Cultural, artistic and sportive activities and Workshop
organised in “Shkolla e Re” and “Naum Veqilharxhi” schools in Korca
24-25 April 2015

Various cultural, artistic and sportive activities and the two days Workshop were organised in “Shkolla e Re” and “Naum Veqilharxhi” schools in Korca, on Friday 24 and Saturday 25 April 2015, following AOb Project implementation.

 
Massive cultural, artistic and sportive activities were organised on Friday, 24 April 2015, in “Shkolla e Re”, with participation of representatives from both schools.
More than 80 pupils, mainly from those dropped out or at risk to drop out and being integrated in school, took part in many sportive and artistic activities, including football, volleyball, athletic, popular games, paintings, singing, dancing, recitations and so on.

Teachers and pupils from both schools, as well as parents and other people from the community, attended these activities, also participating in massive dancing and other activities.

Both Chairmen of FSASH, Xhafer Dobrushi, and SPASH, Nevrus Kaptelli, headmasters of both schools, Rome Rapo, (“Shkolla e Re”) and Albert Damjaneci (“Naum Veqilharxhi”), as well as and Heads of FSASH and SPASH Korca Sections, Irena Kocaqi and Adrian Sheremeni, also attended these activities.

All 22 teachers engaged in Project implementation and many other teachers, especially those from physical education and music, as Arben Bace, Dashamir Nameti, Elona Pepellashi, Ermira Bako, Leonard Trebicka, as well as some pupils from both schools, were the organisers of these activities.

During artistic activities, some information was provided by the speakers regarding Project implementation, including results and pupils withdrawn from working and returned to school, as well as other pupils from those who have been at risk to drop out and now are integrated totally in school.
Most of sportive activities were organised in form of competitions between schools and different classes. Special commissions followed by near the activities and identified the winners, who were announced at the end of activities, also in the presence of both FSASH and SPASH chairmen.

It was important that many of pupils who performed the activities, especially from “Naum Veqilharxhi” school, were among those who had left the school and turned back, after the work done in the framework of this Project implementation, as well as many others from those at risk to drop out from school, who are now integrated normally in school.

Pupils Fernando Hyseni, Kristi Istoni, Semi Tatushi, Marion Bandilli, Euxhen Cina, Kristina Zike, Gerta Lice, Anisa Bakiu, were among the best from “Naum Veqilharxhi” school, while pupils Kristina Zeqollari, Rebeka Cenolli, Urania Shkodrani, Mario Domarieti, Rebeka Jaupi, Emiliano Selmani, Ledia Leka, Ksina Mece, Marsilda Bako, Andrea Kodra, were among the best from “Shkolla e Re” school.

An interesting moment during these activities was the visit of the room where were exposed the paintings and some other artistic productions, handicrafts etc, made by pupils from both schools. A special commission, composed of teachers and pupils from both schools, made the evaluation of all articles exposed there and announced the winners, pupils from “Naum Veqilharxhi” school. 

The most important element of these two days activities was the Workshop, organised with participation of 38 teachers, pupils and parents, mainly from Monitoring Groups’ members of both schools.

Both Chairmen of FSASH, Xhafer Dobrushi, and SPASH, Nevrus Kaptelli, headmasters of both schools, Rome Rapo, (“Shkolla e Re”) and Albert Damjaneci (“Naum Veqilharxhi”), as well as and Heads of FSASH and SPASH Korca Sections, Irena Kocaqi and Adrian Sheremeni, also attended the Workshop.

A detailed Workshop program, last editions of FSASH/SPASH Magazine, “Tribuna Sindikale”, the Brochure “Elimination of Child Labour, an Important Trade Union Issue”, published in the framework of AOb-FSASH/SPASH Projects implementation, a special Brochure on the laws on pre university education system in Albania, as well as other publications like SCREAM Modules, Manual on Non Formal Education etc, were some of the materials of Workshop file provided to each participant.

The Workshop was organised in some different sessions.

During the First Session, the Chairman of FSASH, Xhafer Dobrushi, was focused on:

- International standards and national legislation on prevention and elimination of child labour, good practices and lessons learned in FSASH and SPASH commitment to prevent and eliminate child labour in Albania.

- ILO Conventions 138 and 182 and the Albanian Law on children protection, as well as the Albanian Council of Ministers Decision on the list of Hazardous work in Albania.
Discussions from participants followed these explanations, also making some proposals, on improving Albanian legislation and its implementation.

During the Second Session, Trainings Specialist, Istref Haxhillari, made special presentation on:

1. SCREAM package - “Supporting Children’s Rights through Education, Arts andMedia”: the most important Modules, how can teachers, education trade union members, raise awareness of children against child labour and how teachers can use SCREAM Modules in their daily work.

2. Non-Formal Education Manual, teaching methodology, learning styles and the related teaching approaches.

Explanations were accompanied with concrete exercises, regarding different modules with interactive participation of teachers and pupils present in the Workshop, followed by active participation in discussions, especially regarding extracurricular hours in respective classes.

In the Third Session, the Coordinator of Project implementation, Stavri Liko, made a detailed presentation on the Brochure “Elimination of Child Labour, an Important Trade Union Issue”, published in the framework of AOb – FSASH/SPASH Projects implementation, being focused especially on Practical Guidelines about teachers trade unions engagement in child labour prevention and elimination and lessons learned from FSASH/SPASH commitment to prevent and eliminate child labour in Albania.

During the following Session, the Workshop was focused on concrete situation regarding Project implementation, work done, results achieved, working methods used, conclusions and duties for the future and so on.
This was the most important Session regarding this Project implementation.

Heads of schools’ Monitoring Groups, Mimoza Beqirllari, (“Shkolla e Re” ) and Xhemlin Koleci, (“Naum Veqilharxhi”), held detailed reports on the work done, progress made,
problems faced and duties to be followed to make possible the realisation of Project objectives.

Heads of Monitoring Groups in respective schools, Migena Thaka, Arta Meka, Elvira Rrushi, Esta Ballco in “Shkolla e Re” and Esmeralda Ryka, Eva Cenolli, Eleni Kocaqi, Rudina Stefa, in “Naum Veqilharxhi” school, informed on the situation in their respective groups, analysing one by one each pupils subject of Project implementation, mentioning individually pupils withdrawn from working and turned back in school, those who are out of risk to drop out from school and those who they are still working with to be returned to school. 

Pupils Anisa Bakiu and Arseda Gjoni, as well as parents Alma Dhimitri and Brunilda Gjoni,  members of Monitoring Groups in both schools, spoke about their experiences working with individual pupils, mentioning also difficulties they have faced, not only with pupils, but also with some of their parents.

Discussions in this session were concrete, based on the experience they have gained in this Project implementation, also mentioning results achieved and expected Project objectives realisation.

Based on the figures mentioned during this session, the actual situation regarding Project objectives realisation is as follows:

In “Shkolla e Re” school, out of 17 pupils dropped out from school, most of them working, 9 of them are withdrawn from working and turned back in school, and another 1 has made progress, being expected to be returned, meanwhile out of 76 pupils at risk to drop out from school, 39 of them are attending the school regularly and other 6 have made progress in attending the school.

In “Naum Veqilharxhi” school, out of 18 pupils dropped out from school, most of them working, 11 of them are turned back in school, while out of 57 pupils at risk to drop out, 41 of them are attending the school regularly and other 2 have made progress in attending the school.

An Action Plan was discussed and approved during this Session, planning detailed elements of concrete and effective individual work with each of the pupils still dropped out or at risk to drop out, aiming to bring them back in school as soon as possible.

A special session was organised, by the end of the Workshop, with questions and answers regarding the role of FSASH and SPASH in actual situation, being focussed especially in three issues:

1. Situation related to negotiations with the Ministry and progress in relation to signing the collective agreement,
2. Reaction of FSASH and SPASH towards the intention of the Ministry of Education for a general testing of all teachers in Albania,
3. Reaction of FSASH and SPASH towards the intention of the Ministry of Education to change the Article 60 of the Law on Pre university education system in Albania, regarding teachers recruiting and dismissing, passing the right to do that from a commission, only to the headmaster of the school.

Both chairmen of FSASH, Xhafer Dobrushi, and SPASH, Nevrus Kaptelli, answered the questions and made detailed explanations regarding all the three of these issues, insisting that they need the support of FSASH/SPASH members and all Albanian teachers to opose some of the intentions of the Ministry which are not in conformity with the laws and don’t take into the consideration the mission of Albanian teachers.

Teachers, pupils and parents, as well as headmasters of both schools, appreciated all the activities organised during these two days and expressed their gratefulness to AOb for this support, promising the continuation of their work to make possible this Project objectives realisation.
They considered important the organisation of these activities and asked from FSASH and SPASH to see the possibility of organising other joint activities with other schools in Korca, as well as in other districts, in order to know and share the mutual experiences.

Special meetings were also organised in the framework of these two days activities, with Monitoring Groups members of both schools, where was discussed widely especially regarding the concrete measures to be taken for those pupils still dropped out or at risk to drop out from school, as well as preparative measures for the conclusive meetings of Monitoring Groups, which will be organised by the beginning of June 2015.