows the child to develop initiative and self-discipline.
• The child develops respect for other children while working with the activities you want to
accomplish, realizing that you have to wait for their turn.
• The creativity is developed to the extent that the focus is on process, not the final product.
Children can make various extensions and variations with the activities.
•The calm classroom, structured and focused on the child develops
children’s
concentration and passion for learning.
• The materials for mathematics and language help children understand the basic concepts of
grammar, the structure of stories, mathematical operations, algebra and geometry.
• Children acquire a thorough knowledge not only of the basic
concepts
of
geography,
history, social studies and science, but also develop higher-level thinking skills necessary to
analyze, synthesize, draw conclusions and assimilate this knowledge.
Disadvantages:
“The big disadvantage is the fact that in Portugal there are no accredited Montessori
schools and learning centers, making it very difficult to recruit
employees
who
have
Montessori qualifications.”
5) How do you prepare children who have had the Montessori Method approach of education
progress into mainstream education and what percentage of children do?
“Montessori Children demonstrate a high level of confidence and independence. When
transitioning to
traditional education they are above average
students and are highly
sociable. Do not show any problems in classrooms directed by the teacher.”
6) Although adult education is different from that of child education, in your view, how can the
Montessori Method be used to develop the social and emotional skills of adults within the
framework of tasks training/education?
“Through the activities of Practical Life in Montessori classroom, the child not only
develops concentration, coordination, order and independence, but also learns to interact with
others and gain an understanding and appreciation of the environment. The child begins to build
yourself as a person while learning to treat yourself and others with respect and dignity. These
skills prepare children for entry into society and for a lifetime of self-respect and personal worth.
The activities of Practical Life in Montessori classroom provide the basis for success in all areas
of life.”
7) It is accepted that Montessori Method helps “the child” construct “the adult” while “the
adult” is adding to an already-existing completed personality, however, how could the
49
Montessori Method be adapted within the framework of vocational training/education to activate
the creative side of adults?
“The Montessori environment is organized for the independence of their constituents.
The daily rhythm of the Montessori classroom changes during class time, and the children
choose different jobs throughout the day. The "prepared environment" is the key and their
organization is orchestrated by the Montessori teacher even before
children enter the
space. The early and intelligent choices necessary to prepare the Montessori environment is
challenging and exciting, where a Montessori teacher becomes the perfect way to use the
creative mind.”
8) How could the Montessori Method be adapted to create tasks training/practical learning
approaches for adults to gain practical skills within a” space of learning”?
“Teachers must be technically prepared. Montessori teachers must have a complete
knowledge of the stages of the child development to be better prepared to meet the needs of their
students. It is also important to know the use of all Montessori materials and what are suitable
for the students.
Carefully documented observations allow the Montessori teacher to be consistent and
objective when working with students. Our observations allow us to document the progress and
development of the child and follow her flexibly, rather than following a pre-defined
curriculum.”
9) Is there anything else you would like to say about the application of Montessori
Method Approach to adults?
“Montessori said that teachers must divest themselves of dogmatic views about "normal"
behavior. She warned Montessori teachers to give up their need to control and learn
how to
support the child and learning community. She taught
teachers to address the development
of the child with reverence and humility. The dynamics and the relationship
between
the
Montessori teacher and the children depends on the attitude with which we approach them. “
Final Notes
• There are few studies about the Montessori Method done in Portugal
• We have only recognized three kindergartens that operate with the Montessori Method in
Portugal
• There is no program that provides for the acquisition of knowledge for adults using the
Montessori Method.
• Unfortunately, it is largely unknown to the general public in Portugal.
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National report: Lithuania
The Montessori Method in Lithuania was started to use actively after liberation from
Soviet Union in 1991. Although more than 20 years passed, method is not established very well
yet. Researches shows that Montessori methodology mainly is used in pre-schools and primary
schools, also in education process designated for those having developmental disorders.
The main identified problem is that Montessori methodology is not used integrally as it
should be (holistic approach to education). Therefore, fragments of Montessori methodology do
not establish strong position as an alternative education within education system in Lithuania.
However, Montessori groups and classes exists and is available as an option.
Another identified critical moment is parents involvement into child's education. In
Lithuania education is still seen as “matter of school” and lack of parents involvement, lack of
congruence of educational principles at home and at school, and parents contacts with their
child's educators in general – is noticed in many surveys analyzing Montessori education. As one
of the surveys shows, this lack of involvement might be because of the intense and busy life
tempo of parents, on the other hand survey showed that parent in Lithuania mostly value “safe
environment, good nutrition and care and other pragmatical things” and Montessori educators
miss parents interest in child's non-material well-being. Despite all this, Montessori methodology
was recognized as being very valuable in children preparation for school, in correcting
developmental disorders and in general – children educated by Montessori methodology showed
to be more self-confident, mature, creative, independent and disciplined.
Data of the national surveys shows that if implemented more holistically Montessori
methodology can become one of the strongest alternative education options because of growing
non-formal education demand and recognition in Lithuania.
51
The second research on life long education and Roma participation was made
purposefully choosing researches focusing on Roma social inclusion, surveys on unemployed
people education and convicts education as both two latter get in the Roma life reality in
Lithuania. Roma population in Lithuania is considered the most marginalized and deprived
social group. High level of illiteracy, poor living conditions, high rate of unemployment and
extremely low level of education overlaps and brings Roma outside the mainstream society and
its advantages.
“Alternative education” for adults in Lithuania still does not have clear concept as formal
education was dominant until recent times. Therefore no research or surveys, especially on the
national level was to be found in Lithuania, especially for those having special-needs. However,
some of the ideas about obstacles to alternative education can be found in a surveys focusing on
vocational training, Roma integration, unemployed as all these mentioned groups share the same
problem – not able to finish formal education, not able to integrate, not able to be independent.
Life-long learning in Lithuania usually means vocational trainings, courses and fragmentary
trainings implemented usually using formal education' methods.
Absence of such an activities and their researches gives another starting point – analyzing
failures and gaps of formal education, social inclusion and busyness policies, we can better
understand needs and possibilities for alternative adult education. Especially, needs of adults,
who are having social hardship, and formal education do not reach them or overcame their
problems.
Consequently, in research on Roma participation and life long learning, we notice the main
disadvantages to be – social, territorial and psychological segregation, low education level and
professional skills, isolation, not knowing local language (Lithuanian).
These circumstances forms big barriers for Roma to get involved into adult learning
programs. Besides these main obstacles, which arises from general social and political country
context, we can see personal barriers for education: low self-confidence, lack of time between
52
family and traditional gender roles, low motivation, fear of discrimination. Alternative education
is more flexible in means of period, methods, adaptability and can be the solution for Roma
education.
It is need to be specifically adapted to Roma socio-context: psychological barriers (low
motivation, lack of self-confidence, fear of discrimination, negative attitude, long term
unemployed or never unemployed person's mentality), cultural barriers (gender stereotypes,
women busyness with children and household, language) and in creative ways can overcome
many problems including Roma as valuable members of society. However, the separate critical
moment, which is big obstacle to successful adult education in government attitude. Lack of
integral approach with long term aims, stable financing, cooperation between different
institutions etc need to be changed in order successfully realize alternative adult education.
SWOT ANALYSIS: Factors to assess the usefulness of the Montessori Method methodology
Strengths
•
•
•
•
•
Is suitable for children education and development
from any age, event right from the birth.
Teachers who use Montessori methods have very
high level of pedagogical sophistication and skills.
Big improvement was noticed on normally
developed children as well as children with
developmental disorders.
Montessori enables to create therapy for infants and
small children which is called a multi-sensory
rehabilitation therapy.
Develops independent, mature, free, creative,
disciplined child.
Weakness
•
Requires specially equipped environment, special
furniture, tools etc.
•
Requires not only specially trained teachers with a
high competence, but also very conscious, open and
devoted teachers.
• Lack of parental involvement in educational process,
absence and avoidance of contact with teachers –
very negative occurrence which destructs the
montessori idea of education congruence in family
and educational institution.
Opportunities



53
As non formal education is getting more and more
recognized and established Montessori methodology can
become one of the strongest alternative education options.
Montessori methodology can be useful in home schooling
also, which is getting more popular in Lithuania.
Modern society where information, development and
speed of life is very fast, requires strong, self confident,
creative and flexible personalities, therefore Montessori
methodology for education can be very useful and
promising.
Threats


Montessori method is different from predominant
didactic methods in a way that it has to be
understood and used holistically not fragmentary.
Dominating situation in education sphere in
Lithuania is that new methods often are integrated or
tried out only partially, not fully.
Predominant attitude of child's education which is
based on pragmatical and material well-being, not
paying attention to spiritual, creative development.
Social and Cultural Barriers to "ALTERNATIVE" ADULT Education for people with
varying disabilities and special needs in Lithuania.
Research nr.1: Žemaitytė, I. “Learners in Non-formal Education: Motivation and
Participation Possibilities,” Pedagogy (59), 2002.
Introduction
Aims
Population/social
categories/disabilities/special needs
Type of Education/Activities
Social and Cultural Barriers Assessed
Institutional/
organization context
Conclusion
54
Lithuanian, as well as other contemporary societies, is undergoing the times full of
new technological, political, economic, social and scientific changes. In the changing
society, non-formal adult education has become a popular form of adult education
that helps a person to develop his and her cultural interests, creative powers, skills
and acquire theoretical knowledge necessary for person's professional activity,
enables a person to upgrade his or her current qualification and helps to become an
active citizen of a democratic society.
To analyze adults' motivation and opportunities to participate, to reveal reasons,
which obstructs for adults to participate in non-formal education.
Unemployed.
Non-formal education regarding vocational training.
In Lithuania, there is a tendency for the number of participants in non-formal adult
education to increase, however, inadequate financial possibilities and lack of
information are the main reasons that limit the number of participants in non-formal
adult education. Insufficient attention of the state and society to non-formal adult
education hinders the solution of these problems.
Vytautas Magnus University, Education Department.
Rapid changes in a labor market asks for professional development which is the main
motivation for adults to participate in non-formal education. This survey shows that
more active in non-formal education process are women also majority of participants
are those who are holding higher education degree.
Research nr. 2: Leončikas, T. Roma: Situation Review, Human Rights Monitoring Institute,
Vilnius, 2005.
Introduction
Aims
Population/social
categories/disabilities/special needs
Type of Education/Activities
Social and Cultural Barriers Assessed
Institutional/
organization context
Conclusion
Analysis of Roma education, employment, housing and health care in Lithuania aims
to identify failures and struggles of the successful integration of the most
marginalized community- Roma community. Research suggest that it is important not
only to identify, but also critically evaluate integration of Roma policy – search for
the professional ways and means which can change Roma situation, eliminate Roma
integration policy
To identify and analyze the main problems of successful Roma integration in
Lithuania regarding education, employment, housing and health care; to give a
suggestion for successful forthcoming Roma integration.
Roma population in Lithuania.
Primary education;
Vocational training.
Because of the extremely high illiteracy level in Roma community, one of the main
problems to solve is to improve situation of Roma education.
Policy of social well being increases the tendency of disproportionate number of
Roma children in special-needs schools. Majority of these children should attend
general schools, but because of housing and other social advantages are directed
there.
Therefore social well being – housing, public transport, children nutrition should
be improved.
Pre-schools and primary schools, specially trained social workers are very positive
factors for maintaining and improving better Roma attendance to school – integral
attitude for solving present Roma problems.
Isolation, low level of literacy, low level of education limits opportunities to receive,
evaluate needed information and use it for better.
History of unsuccessful efforts to get job, cases of discrimination also forms distrust
for outside world.
Human Rights Monitoring Institute, Vilnius.
Education of Roma people is one of the biggest problems, which needs a lot of
attention in a long term.
Also clear policy of Roma employment must be formed and unemployment, leading
people to criminal work, must be solved.
In order to improve their living conditions, Roma must overcome few layers of
marginalization – in a labor marked, education sphere, public services area, therefore
skilled mediators working with community and government institutions are needed.
Analysis of current data denies that public opinion about Roma self-isolation and “no
desire for integration.” More likely Roma are treated with certain prejudice and
preconceptions and are not given possibilities to improve their situation and input to
society.
55
Research nr.3: Downes, P., C. Maunsell, V. McLaughlin, M. Taljunaite. “Lifelong learning
in Ireland and Lithuania: Some examples of Irish policy and practice for Lithuania to
consider?” Lithuanian Science Academy (4), 2006, 29-36.
Introduction
Aims
Population/social
categories/disabilities/special needs
Type of Education/Activities
Social and Cultural Barriers Assessed
Institutional/
organization context
Conclusion
56
The article deals with the questions of a broader vision for active citizenship,
community development, personal development and social inclusion than a view of
lifelong learning as being for a merely economic rationale. It is based on the results
of the 6FP research project “Towards a Lifelong Learning Society in Europe: The
Contribution of the Educational System”. The mate- rial reveals statistical data and
policies analyses. The main focus is put on growing recognition that widening
participation in lifelong learning must be reinforced in the future if Ireland is to
capitalize on its economic success over the last decade or so. Some examples of good
practice in Ireland with regard to lifelong learning may be transferable to the context
of Lithuania
To outline a range of policies and practices in the Irish context with regard to lifelong
learning. Having high- lighted the broad scope and vision for lifelong learning in the
official government White Paper on Lifelong Learning (2000), the following key
themes will be focused on, namely, social inclusion, access to third level education
for traditionally marginalized groups, literacy interventions, community development
approaches with a focus on women’s community groups, active citizenship, gender,
and adults with specific learning difficulties.
Those who experience socio-economic disadvantage, people with a disability,
unemployed, marginalized groups.
Life-long learning activities.
Unemployed representatives of national minority groups have lower education, no
proper professional training, and are passive as far as involvement into labour
activities are concerned. The lack of knowledge of state language (Lithuanian) is
also one of the key obstacles for those belonging to national minorities.
St. Patrick’s College, Dublin City University, Ireland;
Institute for Social Research, Lithuania.
To sum up, ethnicity is a key issue in Lithuania (as well as Ireland) with regard to
lifelong learning.
In short, the situation of national minority education and labour market is as follows:
high level of unemployment, social marginalization, new social marginalization for
groups of unemployed persons and lack of support for employing the most socially
assailable groups of unemployed persons. It is significant to note that unemployed
representatives of national minority groups have lower education, no proper
professional training, and are passive as far as involvement into labour activities are
concerned. The lack of knowledge of state language (Lithuanian) is an additional
obstacle.
Research nr. 4: Study of Roma Community Social Inclusion Possibilities, Social Research
Institute,Vilnius, 2007.
Introduction
Aims
Population/social
categories/disabilities/special needs
Type of Education/Activities
Social and Cultural Barriers Assessed
Institutional/
organization context
Conclusion
57
Main focus in this research is designated for Roma experience of employment, social
support and busyness fosterage. Research suggests that to evaluate Roma' motivation
and provisions (towards employment, education etc) is not enough; analysis must be
done about what is the actual Roma inclusion into labor market, what is the structural
obstacles, which limit that inclusion. Questionnaire research was carried in order to
know Roma employment or job search experience, received social support, their
social connections. When analyzing social politics, the effort was put not only to
review which means are useful for Roma, but also to emphasize the fact that part of
the means do not reach Roma and do not solve problems, created by social exclusion.
In other words, research seeks to emphasize not only Roma exclusion, but also not
used opportunities up-to-now ineffective social politic to make more effective.
The main aim is to analyze context of the social politic, to evaluate Roma situation in
a way that today's social politic's elements would be the starting point for creating
actual means, which would help to reduce Roma social exclusion.
Roma Population in Lithuania.
Busyness programs, qualification courses, preparation for employment.
Support for busyness programs is not effective enough for those marginalized social
groups which face multiple problems – lack of social and professional skill, for
example. This system guarantees effective support means only for disabled or senior
age citizens, who need only additional support, but do not include Roma living in
segregation. Therefore equal opportunities to profit from busyness programs are not
ensured, because it is not considered that because of the existing exclusion, majority
of Roma can not practically take advantage from universally defined means and laws.
Lack of active mediator between socially marginalized people and respective
institutions creates only hierarchy among marginalized groups.
Also, lack of strategic program for increasing Roma busyness is noticed.
73% of Roma respondents marked that they would like to work, but lack of
professional and social skills, do not let them use employment opportunities.
Deficiency of education and high isolation also limits opportunities to receive
needed information.
Negative employers' and society attitudes, prejudices forms an actual barrier to get
employed.
Ethnic Research Center, Social Research Institute, Vilnius.
To sum up, the research shows that it is highly recommended to pay attention for
adequate and available information deficiency, limited social connections and ethnic
discrimination when creating means for Roma social inclusion program.
Research nr. 5: Leončikas, T. Roma and Employers' Attitudes Toward Roma Integration to
Labor Market, Social Research Institute,Vilnius, 2007.
Introduction
Aims
Population/social
categories/disabilities/special needs
Type of Education/Activities
Social and Cultural Barriers Assessed
Institutional/
organization context
Conclusion
58
Particular problem in Roma community is overlapping poverty, low education level
and unemployment factors, which prevents Roma from having stable income and
condemns to criminal work. Because of long lasting segregation majority of Roma
have lost touch with existing opportunities and do not have skills to use them. In
majority of EU countries these groups are supported by special means of social
politics, and one of the main means for social integration s considered to be inclusion
into formal labor market. This sociological research seeks to explore how Roma and
employers in Lithuania are prepared to join this process.
• To interview Roma who have been or are employed, or looking for a job. To
analyze their motivation to work, successful experience and failures in
order to identify their attitudes toward work.
• To interview employers at the moment of research having open job positions,
adequate (low classification job) for the one, usually Roma people are
looking for and analyze employers' attitude toward potential Roma
employees.
To analyze reasons why unemployment rate is so high in Roma community and is not
reducing for a long time; to lower Roma unemployment for a long term.
Roma people in Lithuania.
Vocational training.
Roma social connections are weak and limited, therefore can not be support in
search for a job.
Although labor market suffers from lack of employees, possibilities to get employed
for Roma are limited by deficiency of professional skills and also negative
employers attitude (four from five Roma respondents mentioned negative employers'
attitude toward them).
Employers realize that employee without skills needs to be trained, but they are not
open to use their resources for that.
Almost half of the Roma respondents mentioned the main obstacle to get job is
absence of education or qualification – especially for women. Also traditional
functions in the family for women hardens the way for employment.
Also one of the obstacles is not knowing lithuanian language.
Ethnic Research Center, Social Research Institute, Vilnius.
To sum up, in order to get involved into nowadays' rapidly changing labor market,
Roma lack not only knowledge and skills, but also mechanisms, which can bee used
to get the connections, information, professional skills and orientation in labor
market. For desirable job Roma do not have enough material and organizational
resources
Social and Cultural Barriers to "ALTERNATIVE" ADULT Education for people with varying
disabilities and special needs in Lithuania.
Research nr.1: Žemaitytė, I. “Learners in Non-formal Education: Motivation and Participation
Possibilities,” Pedagogy (59), 2002.
Introduction
Aims
Population/social
categories/disabilities/special needs
Type of Education/Activities
Social and Cultural Barriers Assessed
Institutional/
organization context
Conclusion
59
Lithuanian, as well as other contemporary societies, is undergoing the times full of
new technological, political, economic, social and scientific changes. In the changing
society, non-formal adult education has become a popular form of adult education
that helps a person to develop his and her cultural interests, creative powers, skills
and acquire theoretical knowledge necessary for person's professional activity,
enables a person to upgrade his or her current qualification and helps to become an
active citizen of a democratic society.
To analyze adults' motivation and opportunities to participate, to reveal reasons,
which obstructs for adults to participate in non-formal education.
Unemployed.
Non-formal education regarding vocational training
In Lithuania, there is a tendency for the number of participants in non-formal adult
education to increase, however, inadequate financial possibilities and lack of
information are the main reasons that limit the number of participants in non-formal
adult education. Insufficient attention of the state and society to non-formal adult
education hinders the solution of these problems.
Vytautas Magnus University, Education Department.
Rapid changes in a labor market asks for professional development which is the main
motivation for adults to participate in non-formal education. This survey shows that
more active in non-formal education process are women also majority of participants
are those who are holding higher education degree.
Research nr. 2: Leončikas, T. Roma: Situation Review, Human Rights Monitoring Institute,
Vilnius, 2005.
Introduction
Aims
Population/social
categories/disabilities/special needs
Type of Education/Activities
Social and Cultural Barriers Assessed
Institutional/
organization context
Conclusion
60
Analysis of Roma education, employment, housing and health care in Lithuania aims
to identify failures and struggles of the successful integration of the most
marginalized community- Roma community. Research suggest that it is important not
only to identify, but also critically evaluate integration of Roma policy – search for
the professional ways and means which can change Roma situation, eliminate Roma
integration policy deficiencies seen by now.
To identify and analyze the main problems of successful Roma integration in
Lithuania regarding education, employment, housing and health care; to give a
suggestion for successful forthcoming Roma integration.
Roma population in Lithuania.
Primary education; Vocational training
Because of the extremely high illiteracy level in Roma community, one of the main
problems to solve is to improve situation of Roma education.
Policy of social well being increases the tendency of disproportionate number of
Roma children in special-needs schools. Majority of these children should attend
general schools, but because of housing and other social advantages are directed
there.
Therefore social well being – housing, public transport, children nutrition should
be improved.
Pre-schools and primary schools, specially trained social workers are very positive
factors for maintaining and improving better Roma attendance to school – integral
attitude for solving present Roma problems.
Isolation, low level of literacy, low level of education limits opportunities to receive,
evaluate needed information and use it for better.
History of unsuccessful efforts to get job, cases of discrimination also forms distrust
for outside world.
Human Rights Monitoring Institute, Vilnius.
Education of Roma people is one of the biggest problems, which needs a lot of
attention in a long term.
Also clear policy of Roma employment must be formed and unemployment, leading
people to criminal work, must be solved.
In order to improve their living conditions, Roma must overcome few layers of
marginalization – in a labor marked, education sphere, public services area, therefore
skilled mediators working with community and government institutions are needed.
Analysis of current data denies that public opinion about Roma self-isolation and “no
desire for integration.” More likely Roma are treated with certain prejudice and
preconceptions and are not given possibilities to improve their situation and input to
society.
Research nr.3: Downes, P., C. Maunsell, V. McLaughlin, M. Taljunaite. “Lifelong learning
in Ireland and Lithuania: Some examples of Irish policy and practice for Lithuania to
consider?” Lithuanian Science Academy (4), 2006, 29-36.
Introduction
Aims
Population/social
categories/disabilities/special needs
Type of Education/Activities
Social and Cultural Barriers Assessed
Institutional/
organization context
Conclusion
61
The article deals with the questions of a broader vision for active citizenship,
community development, personal development and social inclusion than a view of
lifelong learning as being for a merely economic rationale. It is based on the results
of the 6FP research project “Towards a Lifelong Learning Society in Europe: The
Contribution of the Educational System”. The mate- rial reveals statistical data and
policies analyses. The main focus is put on growing recognition that widening
participation in lifelong learning must be reinforced in the future if Ireland is to
capitalize on its economic success over the last decade or so. Some examples of good
practice in Ireland with regard to lifelong learning may be transferable to the context
of Lithuania
To outline a range of policies and practices in the Irish context with regard to lifelong
learning. Having high- lighted the broad scope and vision for lifelong learning in the
official government White Paper on Lifelong Learning (2000), the following key
themes will be focused on, namely, social inclusion, access to third level education
for traditionally marginalized groups, literacy interventions, community development
approaches with a focus on women’s community groups, active citizenship, gender,
and adults with specific learning difficulties.
Those who experience socio-economic disadvantage, people with a disability,
unemployed, marginalized groups.
Life-long learning activities.
Unemployed representatives of national minority groups have lower education, no
proper professional training, and are passive as far as involvement into labour
activities are concerned. The lack of knowledge of state language (Lithuanian) is
also one of the key obstacles for those belonging to national minorities.
St. Patrick’s College, Dublin City University, Ireland;
Institute for Social Research, Lithuania.
To sum up, ethnicity is a key issue in Lithuania (as well as Ireland) with regard to
lifelong learning.
In short, the situation of national minority education and labour market is as follows:
high level of unemployment, social marginalization, new social marginalization for
groups of unemployed persons and lack of support for employing the most socially
assailable groups of unemployed persons. It is significant to note that unemployed
representatives of national minority groups have lower education, no proper
professional training, and are passive as far as involvement into labour activities are
concerned. The lack of knowledge of state language (Lithuanian) is an additional
obstacle.
Research nr. 4: Leončikas, T. Roma and Employers' Attitudes Toward Roma Integration to Labor
Market, Social Research Institute,Vilnius, 2007.
Introduction
Aims
Population/social
categories/disabilities/special needs
Type of Education/Activities
Social and Cultural Barriers Assessed
Institutional/organization context
Conclusion
62
Particular problem in Roma community is overlapping poverty, low education level
and unemployment factors, which prevents Roma from having stable income and
condemns to criminal work. Because of long lasting segregation majority of Roma
have lost touch with existing opportunities and do not have skills to use them. In
majority of EU countries these groups are supported by special means of social
politics, and one of the main means for social integration s considered to be inclusion
into formal labor market. This sociological research seeks to explore how Roma and
employers in Lithuania are prepared to join this process.
 To interview Roma who have been or are employed, or looking for a job. To
analyze their motivation to work, successful experience and failures in order to
identify their attitudes toward work.
 To interview employers at the moment of research having open job positions,
adequate (low classification job) for the one, usually Roma people are looking for
and analyze employers' attitude toward potential Roma employees.
 To analyze reasons why unemployment rate is so high in Roma community and is
not reducing for a long time; to lower Roma unemployment for a long term.
Roma people in Lithuania.
Vocational training.
Roma social connections are weak and limited, therefore can not be support in
search for a job. Although labor market suffers from lack of employees, possibilities
to get employed for Roma are limited by deficiency of professional skills and also
negative employers attitude (four from five Roma respondents mentioned negative
employers' attitude toward them). Employers realize that employee without skills
needs to be trained, but they are not open to use their resources for that.
Almost half of the Roma respondents mentioned the main obstacle to get job is
absence of education or qualification – especially for women. Also traditional
functions in the family for women hardens the way for employment. Also one of the
obstacles is not knowing lithuanian language.
Ethnic Research Center, Social Research Institute, Vilnius.
To sum up, in order to get involved into nowadays' rapidly changing labor market,
Roma lack not only knowledge and skills, but also mechanisms, which can bee used
to get the connections, information, professional skills and orientation in labor
market. For desirable job Roma do not have enough material and organizational
resources.
Research nr. 5: Šutinienė I., N. Šikšnienė, O. Tamošiūnienė, L. Kublickienė. Qualitative Study on Life
Long Learning ant It's Effectiveness, 2007.
Introduction
Aims
Population/social
categories/disabilities/special needs
Type of Education/Activities
Social and Cultural Barriers Assessed
Institutional/organization context
Conclusion
63
Life long learning memorandum names reasons, which promotes life long learning –
motives, aims and needs of adults learners in Lithuania is determined by opportunity
to live in more and more complicated social, cultural and political world. It is hardly
known, how impication of adults' education, it's aims and results seems from this
process members point of view and how adults education changes their life, improves
life quality, active citizenship in all speheres, creates better employment possibilities
– therefore this research seeks to analyze all this.
To identify important social and personal contexts and circumstances of effective
adults learning:
subjective meanings and evaluations of learners themselves;
social and psycho-social contexts and factors which make learning process
effective or non-effective.
Adult learners seeking vocational training/job/profesion
Adults' life long learning activities.
The most common reasons for quitting unfinished education course are: emigration,
family, health problems, changing of the living place.
Negative attitude from society, especially towards women, who have children (“why
do you need to be educated?”
The biggest challenge mentioned by respondents was to reconcile job and studying
at the same time.
Psychological reasons – long time unemployed persons, people with addictions,
those belonging to marginalized groups and others which need psychological help
before starting to do something new for them.
Experienced discrimination when after studying person seeks a job – usually gender
stereotypes within certain occupations, mostly discriminated are women and senior
people.
Not specified.
Learning for adults and it's positive results are closely dependant on learners life
plans, designated goal achievement.
To sum up, the effectiveness of adults learning depends on two factors:
 Social factors – norms and standarts to have education dominating in society
and defining certain social status.
 Personal factors – individual life goals and plans, and importance given to it.
National Research Report U.K.
HP-MOS Research: UK Research/Survey of Montessori Methods with adults and children approach.
This research/survey has been put together by: Health Psychology Management Org. Services (UK).
(1). TITLE/SOURCE(S) OF RESEARCH:, An approach to inclusion. Montessori international.
Retrieved from http://www.montessori.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/99726/issue_61.pdf
Name(s) of Researchers: Morris-Coole, K.
Abstract
Aims
Population/social categories/
disabilities
Design method
Result/Outcomes Assessed
Institutional/ School context
Conclusion
64
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) is the fastest growing special needs group. While
debates continue as to why this should be, it is the parents and practitioners who have to
deal with the day to day consequences of this complex disorder and find positive ways to
impact on and improve the quality of affected individuals lives and those of their families.
This paper examines the ASD spectrum, before giving an outline of how the Montessori
approach is an effective teaching method with the population group, particularly with
people who struggle to understand basic communicative skills and social skills.
Children with ASD
It is well noted that the autistic child likes routine, and finds it stressful to have that routine
broken; the Montessori teacher knows that it is good teaching practice to keep to a simple
daily schedule. The materials used in the classroom; clocks, timelines, calendars etc all
reinforce this routine that the autistic child requires to feel comfortable. The quiet,
individualistic nature of the Montessori classroom suits the child also, given the relative
quiet in which the class is found. Within the numerous activities in which the children can
participate, the teacher can facilitate in so far as to provide encouragement in participating
in other kids’ activities. Social skills are taught through games which implicitly teach both
grace and courtesy. The holistic, humanistic approach of the school, sees the autistic child
being treated in the same way as all other children, allowing them to develop without a
sense of feeling different.
Montessori classes
Montessori teaching techniques can be applied to children on the autism spectrum. While
this is suitable for children, there is no reason why the same techniques can’t be applied to
other age ranges. The inherent antisocial tendencies of the autistic child, and need for
routine are all accounted for in the Montessori method of teaching, fostering an
environment where the child can develop and learn without a sense of being different. The
paper ends in noting that the method can even teach children to overcome some of their
autistic tendencies due to the philosophy that is applied in the teaching style.
(2). TITLE/SOURCE(S) OF RESEARCH:, Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: A practical
Montessori approach. Montessori international. Vol 69, pp 20-23
Name(s) of Researchers: Fidler, W.
Abstract
Aims
Population/social categories/
disabilities
Design method
Result/Outcomes Assessed
Institutional/ School context
Conclusion
65
Maria Montessori’s early work in the Casa dei Bambini in Rome provided the seed bed
of knowledge from which she researched and designed the leaning materials we now
find in Montessori schools. It was there that she studied the behaviour of unruly socially
inept children, many of whom had learning difficulties. We should not be surprised that
children with behavioural and learning problems progress well as they adopt the routine
methods of working, and social interactions in Montessori schools.
To explore the use of the Montessori method with those who are suffering with ADHD
Children with ADHD
While the paper explores ADHD in children to great extent, there are examples of how
the Montessori method can be applied. “The child does not exist in its environment
independent of distractions, and in a controlled Montessori environment, with a teacher
who maintains a calm and structured atmosphere, who defines his or her expectations for
children's behaviour and who provides plenty of positive reinforcement, children usually
respond with better self control, improved performance, and appropriate behaviour.”
The paper then goes on to describe how the Montessori method facilitates an
environment which children with ADHD foster. This involves creating a calm, routine
and ordered atmosphere which enables the children to grow. The method also
recommends keeping this set of principles consistent in the child's life, and refers to
getting parents involved, in maintaining this consistence in the child's life.
The lack of competition, mixed age groups and shared learning all contribute to the child
developing social skills. Positive reinforcement and the general Montessori philosophy
of allowing the child to direct their learning, leads to self constraint and self regulated
behaviour. In Montessori, the notion of behaviour is different than in traditional teaching
methods, education is self determined, and children only partake in activities they wish
to, which helps them to maintain their own behaviour.
ADHD children in a Montessori setting
To briefly end, the Montessori method is particularly applicable to those diagnosed with
ADHD:
The group facilitator, or teacher’s will have knowledge of the child’s condition, and aid
in participation.
The method allows for both living and learning environments to reflect each other,
keeping consistent the child’s life, and the way in which they learn.
Integrating a predictable activity programme in a natural environment.
Implementing practical activities, which encourage interpersonal skills to develop.
(3). TITLE/SOURCE(S) OF RESEARCH: Montessori and dementia: A new vision. Montessori
international. Vol 76 (1), pp 38-39
Name(s) of Researchers: Brenner, T., Brenner K.,
Abstract
This very short paper examines the use of the Montessori Method, in particular the
physical tasks employed by the method, and how they can be used with Dementia
patients to increase manual dexterity and in improving overall mental wellbeing through
the completion of tasks through procedural memory, rather than short and long term
memory.
Aims
The aim of this short paper is to highlight the effective use of Montessori techniques
with the given client, grouping dementia patients.
Population/social categories/
disabilities
Dementia patients
Design method
Result/Outcomes Assessed
The paper suggests that dementia patients may seem to be detached, both physically and
emotionally from their environment, and the people in it. Helping older people to
reconnect with their environment is an important part of the Montessori approach. The
authors go on to note that the inability to recall short term memory can lead to fear,
which then leads onto anger. This anger then may lead to isolation and depression. One
could suppose that the completion of tasks through procedural memory, rather than short
and long term memory, can lead to a sense of accomplishment which may overcome
these feelings of fear.
Institutional/ School context
Nursing homes, hospitals, Old people's homes.
Conclusion
Montessori methodology is an effective method for use with dementia patients. However
the tasks developed for use with the method may prove limiting, thus one must take the
philosophy of the method and apply it to the client group in question in order to create a
set of activities that the client group in question will find the most fulfilling.
66
(4). TITLE/SOURCE(S) OF RESEARCH: The process of learning in dementia carer support
programmes: Some preliminary observations. Journal of advanced nursing. Vol 21(1) pp 41-46
Name(s) of Researches: Coates, D.
Abstract
Theories of experimental learning, notably the theory of andragogy, can be used to
elucidate the process of learning, in dementia carer support programmes. Such theories
attach importance to the positive influences of life experience and maturity, and to the
salience of personal issues, but their appropriateness needs to be critically analysed.
Stress is a common manifestation among dementia carers and its presence can
significantly affect openness to learning. As a result of recent policy changes and of
demographic shifts, nurses are likely to be increasingly involved in carer support
programmes. They need to be aware of the complex issues addressed in this paper.
Aims
This paper presents a preliminary discussion of how the situation raised in the abstract
can be addressed
Population/social categories/
Dementia Carers (Nurses mostly)
disabilities
Design method
Result/Outcomes Assessed
Dementia Carers (Nurses mostly
Institutional/ School context
Nursing Home/ Hospital
Conclusion
It is good that there is now much carer support available however it is unfortunate that
this support is mostly uninformed by theory. The observations set out in this paper may
contribute to the placing of carer support groups onto a proper theoretical basis, and so
help nurses who are taking on the role of facilitator. At present nurse education has not
sufficiently addressed these issues and surely it must do so as nurses seek to adopt these
new forms of provision. Some of these ideas have been presented hypothetically and
some with evidence based on existing research data, and it is hoped that they can all be
tested in the process of research. At the very least, this paper points to considerations of
which nurses and others involved in the support of dementia carers, should be aware .
67
(5). TITLE/SOURCE(S) OF RESEARCH: Heutagogy: An alternative practice based learning approach.
Nurse education in practice. Vol 10, pp 332-326.
Name(s) of Researches: Bhoyrub, J., Hurley, J., Neilson, G. R, Ramsey, M., Smith, M.
Abstract
Aims
Population/social categories/
disabilities
Design method
Result/Outcomes Assessed
Institutional/ School context
Conclusion
68
Education has explored and utilised multiple approaches in attempts to enhance the
learning and teaching opportunities available to adult learners. Traditional pedagogy had
been both directly and indirectly affected by andragogy and transformational learning,
consequently widening our understandings and approaches toward viewing teaching and
learning.
Through placing the adult learner at the foreground of grasping learning opportunities,
they unpredictability emerge from a sometimes chaotic environment. Heutagogy can be
argued as offering the potential to minimise many of the well known difficulties of
coordinating practice with faculty teaching and learning.
Nurses
Non Experimental Literature Review and Discussion
Nurse Training Institutions
Without doubt heutagogy is an emergent rather than established learning approach. Its
recent appearance in adult based training education fields is however arguably more of
an evolutionary advance from andragogy and transformational learning, than a radical
leap into the educative unknown. That notwithstanding, we accept that heutagogy
provides challenges to educators and learners alike, in addition to the opportunities
expressed within the course of this paper. Underpinning and interconnecting constructs
of complexity theory and capability are also well embedded in existing and accepted
knowledge bases. Additionally, the construct of complexity theory has powerful
resonance with practice learning environments and hence the challenges facing all
educative stakeholders. Learner capability, central to heutagogy, also has significant
resonance with the aspirations of nurse education further indicating potential
application. Heutagogy, therefore, is a potential-packed approach to clinical learning
that provides an alternative lens from which to both view and construct practice-based
educational components of pre-registration courses pertinent to each branch. In many
ways when used as a framework to place around practice based nurse education,
heutagogy makes sense of the necessary uncertainties that defines nursing. It probably
would be imprudent to ignore heutagogy but research as to the efficacy of heutogogy
within nurse education needs to be carried out as there is an obvious paucity of research
studies within this area.
National report research Portugal
We have conducted a research about possible studies and scientific articles related to the application
of the Montessori Method in Portugal. However, there are very few studies in Portugal about it. We
could only find one study directly related to the Montessori Method.
Other types and Methods of Education in Portugal
In the structure of the Portuguese educational system there are the following types of special
school education: special education, Vocational Training, Distance Education, Portuguese teaching
abroad. Each of these methods is an integral part of school education, but is ruled by special provisions.

Special Education
The education of disabled children in Portugal began in the nineteenth century, in two strands:
Assistance (for which they were created asylums) and Education, from 1822, with the creation of the first
establishment to serve the deaf and blind later added to Casa Pia de Lisboa. This was followed by the
creation of responses at the level of deafness and blindness.
In 1929 was created the Bureau of Primary Education and Normal Teaching in order to organize
special classes, and the first was opened in 1929, in Lisbon. It was also in the academic year 1929/1930
that through an order signed by the Minister Eduardo Costa Ferreira, the Bureau of Primary Education
and Normal Teaching was allowed to form new classes, recruiting staff from specialist teachers.
In 1930, special classes are created in other schools in Lisbon. The Navarro de Paiva Institute
starts integrating and educating children and said abnormal offenders presented to the Juvenile Courts. In
February 1930, were installed in primary schools in Lisbon special classes for "retarded", involving about
300 children.
In 1942, in collaboration with the Institute Aurélio da Costa Ferreira, a boost occurred in the
education of mentally handicapped and disabled people.
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In the 1950's, new intervention centers and associations in the field of disability are created, many
streamlined by groups of parents: in 1955, the Juvenile Centre Hellen Keller, by the Portuguese League
for Disabled People, in 1960, the Portuguese Association for Cerebral Palsy is created, with its
headquarters in Lisbon.
in 1962, the Portuguese Association of Parents and Friends of Children Mongoloids it’s created
later renamed the Portuguese Association of Parents and Friends of Children Mental Decreased. In 1964,
the Institute for Assistance to Minors creates the Disability Education Services. Also in 1964, the creation
of the specialization of Teachers Maladjusted Children. In 1970, it created in Coimbra, the Cerebral Palsy
Center, in 1971; it created the Portuguese Association for the Protection of Autistic Children.
In the 1970s, reflecting the movements that internationally were defending equality prospects,
there have been some attempts to promote the integration of special education into mainstream education.
In 1971, it published the Law n. 6/71, November 8th - Law on the Rehabilitation and Integration of
Disabled Persons - which promulgates the foundation for the rehabilitation and social integration,
governments will give importance and special education support. With the Veiga Reform, in 1973, the
Ministry of Education is responsible for the Special Education and published in the legislation related to
the organization of the General Management of Primary and Secondary Education already in several
divisions with the aim of organizing educational structures.
Between 1970 and 1980, three juridical devices configured the set of legal principles of the
fundamental rights of disabled citizens: the Portuguese Constitution (1976), Law on the Education
System (1986) and Law on Prevention and the Rehabilitation and Integration of People with Disabilities
(1989). In regular school, soon began to intervene in a more noticeable way since 1975, first with teachers
roaming and later with the creation of teams of Special Education (1976), which aim to integrate the
disabled into regular classes. In this process of democratization of education CERCI's” are created “and
other institutions to support mental disabilities, such as the Portuguese Association of Cerebral Palsy in
Porto.
In 1977, Decree-Law No. 174/77, of May 2, applied to the Preparatory and Secondary Education,
allows special enrollment conditions and assessment for students with disabilities.
70
The International Year of Disabled Persons (1981) and the World Programme of Action
concerning disabled persons constituted a milestone awareness of society to the human rights of people
with disabilities, which would become more effective as a result of the Decade of the United Nations for
Persons with Disabilities (1983-1992).
Portugal, by signing the Salamanca Statement (UNESCO, 1994) is committed to apply its
principles, which has not been a linear task, since they still linger concepts, structures, norms and
practices which contradict the values that guide Inclusive Education. In recent years there has been a set
of conceptual and socio-legal changes, which introduced instability and uncertainty in the educational
system, which may be perhaps promoting an inclusive school or on the contrary, may be generating
situations of segregation and / or educational and social exclusion.

Vocational Training
Overview
The system of continuing vocational education and training in Portugal consists of a range of
flexible training pathways which make it possible to build a vocational qualification that suits individual
trainees’ interests and needs. The aim is that trainees acquire or develop knowledge and skills in the
technical and social fields allowing them to re-enter or improve their position on the labour market.
Continuing adult education and training courses
Adult education and training courses are aimed at adults over the age of 18 who have no
qualifications or whose qualifications are inadequate for integration in the labour market. The process of
Recognition, Validation and Certification of Skills is the most common platform for access to these
courses.
The aim of these courses is to raise the adult population’s academic ability and vocational
qualifications by offering a combination of education and training that enhances their employability and
certifies acquired learning. Courses are based on:
• flexible training pathways designed on the basis of recognition and validation of the skills adults
have acquired via formal, non-formal and informal routes;
71
• coordinated training pathways that comprise basic training and technology training or just basic
training;
• training focusing on the acquisition of knowledge, know-how and skills that complement and
promote apprenticeships.
These courses lead to a Cycle 3 basic education certificate and a Level 2 vocational training
certificate, or a secondary-education certificate and a Level 3 vocational training certificate.
Attendance of an EFA course that does not lead to certification entitles participants to request a
certificate of validation of skills, which lists all the skills validated during the training process.
EFA courses are designed and run by the respective instigating bodies or by a third party. In both
cases, the training body must be part of the network of training institutions included in the national
qualifications system. EFA courses that focus on improving academic abilities are run by public, private
or cooperative education establishments with autonomy over the training they provide, or by directmanagement or joint-management Vocational Training Institute for Employment and Vocational
Training.
Training for groups with special integration problems
In addition to the forms of training described in the previous section, there are also courses aimed
specifically at groups that face special problems in joining the labour market. Most of these courses are
promoted by the Institute for Employment and Vocational Training.
Vocational training courses for disadvantaged groups
These are vocational training and guidance courses that are designed to meet the particular needs
of the target group, with a view to promoting their social and occupational (re)integration. Target groups
include the long-term unemployed, ethnic minorities, immigrants, young people and adults with poor
literacy skills and with inadequate personal, social and vocational skills, as well as other people who,
because of their socioeconomic situation or their behavior and attitudes, are experiencing serious
difficulties as regards social and occupational integration.
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Special vocational training courses
These are vocational training courses aimed at specific target groups – young people at risk, drug
addicts, ex-prisoners, ethnic minorities and other disadvantaged population groups – with a view to
helping them to obtain a basic vocational qualification so they can enter the labour market.
Vocational training for people with disabilities
The aim here is to provide people with disabilities with the knowledge and skills they need to
obtain a vocational qualification that will enable them to secure or maintain a job and/or improve their
position on the labor market. Training is personalized, based on individual training plans, and lasts for a
maximum of four years, which may in exceptional cases be increased to five years.

Distance Education in Portugal
The evidence that it was possible to provide high quality teaching in most scientific, humanistic
and cultural subjects, through a process which did not require the students to be physically present in the
classroom, and allow them to learn on their own through the use of didactic materials purposely
developed was established by the Open University in Great Britain. This success determined the spread of
distance teaching universities (commonly known as open universities) all over the world (Trindade,
1989). Portugal could not remain inattentive to this happening. In 1988, the Universidade Aberta de
Portugal was created.
A glance at the evolution of Distance Education
As early as 1927, during the First Republic in Portugal, the possible advantages and dangers of
the use of audio-visual aids in the educational process was already an issue. Five years after, due to the
assumed importance of cinematography in educating people, a commission was formed, called Comissão
do Cinema Educativo (Commission for Educational Cinema) under the Ministry of Public Instruction,
with the objective of proposing the production, authorship and distribution of educational films.
Thirty years later, in 1963, a big step was taken in the direction of developing educational
audiovisuals with the creation of the Centro de Estudos de Pedagogia Audio-visual (Centre of Studies on
Audio-visual Pedagogy) whose aim was mainly laboratory research in two areas: one regarding the use of
audio-visual processes in education (as support mechanisms) and another of stimulating, co-ordinating
73
and evaluating its applications in this area. The above research pointed to the need to create an
organisation that could energise the production of educational materials, and the Instituto de Meios
Audiovisuais de Ensino - IMAVE (Institute for Media Support in Teaching) was created in the National
Ministry of Education. The main purpose of the Instituto was the production, buying, dissemination and
management of educational programmes to be transmitted through the radio and television aimed at a
specific population.
In this same year, the Telescola (Teleschool) was launched in Portugal. This was the first
systematic use of the media in the formal educational context. Its use was a way of meeting the shortage
of teachers needed to put in practice increased compulsory education (to the 6th grade of schooling). Yet,
Rocha Trindade (1990) argues that, in technical terms, this system was not distance teaching. In his
manual Introduction to Educational Communication while describing the use of media in school context,
he describes in detail this programme. He says: teaching. In his manual Introduction to Educational
Communication while describing the use of media in school context, he describes in detail this
programme. He says: "Note-se que, em termos técnicos, a metodologia própria da telescola não se
confunde com ensino a distância: o único ponto de contacto entre os dois conceitos reside na utilização
intensiva de materiais didácticos mediatizados. Trata-se, por conseguinte, de ensino presencial (em classe,
sujeito a horário, coma presença do professor), mas apoioado por meios audio-visuais. Adesignação de
ensino semi-directo, aplicado à Telescola, embora algo enganador, é relativamente aceitável".
The average number of students using Telescola reached 60,000 per year with an overall throughput of one million students (Trindade, 1990).
In the following year, with the educational reforms of Veiga Simão, IMAVE was substituted by
the Instituto de Tecnologia Educativa - ITE (Institute of Educational Technology). This new institution
had the same objectives as the former institute, but with the added clear objectives of updating
pedagogical methods, through the use of the most modern ways of teaching.
In 1975, one year after the Portuguese Revolution, a report by an ad hoc commission
recommending the creation of a distance teaching university and presenting a prospective working model
which, as Rocha Trindade says (1989), was the first important step in the direction of the creation of a
74
distance university in Portugal. In 1976 UNIABE - Universidade Aberta was created with the objective of
contributing to the progress of democracy and the construction of socialism. In spite of its good
intentions, this represented a false start, for the decree of creation was not put into actual action.
The first initiative in distance education was the Ano Propedêutico (the pre-university year)
which arose as an ad hoc solution to the problem of university access after the Revolution of 1974. This
programme proved the viability of developing a centralised distance teaching programme to large adult
audiences geographically dispersed. This experience, led in the year 1979 to the creation of the Instituto
Português de Ensino a Distância (Portuguese Institute for Distance Education) with the goals of acquiring
knowledge, professional competence, facilities and equipment and preparing the ground for the future
Universidade Aberta. In 1984 the team of IPED, whose president was Trindade, considered the institute
ready to implement the third goal - launch the Universidade Aberta. Despite this fact, new difficulties
arose at that time, both financial and cultural. The lack of compatibility, at the level of decision-making,
among many other priorities of the educational system and the assumed permanent high costs requested
by a new educational structure with rather unconventional, deep, and innovative characteristics raised
much scepticism and rejection among the Portuguese intelligenzia (Trindade, 1989).
A significant encouragement to the internal recognition of the need to create an open university in
Portugal, through a project adjusted to the particular characteristics of the Portuguese social environment,
was given by the European Association of Distance Teaching Universities, created in 1987. The Project
Universidade Aberta was a founding member of this group. A technical evaluation elaborated by the
leaders of the Association was addressed to the Portuguese Government in defence of the Projecto
Universidade Aberta. The issuing of a recommendation of the European Parliament on the significance of
open universities in the construction of Europe and the increasing importance given by Community
authorities to the same problem (as, for instance, the programmes ERASMUS, DELTA, Strand D of
COMETT), may well have contributed to overcoming the difficulties presented by several Portuguese
decision-making entities. Progress advanced quickly and in 1988 at the closing ceremony of the
Conference "Long Term Developments for European Distance Education" held in Lisbon with
75
representatives of all European open universities, the decision to create the Universidade Aberta of
Portugal was publicly announced by the Portuguese Ministry of Education.

Portuguese Teaching Abroad
Arising from the sharp economic, social, technical and educational, the Portuguese Teaching
Abroad covers different realities, having been undergoing significant changes.
Concerning this type of teaching, the first programs of Portuguese Language and Culture of 1978,
were designed on the basis of equivalence to the Portuguese curriculum and had as its target audience
children and young people within the Portuguese communities. Three decades later, it appears that the
profile of the of the Portuguese public learner is increasingly diverse, covering children and young
children of Portuguese workers in situations of recent mobility, the Portuguese descendants who already
belong to the second or third generation, as well as speakers of other languages.
The Portuguese Teaching Abroad is therefore a reality polysemic, which currently involves a set
of different situations:
a) Teaching of Portuguese language and culture to Portuguese descendants;
b) Teaching of Portuguese language and culture courses integrated in the educational systems of
the host countries;
c) Teaching of Portuguese language and portuguese culture to speakers of other languages;
d) Curriculum support in cases of mobility of Portuguese citizens to other countries of the
European Union 3;
e) Experiences of bilingual education;
f) Portuguese language teaching in the countries of sub-Saharan Africa;
g) Teaching perspective of the Portuguese language in some of the countries of Mercosur.
Final Notes
•
76
There are few studies about the Montessori Method done in Portugal
•
We have only recognized three kindergartens that operate with the Montessori Method in
Portugal
•
There is no program that provides for the acquisition of knowledge for adults using the
Montessori Method.
•
77
Unfortunately, it is largely unknown to the general public in Portugal
National Research Report Romania
Innovative educational approaches and methods to learning and teaching the social
competences: the link between the lack of social competences and the participation of the socially
vulnerable target-groups to the lifelong learning programs
Developing Educational Alternatives and Organizing Differential Educational Structures in
Romania – a brief comparative analysis
During the 21st Century, we all have witnessed, more than ever, an "examination" of the
educational system, determined both by the recent developments in society and the uptake of the
Western values with regards to the educational system. This tendency has been materialized in
Romania through the introduction of the educational alternatives, most of which were based on private
initiatives.
Reservedly viewed at first, these initiatives have nowadays gained more and more
appreciation from the people involved in the educational process. If, until recently, the Romanian
society avoided mentioning the Western educational alternatives, nowadays we can notice a particular
inclination for these systems – a fact not to be neglected by the reformists of the educational system.
The rightfulness of the pedagogical alternatives is ensured by the Educational Act (for
Romania, the Law nr.84/1995, art.52 and art.14 which "guarantee the right to differentiated education,
based on the educational pluralism". The chosen options "can be organized in the State and Private
School Systems, based on the evaluation and certification provided by the Ministry of Education".
Within the educational system of Romania, through the initiatives developed at the central,
territorial and local levels, following the 1990’s, there have been instituted some varieties of
alternative pedagogical systems, applied mostly to the pre-school and primary education but with valid
perspectives towards the secondary schooling as well.
In the press release of the M.E.R. and C.N.A.E. (31.03.2004), the five existing educational
alternatives in Romania are listed as follows:
 the Waldorf pedagogy (1990)
 the Montessori pedagogy (1993)
 the Freinet pedagogy (1995)
 the “Step by Step” alternative (1996)
 the Jena plan (1996)
The best-known alternative educational systems in our country are: the Waldorf System and
the “Step by Step” alternative.
The former, ,,The Waldorf Free School”, as it was initially called, has been founded on
September 7th, 1919, as a result of the collaboration between R. Steiner and the Managing Director of
78
the Waldorf-Astoria cigarette company in Stuttgart. At its opening ceremony, the school had a number
of 252 pupils, out of which 191 were the children of the company workers. Steiner was headmaster of
the school until his death, in 1925. During that year, there were already 2 similar schools in Germany,
one in Holland and one in England. In 1938, there were 14 similar schools in countries such as USA,
Holland, England, Austria, Norway, and Hungary. During WW II, most of the Waldorf Schools were
prohibited throughout the greatest part of Europe. During the 60’s several Waldorf Schools have been
founded around the world.
In Romania, the first Waldorf groups and classes were founded in 1990, encompassed in the
State school system, in accordance with the Resolution of the Ministry of Education, regarding the
founding of the Waldorf schools/classes, issued on 01.06.1990. The Waldorf education has since
known a remarkable development, and its structure is laid down by the Waldorf Foundation of
Romania, which encompasses the Waldorf Associations and represents the Waldorf
national/international movements, in partnership with the Ministry of Education, Research and Youth,
with the European Coucil of Steiner Waldorf Schools, headquartered in Brussels.
Although it is the most widespread alternative to the state educational system in Romania, the
essence of the Waldorf pedagogy is still very little known. The efforts made by the teaching staff and
the parents to promote this initiative have sometimes been thwarted by the ignorance regarding this
educational alternative.
The Waldorf School is not a private one (there are no fees), it is not a remedial one, it adresses
all pupils, the system being built in such way that it helps the weaker ones reach an acceptable level of
knowledge, but it also supports the more endowed ones in their natural aspirations towards notable
performances.
In our country, the Waldorf education is State-owned, organized by the MER, in complete
accordance with an agreement signed in 1996 with the Waldorf Federation in Romania and the
German association “Freunde der Erziehungskunst”. The curricula of the various disciplines are
similar to those in the national schooling system, while the level of knowledge is analogue to that of a
traditional school, at the levels of the 4th, the 8th and the 12th grades. The disciplines are taught in
different periods, in such way that a pupil meets the same discipline twice a day, during a 2-4-week
time lapse.
Step by Step promotes a pupil-centered teaching and learning method, which encourages the
involvement of the family and the community during the instructive-educational process. The program
was initiated in the USA, in the 60’s. It was initially developed to help the pre-school children who
originate from socio-economically underprivileged backgrounds and who don’t have an easy access to
education. The program, with its structure, tries to cover the emotional, social, medical, nutritional and
psychological needs of the children aged between 3 and 5, coming from families with very small
incomes, or families of immigrants. In 1969, this program has been placed under the sponsorship of
the Department for Education, and has been extended in most of the American states. In 2005, there
were over 22 million pre-school children, divided in 48,000 groups/classes all over the territory of the
United States.
79
The program has been reinforced and verified in over 30 years of practice, and is working in
over 26 countries. The elaboration of the Step by Step method and its license belongs to Children
Resource International of Washington – SUA.
The educational program is considered to be the most “long-lasting” in the United States, has
enjoyed the appreciation of many American families, and is currently coordinated by the Department
for the Child and Family, being considered a valid educational alternative, especially for the preschool teaching.
In the 90’s, the program has also reached the Eastern European countries, initiated by the
Soros Foundation and known by the name of “Step by Step”.
In Romania, it began in 1994, named “Head Start”, and it was mostly used at pre-school level,
based on child-centered educational practices, on the childhood and game values, on individualisation
and planning acording to the needs of the child. In 1995, it was re-named Step by Step, on the
initiative of the Soros Foundation for an Open Society, through the signing of a Convention with the
Ministry of National Education. In the same year, there appeared the first primary school classes, as an
experiment. Since March, 1998, the program is continued by the ’’Step by Step Centre for Education
and Professional Development’’ which offers new methods, as a continuation of the vision for the
education of the future generations, in view of their active social participation.
The “Step by Step” educational alternative respects the national curriculum, the national
standard, it is adapted to the local culture, at the same time integrating the best standards and
international practices in the field of education.
The activity of the Step by Step alternative in the years 2003-2004 comprised:
- 25 nursery groups in 21 nurseries from 14 counties;
- 665 kindergarten groups in 295 kindergartens from 38 counties;
- 398 primary school classes (1st grade: 113, 2nd: 108, 3rd: 93, 4th:74) in 34 counties;
- 15 secondary education schools, in 26 classes, in 15 counties.
.
Report regarding the participation of the underprivileged adult groups to the education in
Romania
I.
Analysis of the target-groups and the barriers that inhibit the participation of the adults
in the formal education
Educational inequalities, as well as the difficult access to a quality education are issues that the
developed countries face, too. Some disparities between the urban and the rural environments, especially
concerning the gaps between certain social categories and population groups when it comes to education,
(amongst many other problems) – externalized in educational failures and, subsequently, in socioprofessional marginalization – are phenomena which appear in the developed countries as well. At the
same time, the increase in the educational requirements, especially during the recent decades, had led to
an accentuation of learning difficulties in the case of certain social groups which are prone to them, to
school failure and early school leaving, and so we conclude that the considerable reduction of such
phenomena is a present-day issue in many European countries.
80
If we acknowledge the real difficulty in the socio-professional integration of the underprivileged
social groups at this moment of global economical and social crisis, this study aims at exploring the level
of participation to the formal schooling and the mechanisms of the system, and whether it is capable of
sustaining a successful labour market integration of the adults who belong to various vulnerable/
underprivileged social groups.
This research defers to the scientifical level that the educational domain has reached so far, to its
objectives and its lines of action, which are encompassed in the national legislative framework, its official
documents and current strategies respectively.
The general objective
Evaluating the status quo of the participation to the formal education, as far as the socially
vulnerable/ underprivileged adult groups are concerned (needs, expectations, values, motivation), of the
role and the efficiency of the schooling system in improving their prospective socio-professional success.
The specific objectives
a) Describing the formal educational system for adults/early school leavers, types of educational
institutions and offers, which are based on various categories of beneficiaries;
b) Analysing the opportunities and the barriers of the Romanian formal educational system, from
the point of view of the socio-professional integration criteria for the young adults.
The research methodology
a) Documentation
b) Analysis of the statistical data
c) Individual interviews /case studies
The population which is the object of our research
The target-group: adults who are socially excluded or marginalized, and are consequently in a
state of vulnerability, owing to their low level of education or to their limited/difficult access to it.
The vulnerable groups include: adults in detention, juvenile delinquents, abused women or
women who are in vulnerable positions, disabled people, Roma people, who are in a high-risk situation;
elderly people who are in a high-risk situation.
A legislative analysis of the socially vulnerable groups
The Romanian legislative system uses a variety of interlinked terms when it refers to the
vulnerable persons/groups. The regulatory documents refer to underpriviledged people, marginalized
people, socially excluded people, people who risk social exclusion or vulnerable people. We will present,
hereinafter, the current definitions, such as we find them in the standing legislation.
The social marginalization has got two complementary definitions. The first (2002), is also the
most comprehensive: „the peripheral social position, the isolation of the individuals/groups of people
with a limited access to the economic, political, educational or communicative resources of society,
manifested through the absence of the basic social life conditions”.
The second one (2005) stipulates that „the social exclusion/marginalization is the state in which
the people face one or several social deprivations, such as the lack of employment, absent/inadequate
accommodation, lack of access to running water, heat or electricity, education or healthcare.”
81
The social need is „a set of requirements which are compulsory in order to ensure the basic life
standards that every person needs for a successful social integration”. The social inclusion represents „a
set of measures and multidimensional activities included in the fields of social protection, labour market
occupation, accommodation, education, healthcare, communication/information, mobility, security,
justice and culture, which aim at fighting the social exclusion”.
Considering the fact that discrimination is one of the main sources of social marginalization, the
underprivileged social category is „the group of people who are in a position of inequality in relation to
the majority of the citizens, owing to the differences in identiy or to the behavior of rejection and
marginalization that they face”. Regarding the social marginalization/exclusion, the classification is made
with reference to people, groups or communities, based on some overlapping aspects. Beside the
objective ones (lack of accommodation or access to healthcare), which can generate similar situations
irrespective of other factors, we can also identify subjective aspects, such as sexual orientation, ethny, age
or health status, which can only generate marginalization if they are accompanied by objective aspects.
Analysing the people, the social groups or the communities that are at risk of social exclusion is a top
priority in order to identify the measures that should be taken for their social inclusion, measures which
are stipulated in the specialized regulatory documents.
The dynamics of the participation to education
As a consequence of the current tendencies towards a global society of knowledge, we can detect
a significant change in the educational, vocational, and professional orientation of the new generations in
Romania as well. It is manifested through an increase in the participation of the youth to the education, a
diversification of the educational offer, completed by the alternative or non-formal schooling.
Thus, even though our country was significantly below the European average with regards to the
level of participation to the education in 2006: 56,1% compared to the EU-27 percentage of 63,9%
(Source: Key data on Education in Europe, 2009), the growth in the level of participation to the education
has been notably accelerated, especially in the last decade.
Therefore, the rate of inclusion in the educational system at all the levels has increased
significantly, from 55% in 2001 to 61% in 2008. Even more spectacular is the increase in the level of
inclusion in the upper secondary education: from 42% in 2001 to 54% in 2008, or in the superior
education: from a mere 14% in 2001 to almost 27% in 2008! (ISE, 2010).
The diversification of the educational offers is another „tell-tale” sign of the growth in the level
of participation: an increasing number of young adults are resorting to low attendance or distance
education: from 2% in 2001 to 10% in 2008! (ISE, 2010).
The national statistics reveal that during the 2000-2010 time lapse, the rate of early school
leaving in Romania has significantly varied, from the peak values of 22-23% in 2000-2004, to values
progressively smaller in the subsequent years. The comparative data regarding the early school leaving
indicator for the people aged 18-24 illustrates the fact that Romania is below the average of many UE
member states. In 2009, for instance, of all the 27 Member States, Romania (with 16,6%) was somewhere
at the bottom of the chart, the first of the bottom five, to be more exact; the last 4 positions were occupied
by: Italy (19,2%), Spain (31,2%), Portugal (31,2%) and Malta (36,8%)(ISE, 2011).
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Analysis of the barriers/factors which impede the participation to education
During the October/November 2011 time lapse, as part of a project called „Extending the EPA
System in 103 schools which face the truancy phenomenon and the school abandonment”, we have
administered identification charts of the pupils who are at risk of school abandonment and attended the
schools included in the project. The charts have been filled in by the teaching staff (usually elementary
teachers for the primary school level and form teachers for the secondary school level) and have included
a series of socio-demographic data regarding the students who are at risk of school abandonment. At the
end, we have requested some opinions with regards to the 3 main categories of risk factors.
We have classified the risk factors in individual ones, which are related rather to the personal
state of each individual; the familial ones, which can be attributed to the social environment in which the
pupil returns after school; the educational factors, which can be associated with the school and study
environment. Following the gathering and the analysis of more than 3,000 charts, we’ve drawn a series of
conclusions with regards to the main factors that influence the risk of school abandonment – such as the
teachers have managed to identify – which we will hereinafter present.
Individual Factors
Determined on the bases of the research and the previous experience the main categories of
individual factors that we have taken into account when analyzing the major school abandonment risks
were the difficulties experienced in the learning process, the health status of the students, the motivation
for the educational activities and the special educational needs. We have also taken into consideration the
disruptive behavior, as well as the attendance when it comes to children who are at risk of abandoning the
education, even though these individual factors are very closely linked to the familial and the educational
ones.
It is important to mention the fact that the interpretation of the results is made from the teachers’
point of view regarding the pupils who are identified as being at major risk of abandonment. In the
absence of other interrelated data, the interpretation of the results is nothing but a reflection of the
teaching staff on the reasons which determine a certain situation of risk, reasons which can be
encompassed in individual factors. Future research can explore in more detail the extent to which the
interpretations can be sustained by empirical data.
Which are the main individual characteristics that have been identified by the teachers when it
comes to the children who are at major risk of abandoning their education?
From the acquired data, we can identify three categories of individual factors which the teachers
hold responsible for the risk of school abandonment. The low level of motivation for the educational
activities, the high level of truancy and the learning difficulties are by far the most frequently mentioned
by the teachers.
The Impact of the Socio-Economical Factors
The analysis of the answers provided by the teaching staff reveals that the factor which most
frequently influences in a negative way the educational progress of the pupils and eventually generates
the school abandonment is the socio-economical factor. The main (sub) factors that have been identified
by the teachers as generators of school abandonment are as follows (according to the frequency with
which they occur): familial incomes at limiting conditions; low educational level of parents; lack of
minimal study conditions at home and the unemployment of one or both parents.
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The recouping of the data according to gender and area of residence reveals a series of important
differences. Thus, as far as boys and girls are concerned, the frequency with which factors such as
”familial incomes at limiting conditions”, ”low educational level of parents” and ”lack of minimal study
conditions at home” is much higher in the rural areas, whereas ”unemployment of one/both parents” is
more frequent in the urban environment. At the same time, we acknowledge the fact that the first factor
influences the female school population more frequently, the same conclusion being drawn with regards
to the factors “lack of minimal study conditions at home” and “unemployment of one/both parents” which
is rarer in the case of girls originating from the rural environment.
The adaptation difficulties to the educational culture are also a risk factor. Creating the feeling
of affiliation to a social group, developing the group interaction/communicative competences, teamwork
and inclusive educational approaches are at least some directions that the schools could take, such as to
allow the student to find his/her place within the school, to feel praised and valued by the others. The
pupils’ acquisitions in the field of self-discovery and the consolidation of the self esteem in relation to the
school are at least as valuable as the cognitive acquisitions in any field of knowledge.
The socio-economical and occupational status
With regards to the occupational status, only one third of the young adults aged between 18 and
24 who prematurely leave the mandatory schooling have managed an acceptable socio-professional
integration, whereas the large majority are still unemployed, day labourers or work on the black labour
market. None of them has so far managed to initiate a business on one’s own or to benefit from
unemployment wages. The fact that the other age groups who have a low level of education share the
same occupational status allows us to conclude that during the last 15 years the chances of labour market
integration for the young adults aged between 18-24 who have a low level of education have indeed been
very slim, as they hadn’t been able to subsequently acquire a significantly better occupational status. At
this rate, we can claim that, in the last 15 years, the education and the initial professional development
have played a crucial part in the successful socio-professional integration of the individual, since the
lifelong learning programs didn’t seem to be able to help the people with a low level of education to make
up for their educational handicap and consequently improve their chances of finding a better employment.
The Residential Environment
In spite of the many policies and programs focused on the education from the rural areas or on the
rehabilitation of the instruction in these areas and which have been developed in the recent years, most of
the young adults aged between 18-24 who prematurely leave their studies originate from rural areas. All
this notwithstanding, almost a quarter of the young adults with a low level of education are residents in
the urban areas, the highest rate being registered in small towns, with a population of 30,000 at the most.
The Initial Stage of Schooling
Almost all the young adults included in the investigation declared never having attended
kindergarten. This phenomenon seems to be a symptomatic one for all those who have prematurely left
their studies or who have never attended mandatory schooling. Furthermore, in the case of the people who
have attended school a number of years, the age at which they started their schooling often exceeds 7, 8 or
even 10. As a result, we can talk about a handicap as far as the initial stage of schooling is concerned.
Many of those who have registered in the first grade at the age of 9, 10 or 11 confessed having undergone
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states of uneasiness and have been the target of their coleagues’ ironies, classmates who have the lawful
or proper age for this schooling level.
Unstudied people
In addition to the people who have partially experienced the schooling stage, we also must take
into consideration the people who have never attended school. Many of those included in the latter
category confess that they don’t remember the exact reason why their parents never registered them to
school, blaming this situation on the fact that it was their parents’ responsibility. In special cases, lack of
official identification is the main reason why the children couldn’t be registered. Irrespective of the
individual cases, failing to register at school at the proper age goes hand in hand with difficulties within
the familial environment. The economical reasons are very often associated with familial hardships,
geographical movability, divorce, etc.
The parents’ level of education
The young adults who leave school early tend to reproduce the socio-cultural and economical
pattern of their families. In most of the cases, the families live in pauperism, the data of the enquiries
suggesting a reduced economical mobility in the case of people who have a low level of education; their
odds of acquiring a higher economical status are very few. Moreover, 59% of the young adults with a low
level of education (apprentice school or lower than that) originate from families with many children (5-6
members or more) and have parents with a low educational level. However, we must notice that almost
8% of those who leave school early originate from families where at least one of the parents has got a
high level of education (University or post-highschool studies). These data confirm that some young
adults who leave school before attaining a qualification can also come from families with a high
educational level, the causes being of another nature, most likely.
Conclusions
In the absence of a lifelong learning system, the underprivileged social categories have relatively
few chances of developing the necessary competences in order to survive in an everchanging society. The
data provided by the enquiry reveals that there is a high level of determination between the initial
investment in education and the level of proficiency as far as the literacy and informational skills are
concerned. Thus, 46% of the young adults aged between 18 and 24 who have prematurely left the
educational system declared naver having read anything, while 34% of them confessed havig read only
occasionally. The differences in reading habits definitely do not favour those with poor literacy skills,
irrespective of their age. For all the age groups that we have studied, their civic involvement – through
their adhesion to an NGO or another association – is at a very low level, only 9,2% of the entire study
group being included in the activities developed by such organizations. 83%of the young adults who have
a low level of education confess not knowing/speaking any foreign language.
The differences between them and the youth who is still at school or who has a high level of
education is a significant one, the gap is over 60 p.p. in favour of the more educated young adults. In
relation to the age groups that have been taken into consideration, there are no significant differences
within the ranks of the young adults with a low educational level. At the same time, the young adults aged
between 18 and 24 who are still at school tend to be far more proficient when it comes to using foreign
languages, compared to the earlier generations with the same educational background/profile. The
entrepreneurial spirit is very poorly developed in the case of the Young adults with a low educational
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level. The percentage of the young adults who consider starting a business in the near future is twice as
big compared to the young adults who have prematurely abandoned their studies. The same pattern is
noticed in the case of the generations who are 5-10 years older. If we add up to all this the fact that many
of the young teenagers or adults who prematurely quit their studies end up having a low economical
status, a possible explanation for their lack of interest in a business could be the limited financial
resources at their disposal, should they wish to make any economical investments.
For most of the adults aged between 18-24 who prematurely leave their schooling, “luck” seems
to be the most important success factors, their percentage being way higher compared to the young adults
who pursue their studies. Significant statistical differences can also be noticed for other factors such as
“education” and “intellect”. Therefore, if 17% of the young people who continue their education believe
that schooling is their key to success, those who leave their schooling too early obviously value it less,
only 5% of them cosidering that “education” or “intellect” can ensure their success.
Information and obstacles with regards to the participation to education
Most of the young adults display a limited interest with regards to their participation to
professional development opportunities (43%). Their main sources of information are the local CAWFO
(22%), the media (19%), the Internet (16%) and the work colleagues (16%).
Those who live in rural areas are far less interested in attaining information on professional
development courses (below 53%); only 12% of the people who work in the countryside use the media as
their source, compared to 28% of those who work in the urban areas; the same situation is valid for the
use of Internet as a source of information (7 and 28%, respectively).
We believe that the main barriers which hinder the participation to development courses are: the
difficulty in covering the expenses necessary to pursue the classes (transport, accomodation, protocol –
31%) the registration fee (29%), the difficult access to information regarding the educational
opportunities (28%) and the distance between the place of abode and the place where the course is held
(14%).
Reference values of the young generation
For the young adults aged between 18-24 who prematurely leave the educational system “luck”
seems to be the most important ingredient to success, their percentage being way higher compared with
the young adults who pursue their studies. Significant statistical differences can also be noticed for other
factors such as “education” and “intellect”. Therefore, if 17% of the young people who continue their
education believe that schooling is their key to success, those who leave their schooling too early
obviously value it less, only 5% of them cosidering that “education” or “intellect” can ensure their
success.
II. Features of formal and non-formal educational systems in Romania – types of programs
destined to the education of adults and good practices in applying the various types of educational
and social methodologies;
Law nr. 116/2002 concerning the prevention and the control of social marginalization stipulates
for the financial support for the people who have schooling age and who come from families that live in
limiting conditions and have got 2 or more children registered in the mandatory education, through the
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assignment of scholarships (art.19, al. 1-4); according to this law, the Ministry of Education has the duty
to develop and put to practice the territorial adult literacy programs (art. 20, al. 1), as well as to ensure
free access to summer camps for the pupils who benefit from these scholarships, who pursue their studies
and who have attained very good results at school.
National Education Act 1/2011 guarantees the right to a differentiated education, based on
educational pluralism, in accordance with the individual age characteristics (art.21, al.3) as well as the
development of educational programs such as „A Second Chance”, in view of promoting the primary
learning to the people who are at least 4 years older than the lawful age for registration in any of the
grades included in the mandatory learning and who, for various reasons, have never managed to complete
their education by the age of 14 (art.29, al.4);
The „A Second Chance” (ASC) are developed with the purpose of offering an opportunity to
finalize the mandatory learning or to acquire a professional qualification for the people who have
surpassed the legal age for the registration in the mandatory education by 4 years at least and who haven’t
managed to finish their education.
The purpose of the „A Second Chance – Primary Learning” program is to support the
children/young adults/teenagers to recover the primary learning, and it’s open to all those who haven’t
finalized their primary studies and who have surpassed the legal registration age (Article: 1 Annex: 1 to
OMECTS nr. 5248/31.08.2011). There are two categories of people who can benefit from this type of
educational services: those who have never attended any grade included in the primary learning and those
who left the primary education, having surpassed the legal registration age in the primary learning. The
necessary number of pupils (barring special situations, cases in which the number of students can be
larger/smaller) for setting up such a class is at least 12 students or 20 at the most (art. 2, alin. 2). The „A
Second Chance – Secondary Education” is aimed at helping the people aged over 14 and who haven’t
graduated this level so as to complete and round up their basic education within the frame of mandatory
learning, as well as their preparation for the attainment of a professional certification in a certain domain
of activity (art. 1, Annex 3 to OMECTS nr.5248/31.08.2011). The classes can be set up with at least 8
pupils or 15 at the most, barring special situations in which changes to the number of students are needed
(art. 4, alin.1).
Since 2005, the program is officially developed and financed by the MEYR (MEYR Act nr.
5160/ 6.10.2005) and is structured on two levels: A Second Chance Primary Learning and A Second
Chance Lower Secondary Education – the latter having included a professional development
component. There is no superior age limit for those who wish to register in this program. The only
condition is that one must have surpassed the legal age for the registration in the mandatory, mass
educational system.
Thus, those who wish to register in the A Second Chance – Primary Education program can
become students if they have surpassed the legal registration age by at least four years and are in one
of the following situations:
 have never taken part in the formal education – schooling;
 have been registered but have abandoned their studies – irrespective of the reasons or
time;
 haven’t graduated the primary education by the age of 14.
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As far as the A Second Chance – Lower Secondary Education is concerned, an application can
be solicited by the people aged over 14, who have surpassed by at least 2 years the registration age of
the level they wish to attend, and are currently in one of the following situations:
 have graduated mandatory primary learning (including the A Second Chance system)
but have not managed to pursue their studies;
or:
 have partially attended the secondary education (5th, 6th, or 7th grade), but have
abandoned the school during that time – irrespective of the time or the reason of their
abandonment.
In order to accurately establish the level of knowledge and competence of the attendees and
consequently identify their educational needs, their registration is followed by individual interviews.
Their purpose is to establish the previous acquisitions of the student and afterwards to elaborate
an individualized program for their preparation.
The language in which the classes are taught is Romanian, but they can also be organized in the
languages of the ethnic minorities, if there are requests on this line.
Once the courses corresponding to the primary and lower secondary education are finished, the
students will receive a Certificate of Graduation and a Personal Portfolio for Lifelong Learning (for the
attendees who graduate the professional development module as well). Furthermore, if the students who
participate in the A Second Chance – Lower Secondary Education have passed the professional skills
certification exam, they receive a Certificate of Professional Qualification, Level 1. During the program,
the attendees will receive a certificate for each module they graduate. To enter the A Second Chance –
lower secondary education, it is important to graduate the previous level of education, based on a number
of accumulated credits. The entire program is the equivalent of 60 de credits, half of which are for the
basic education while the other 30 credits are for the professional development.
The classes can take place according to several timetabling options (weekdays, in the afternoons,
evening classes, on Saturdays or during the holidays, etc.) depending on the possibilities of the students
and of the teaching staff. The duration of this program depends on the previous acquisitions of the
attendees and the number of modules they must cover. Moreover, owing to the organization of the
program and the structure of the curriculum, each student can finalize the primary and the lower
secondary education, respectively at his/her own pace (e.g. two years of study instead of four), depending
on his/her ability to promote the modules and on the individual progress.
For this purpose, the study disciplines are grouped in mandatory and optional modules, such as
they are established by the national curriculum – out of which the A Second Chance curriculum has
derived. The contents of the lessons are based on the interests and the age characteristics of the attendees,
have an immediate practical applicability, we use examples from daily and real life situations. The
utilized teaching methods are those accepted in the case of adult education.
In order to promote the main principles of inter/transdisciplinary curriculum, teaching the natural
sciences (within the A Second Chance – Lower Secondary Education program), as well as the HistoryGeography (within the A Second Chance – Primary Education program) is made in an integrated manner.
In this case the activities can be administered by the teachers of either discipline.
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As a matter of fact, teaching all the disciplines from the A Second Chance curriculum is based on
specific educational materials, which include the Student’s Guide, the Teacher’s Guide and the
Evaluation Kit.
Also, due to the fact that most of the attendees come from underprivileged backgrounds, and
some of them even face personal/familial hardships, their counseling is a top priority within the program.
Teachers who work in this program undergo professional development coaching, in view of acquiring
new teaching and evaluation techniques, as well as counseling techniques and adult education methods.
In 2007, the A Second Chance Program was being developed in 216 schools from 27 Romanian
counties.
The main objective of this program is the control of school abandonment, and the M.E.Y.R., by
means of its own educational policy, strives to extend this program at the level of the entire country.
Within the framework of the same Phare projects, we have developed Remedial Educational
Programs for the pupils included in the mandatory education, who come from extremely poor
communities and who faced learning difficulties and had very poor results at school.
In pilot-schools, a variable number of remedial educational activities were organized on a weekly
basis, (depending on the difficulties of the pupils, the teachers decided upon the necessary number of
classes/ week), through which the pupils were encouraged to acquire the basic skills – reading, writing,
Maths. The activities were actually a repeat of the classroom lessons, organized for a small number of
pupils and aimed at developing the social competences of the underprivileged children.
The remedial educational programs are currently developed in 19 Romanian counties, in 8 pilotschools at the most, which are situated in the underprivileged communities of every county. Over 9,000
students are included in these remedial programs which are encompassed in the mandatory learning of the
19 counties.
This kind of complementary educational program han’t been adopted by the Ministry of
Education so far, and lacks an approved methodology of work and organization.
Implementing this kind of alternative educational programs is an objective of the educational
policies in many European countries, which thus try to control the social phenomena linked to lack of
participation to the education and to the school abandonment, by facilitating the access to education and
providing the opportunity for lifelong learning, in order to benefit from a better social insertion.
The Viability of the Montessori Pedagogy as an Educational Alternative
The theoretical and practical values of this kind of pedagogy are asserted and acknowledged in
socio-historical contexts, in various and diverse cultural spaces, as they promote and put to practice the
education which takes into account the human essence and effectively helps improving the life standards.
The Evolution of the Montessori Pedagogy Implementation in Romania
The Montessorian movement in Romania closely follows and is included in the international
evolution of the Montessorian movement. Presentations of this evolution can be found in the Introductory
Study and the Discovery of the Child, by Maria Montessori, coordinated and translated by Ilie Şulea Firu,
(Didactic and Pedagogical Publishing House 1977), in Ioana Herseni’s doctoral dissertation The
Montessorianism in Romania and in her article Landmarks of Montessorianism in Romania from the UPG
newsletter, in the Educational Sciences series, no.1/2007. We hereinafter attach a parallel presentation of
the previous evolution.
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The Montessori Pedagogy in Romania
In the 1913-1930 time lapse several Romanian educators attend the international Montessori
educational classes and carry out a theoretical and practical demonstration of this pedagogy (i.e. Isabela
Sadoveanu).
In 1931 Ilie Şulea attends the international classes presided by Maria Montessori in Rome and
becomes her family friend, keeping a constant written correspondence. In 1932 Maria Montessori names
Ilie Şulea her personal representative in Romania, while in 1933 the Montessori Association in Romania
is founded, led by honorary president Nicolae Titulescu, executive president C. Rădulescu-Motru, and Ilie
Şulea as a secretary (editor-in-chief for the Romanian edition of the “Child” magazine).
In the 1933-1948 time lapse the Montessori Pedagogy is being applied and there is an active
montessorian movement throughout our country. In 1970 the Romanian pedagogues celebrate 100 years
since Maria Montessori’s birth, by publishing articles in various magazines, whereas in 1977 “The
Discovery of the Child” is published by the Didactic and Pedagogical Publishing House, in Ilie Şulea
Firu’s translation.
In 1990 the Montessori Association in Romania (MAR) is re-founded, and, owing to its
president’s prestige (Ilie Şulea Firu), it is regimented in the Montessori International Association.
During the years 1990-2000 the Montessorians visit Romania, scholarships are granted and also
didactic materials necessary for the setting up of Montessori study groups, anniversary symposions are
organized, numerous conferences and seminaries are being held in order to present and apply this
pedagogy and between 1991 and 2006, the Educational Sciences Institute develops projects in
conjunction with the Monstessori Association in Romania, in order to promote this pedagogy.
The last decade knew a palpable effervescence of this movement, which encouraged the extention
of the Montessori system and all it stands for: the formation of the educators, the creation and use of
necessary teaching material, inter/national co-operation and solidarity with the international efforts,
increasing the level of educational quality and creating the specific tools for the evaluation of the
progress, research and scientific program instrumentation of understanding and applying the method,
participating in the efforts for the reformation of the school and the traditions regarding the child and the
education, openly assuming the furtherance of the rights of the child. Romania has subscribed to all these
efforts.
During 2000–2006 the Educational Sciences Institute has continued to promote educational
alternatives through the implementation of the Jena Plan and the Montessori Pedagogy.
Within the „Introducing the Montessori Pedagogy in the Pre-School Education” project various
kinds of activities have been developed with the purpose of informing the public, unifying and
coordinating the pedagogical initiatives, perfecting the teaching staff, correctly applying and researching
this alternative. All these activities have been developed in conjunction with various institutions, such as:
- the school inspectorates (the promotion of the pedagogy and the founding/evaluation of study
groups);
- Teaching Staff Developent Institutions (dissemination/organization of professional
development);
- NGOs (collaboration and sponsorship for the educational initiatives and projects).
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Upon the request and sponsorhip of the “Bal Jagat Children of the World Foundation” in
September 2000, we have managed to set up and certify a Montessori group at the foster home nr.5, „St.
Basil”, which is in Sector 4 Bucharest, and which now functions as a Community Service Center for the
children in difficulty and those who come from families with social hardships. The group, which currently
activates under the initial name of „Montessori Home”, under the guidance of an IMA certified educator,
had and still has as a main purpose the education of the children in difficulty through the use of the
Montessori methods. The beneficial results for the children (aged between 2&5) and their families have
confirmed the value of this pedagogy and constitute the reason why this group has had a constant activity
and many requests for registration. With the collaboration of the same foundation we have organized
informational classes with regards to the particularities of the young children’s development and the
Montessori pedagogy for all the personnel of the Centre, but also a course for the formation of the
Montessori nurses, presided by an IMA certified educator.
The Montessori method has also been put to practice for the recuperation of the children with
psycho-motric disabilities admitted in the Hospital nr.3 in Sibiu, with very encouraging outcomes,
performed by a Montessori governess, who elaborated an extremely well-documented thesis for the
attainment of the 1st Instructional Degree, the main topic being a comparative analysis of the teaching of
Mathematics with the help of the Montessori method.
Unfortunately (due to the personal reasons of the governesses, who had to change their
workplace), out of the five Montessori groups active in the public system in Turnu Severin in the year
2000 – organized by the Mehedinţi School Inspectorate with the financial support from American NGOs
and carried on by the Association for Pedagogical Alternatives – there are only 2 groups left at present,
but with very good results and a good reputation at the level of the local community. The local
Montessori governesses have been the ones who took part in the national conferences organized by the
M.E.Y.R. and the CNAE and have made practical demonstrations, collaborating with several school
inspectorates, in order to inform the inspectors responsible for the educational alternatives at national
level.
In the second half of this decade, starting with 2007, the Montessori Kinderhaus Asociation has
founded a private institution in Timişoara, based on the Montessori pedagogy, which is skilled and wellequipped and which started with a kindergarten (now having 4 groups) and continued with two primaryschool classes, one for the children aged between 6-9 and the other for those aged between 9-12. There is
also an extremely well prepared and professional teaching staff, made up of 6 teachers who already
posess Montessori certificates and other 6 included in the formation process. The Asociation organized
some presentations of the Montessori method, has edited promotional advertising materials and has
participated at the national activities for the promotion of this method in Romania. Mainly by their own
means, with specialized national/international counseling, they managed to put together a Ministryapproved national curriculum for the Montessori pedagogy, from which other 2 private Montessori
schools in Bucharest will benefit, founded by NGOs in Bucharest and which are currently in course of
certification. Other private schools which intend to put to practice the Montessori pedagogy are being
prepared in Arad, Braşov, Ilfov and other counties; they are in search of teachers qualified in the
application of this method, and will fit in very well with the current Romanian educational system, having
in mind the Montessori curriculum.
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We can notice, therefore, that the Montessori educational alternative has, on the whole, extended
and diversified its area of activity in the national educational system, both horizontally and vertically, has
become popular with the parents and the large masses of the private and public sector, managing to find
the necessary resources for the development and procurement of the learning material.
However, this educational alternative has never been used or applied in the domain of the adult
education in Romania.
By Way of Conclusion
Analysing the current situation within the context of the objectives established at European level,
we have identified “ensuring the access to education for all people” and “improving the quality of
education” as main strategic priorities in the Romanian educational system for the year 2010.
The foreground domains that would help us attain this strategic objective are as follows:
- Access to education for underprivileged groups, adults/teenagers in difficulty or vulnerable
situations. All these domains will constitute solid arguments for the development of educational policies
that would help us elaborate and implement alternative educational programs for all the mandatory
schooling levels.
The methodology of investigation of the link between the lack of social competences and the
level of participation of the adult target-groups to the formal educational programs
The role of the social and personal competences in the participation of the adult targetgroups to the formal educational programs
The term „competences” refers to a set of skills, knowledge, aptitudes and attitudes, and also
includes the readiness to learn. Thus, we can state that competences are a transmittable and
multifunctional set of knowledge, skills (abilities) and attitudes that all the individuals must have for their
personal fulfillment and development. These habits must be developed by the time people graduate the
mandatory education, and must act as a basis for the motivation to pursue learning, as an important part of
the lifelong learning process.
In other words „competence” refers to the acquisition of a certain „degree of skill integration and
the development of bigger social objectives that each individual needs”.
The key-competences encompass three aspects of life:
a) personal fulfillment and lifelong devlopment (cultural capital): the key-competences must give
the possibility to the people to pursue their individual goals in life, driven by personal needs, aspirations
and their will to continue lifelong learning;
b) active citizenship and inclusion (social capital): the key-competences must allow the individuals
to be active participants in the society where they live;
c) employment(human capital): the ability of each person to obtain a decent employment on the labour
market.
These competences must be adapted to the social, linguistic and cultural frameworks.
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The above mentioned competences mostly refer to social competences which are conditioned by
all the school subjects: co-operation, problem-solving, civic participation/ involvement, communication,
social mobility irrespective of the conditions, identification of one’s part in society. Practically, social
skills reflect one’s capacity to communicate, establish social rapport and use social rules so as to maintain
a good relationship with society.
The social competences are included on the list of key-competences identified by the European
official documents, taken on board by Romania as being necessary to the constructive participation of the
individual in the social life and on the labour market, thus offering support for diversity and social
cohesion.
Social competences are very important, owing to the effect that they have on relationships,
health, happiness and work efficiency, and mental health respectively.
General overview of the conditions of adult education with reference to the target-groups
The access to education, defined as opportunity to use the right to learn, represents, along with
the access to adequate health services, food and accomondation, an instrument capable of facilitating or
restricting the social insertion, to increase or decrease the odds of success for the young generation.
In this context, a special attention is granted to a wider access and a a greater equity with regards
to the participation, the treatment and the evaluation of results in the education of the underpriviledged
adults.
Thus, in accordance with Law nr. 107/2004 which modifies and completes Law nr. 76/2002
regarding unemployment insurance and stimulation of the labour market occupation, professional
development opportunities are provided to the underpriviledged target-groups.
The main underpriviledged social groups who benefit from public support for their
professional development are:
- people who have been unemployed for a long time, unemployed people over 45;
- women, mostly victims of domestic violence;
- young people in search of a job;
- representatives of the Roma ethnic group;
- disabed people;
- sole bread-winners of the single-parent families;
- people who activate in rural areas, without a fixed monthly income, or earn less than the average
unemplyment wage;
- people who have recommenced their activity, pursuant to the recovery of their work capacity,
after having been on an invalidity retirement period;
- convicts who have 9 months or less until the end of their detention.
Programs and measures taken by MEYR that have as consequence the development and the cooption of the Roma human resource in education and society:
1. Human resources involved in the organization and functioning of the educational system:
- The existence of 2 representatives for the issues of the Roma population at the level of the
educational system within the MEYR – DGILMRP;
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- The existence of inspectors for the schooling problems of the Roma people within the structure of
the local county school inspectorates (since 1999 and up to the present);
- The formation and employment of 60 Roma methodist teachers for the schooling issues of the Roma
pupils;
- The formation of over 600 Roma school mediators (though the PHARE project of MEYR –
DGILMRP for underpriviledged categories, or through partnerships between DGILMRP and NAR);
- The annual founding of 420-490 teaching posts for the language and the history of the Roma people,
offered to the Roma teachers who want to teach these subjects at school.
2. Initial and continuous professional development of the Roma teachers:
- Initial professional development of 40 teachers of the Romani language;
- Professional formation of 60 educational tutors to teach the methodology of the Romani language
and the history of the Roma people;
- Professional formation of 60 Roma history teachers;
- Professional formation of 260 Romani language teachers;
- Professional formation of 42 Roma school inspectors;
- Professional formation of 42 regional formative teachers (Rromanipen educational);
- Professional formation of 66 Roma school mediators;
- Professional formation of 62 formative teachers for the project „a second chance”;
- Professional formation of 117 Roma school mediators, in addition to the Phare program.
3. The continuous professional formation of non-Roma teachers who work with Roma children
and students, from a Rromanipen educational perspective (set of Roma values, with an educational
impact) The PHARE educational mega-project of the MEYR:
- Enclosing Roma school mediators formed at the different stages of the mega-program;
- Developing the Roma and non-Roma teaching staff that works with the Roma children, alongside
with Roma and non-Roma school inspectors;
- Providing remedial classes for the Roma community and for the other children, young and adults
included in the program;
- Organizing „schools for Roma mothers” in the Roma communities which are near the schools
included in the program;
- Continuing the „Annual National Program for Development of the Teaching Staff who Works with
Roma Children”, initiated by the MEYR in conjunction with the „Save the Children!” Organization;
the preparation of the Rromanipen educational formative teachers, in partnership and with the
financial support of UNICEF Romania, the Regional ERP Bureau (Ethnic Relationchip Project –
USA) and the „Romani CRISS” NGO.
All the Roma educational activities that have demonstrated their usefulness and efficiency have
subsequently been introduced in the Gouvernmental strategy regarding the improvement of the Roma
status (adopted by G.D. 430/2001 and G.D. 522/2006).
Extensive measures can also be found in the Geneal Measures Plan, elaborated during the Roma
Inclusion Decade, specific programs being inititated/developed by many public authorities (MMFES,
MEYR, CAWFO, RNA), civil society or external sponsors (E.U., the Roma Education Fund, World Bank
etc.), programs aimed at encouraging the participation to EFP.
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Grid 1. Numărul populaţiei aparţinând grupurilor dezavantajate pe piaţa muncii,
care a participat la programe de formare organizate de ANOFM
In Romania, we have identified the negative effects of the lack of social competences, which
generate the failure of the social inclusion, in the sense that it significantly reduces the self-fulfillment of
the individual in legal employment.
Bearig in mind the stastistical data, we must acknowledge the strong link between the number of
people involved in the educational process and the unemployment rate.
Grid 2. The degree of schooling and the unemployment rate for the years 1998-2008
Sursa datelor statistice:Institutul Naţional de Statistică
We can conclude that poverty is the most widely-diffused cause of the schooling defficiencies.
This cause has other effects as well, such as: involvement in illegal activities, or in activities that are at
the limiting edge of the law.
Lack of educational/professional development will decrease their chances on the labour market
and will increase the risk of social exclusion, and the effect in the long run will be the landing under the
poverty threshold (pauperism), thus allowing poverty to be passed on from one generation to the next.
To prevent such problems from occurring, the State provides a series of social programs aimed at
maintaining pupils in educational institutions. One such program is ”A Second Chance” – organised and
implemented in order to control the phenomenon of school leaving for the people who exceeded the
schooling age, without having managed to graduate the mandatory education.
This program, initially developed with the help of PHARE financial support, entitled: „Access to
education for the underpriviledged groups” (2001-2007) is currently extended at national level.
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The main objective is to reduce the phenomena linked to the lack of attendance to the education
and school leaving, thus facilitating the access to education and lifelong learning.
The purpose of the program is to support the young and adults over the age of 14, who have left
the mandatory schooling from social considerations, through the completion of their basic education as
well as through their professional development corresponding to the 1/2 qualification levels.
In the 2009/10 school year, the program was implemented in 267 schools, 290 primary classes,
for a total number of 3,527 attendees, and in 342 upper secondary classes, for a total number of 4,802
attendees.
The “A Second Chance” program is an initiative of the MEYR, a public institution which tackles
many of the problems of the underpriviledged groups, especially the people who have difficulties in
finalizing the mandatory education.
In Romania, the only forms of educational alternative for the young and adults who haven’t
finished mandatory schooling are the pilot-schools throughout the country, which play a key part in the
process of alphabetization, development and social inclusion.
Teaching/ learning social competences
Every occupational standard includes a set of social and professional competences, absolutely
necessary for the successful development of the work activities and task completion The social
competences are a condition for the selection, the signing-up, the attendance and the successful
finalisation of a professional development class. The professional competences cannot be acquired
without the social ones.
In view of attaining the best results possible, the individuals need specific competences in
domains, such as Maths, alphabetization and independent living.
Nonethelss, competences in these areas will not guarantee successful outcomes in the absence of
adequate social skills. The social aptitudes are the basis of the social competency. Gresham, Sugai, and
Horner (2001) have identified 5 dimensions of social skills:
(a) relational abilities;
(b) self mangement abilities;
(c) academic abilities;
(d) conformation abilities;
(e) affirmation abilities.
They defined social competency as "the extent to which the individuals are capable of
establishing and maintaining satisfactory interpersonal relationships, establishing and maintaining
friendships and contracting out of negative/harmful interpersonal relationships".
Thus, well-developed social competences can help the disabled people to establish durable and
positive relationships of equality, successfully explore various roles, such as an employee and/or member
of the community.
Social skills can also support a positive relationship of the able-bodied adults with their families
and colleagues. Parul, Jager, & Garrett (2002) note that the teenagers with strong social skills, especially
in the field of conflict management, emotional shyness and demonstrate pro-social behavior are more
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susceptible of being accepted by their peers, developing durable friendships, maintaing good rapport with
their parents/colleagues, showing interest for school/learning.
A defficiency in social skills is a key-criterion in defining many disabilities which prevent the
scholarly progress, such as learning difficulties, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (AHDH), mental
retard and emotional turmoil.
When the social competences are absent, the educators cannot fully engage their students in a
variety of experiences, especially those which imply co-operative learning.
In the community life, an adequate social behaviour can be even more important than the
professional ability. For instance, Holmes & Fillary (2000) have investigated the possibility that the
adults with slight intellectual disabilities could correspondingly maintain a “conversation” with their
colleagues, which is a part of the workplace interaction. They have concluded that the disabled adults
who demonstrate a certain mastery of these skills are generally perceived in a positive way, irrespective
of their task achievement qualifications (Holmes & Fillary, p. 274).
Whoever tried to improve the social competences of the others, knows how much of a challenge
this proves to be. There are many problems that interfere with the efficiency of the interventions:
opposing behavior/antagonism, behavioural issues, negative influence of peers, substance abuse, family
hardships, limited cognitive skills (Hansen, Nangle, & Meyer, 1998).
Everybody wishes to improve their social competeneces, in order to avoid the negative
consequences of the inadequate social skills, such as loneliness, loss of employment, embarrassment at
school or at the workplace, and to enjoy the benefits of having good social skills, among which we can
mention friendship, acceptance, good relationships at work or at school.
The social skills necessary to the young people who are at the age of transitions are the ones
needed at school, at work and in the community (Grid 7).
To conclude, social competences are vital for a successful integration of the people who belong to
the various underpriviledged social categories. Learning through cooperation, participating in
social/emotional development programs should encourage the acquisition of these competences.
Furthermore, a positive learning atmosphere favours social learning by providing an environment
in which all the participants are equally respected and appreciated.
Study on the manner of organization of the lifelong learning activities of the adults from vulnerable
groups
Without exception, every European country provides at least some opportinities for the early
school leavers, without any lower or upper secondary school qualifications, and who later wish to
complete or improve their level of education. However, throughout Europe, the “a second chance“ type of
programs follow different organizational patterns.
At present, in all the UE states, the primary and the lower secondary school levels are mandatory
educational stages. However, almost 23 million adults in Europe have abandoned school before the
completion of the lower secondary education. There are various reasons for this fact, and they include
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political changes throughout history and migratory flux. In many of the countries, the incompletion of the
education affects mainly the groups of people that are the hardest to integrate, such as the Roma
population in the Central and Eastern Europe.
In the majority of the European states, a certificate/qualification marks the completion of the
mandatory lower/upper secondary education. Although this certificate isn’t generally sufficient to
guarantee a successful integration on the labour market, it is a necessary condition towards the access to
superior formal studies. This applies not only to young pupils, but also to adult attendees of the courses.
In other words, those who haven’t completed their lower secondary education are often incapable
of progress towards the thorough study of the upper secondary level of formal schooling. As noticeable in
Diagram 1, this fact can be encountered in almost 20 European states, including Romania.
The completion of the upper secondary education is generally regarded as the minimal
requirement for the access on the labour market and a durable professional insertion.
Several European states, Romania included, have no program that could explicitely be included in
the “upper secondary education for adults” category. Still, the upper secondary education, either general
or professional, which can be finalized through a qualification, can be organized under the form of
flexible arrangements, adapted to the needs of the adult attendees. Thus, in addition to the day classes,
upper secondary education can be organized under the form of evening classes, reduced frequency
classes, distance courses, or a combination of the above. In other words, although there is no explicit
reference to “adult attendees”, it allows the educational institutes to provide upper secondary educational
programs, under the form of various flexible arrangements. These programs are dedicated to everyone
who is above the age of the mandatory education and is eligible for the program.
The formal educational and professional development courses for adults who resume their
abandoned studies are offered in accordance with various institutional agreements.
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