Pupils who were brought up in a different linguistic/cultural environment often come to school with an insufficient or non-existent knowledge of Czech language, yet they are expected to integrate into Czech schools in a relatively short time. This situation is difficult for both the students and their teachers.

The goal of the project is therefore to support teachers in this process by providing them with permanent support and effective tools for working with foreign pupils, and thereby reducing pressures on elementary school teachers. In the long term, the project aims to influence the way teachers approach education (and pre-school preparation) of foreign pupils in all school levels.  Similarly, the project hopes to achieve a long-term impact through the establishment of working groups connecting key actors in the integration of foreign pupils into the educational system.

The project aims to support teachers in their work with foreign pupils. Thus, it also indirectly helps foreign pupils and their families, especially those who have insufficient pedagogical/family support in the education or social system.

The project is composed of a set of complex, interconnected workstreams.

Promotion and extension of the web site www.inkluzivniskola.cz

This website gathers and distributes available information on the education of foreign pupils. It contains methodological, educational and organisational materials and is constantly updated. The website has been gaining an audience and earning positive feedback. Promotion of the site is conducted through a network of counselling institutions, public servants, schools and public administration bodies. An e-learning platform for both teachers and foreign pupils is under construction.

Additional education of elementary and secondary school teachers

The project’s educational programme is composed of several accredited interactive seminars on topics including:

• Introduction to inclusion of foreign pupils
• Czech as a foreign language
• Principles of working with pupils with a different mother tongue

The purpose of the seminars is to get elementary and secondary school teachers acquainted with basic principles and recommended methods for working with foreign pupils in linguistically heterogeneous classrooms.

Establishing a network of regional multiplicators

Regional multiplicators are local specialists on the integration of foreign pupils into the education system. Their role is to promote the long-term effects of the project. They are trained by META experts in a certified multi-level training course.

Development of an educational programme for teaching Czech as a second language

The development of an educational programme for teaching Czech as a second language was important in creating a basis for its implementation in the elementary school curriculum.

Support for elementary and secondary school teachers

The project offers two forms of methodological support for teachers. First, there is a basic consultation via phone or email regarding, for example, particularly complicated cases, educational materials or opportunities. Second, there is a more complex form of support that is based on close contact between schools and experts. In addition to methodological support, there are complementary services such as interpretation and social work. 

Educational programme and methodological support of pre-school teachers

Pre-school education of foreign children is crucial for their smooth inclusion in schools. In cooperation with the Faculty of Education at Charles University in Prague, the project developed a methodology for pre-school teachers to teach Czech as a second language, based on the respected KIKUS methodology (“Children of Many Cultures and Languages”). The project also organises seminars for pre-school teachers and provides a complex portfolio of counselling services.

Seminars for university students

The goal of the seminars for university students is to get future teachers acquainted with the issues related to teaching children with a different mother tongue and to develop the inter-cultural competences of future pedagogues. The seminars take place at selected universities.

Networking regional actors

The project established regional working groups of actors involved in the education/integration of foreigners. The working groups meet on a regular basis.

Seminars for public servants

The accredited seminar for public servants aims to deepen their understanding of the integration process and to increase their competences in implementing integration principles into their job activities.

• The project created the website Inkluzivní škola (Inclusive school), which registered more than 107,000 visits by October 2016.
• Development of 6 accredited interactive seminars: 4 for elementary school teachers (Introduction to inclusion of foreigner pupils, Czech as a foreign language, Principles of working with pupils with a different mother tongue, Pedagogical assistant for working with foreign pupils) and 2 for pre-school teachers (Introduction to the inclusion of foreign pupils, Language support for children with different mother tongues).
• Creation of a network of regional multiplicators (8 multiplicators).
• Development of the educational programme for teaching Czech as a second language.
• Provision of methodological support to pre-school and elementary school teachers: As of January 2018, the project has provided 165 support interventions via phone/email and 25 interventions in person. The project also provided additional supportive activities such as social work and interpretation.
• Development of methodology for teaching Czech as a second language for pre-school pedagogues.
• Seminars for university students (158 seminars at 5 universities with 190 participants).
• Development of working groups for networking key regional integration actors: 5 meetings of the working group members in Prague. The results of the meetings were presented at a conference on the education of children with a different mother tongue held in Prague.
• Seminar for public servants on the integration of foreign pupils into the Czech educational system (held in Prague with 15 participants).

Besides the direct feedback of the participants, the positive effects of the project were confirmed by independent research carried out by the Research Institute for Labour and Social Affairs (RISLA) (Barriers to integration from the perspective of third-country nationals and the Methodology of monitoring tools of the integration process). In the research, respondents indicated that the META Association is an important partner in the process of the integration of foreign pupils. 

The project was supported by:

• European Integration Fund:  approximately € 98,700 (2,503,000 K )
• Czech Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports: approximately € 25,040 (635,016 K )
• Own resources: approximately € 7,890 (200,000 K )