Socrates Malta School Education Comenius

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Socrates MaltaSchool EducationComenius
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Overall Objectives of Comenius

• to enhance the quality and reinforce the European
  Dimension (by encouraging transnational
  co-operation between schools),
• to improve professional development of staff
  directly involved in the school education sector,
• to promote the learning of languages and
  intercultural awareness.

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Publicity

• Intensive media campaign - press releases, radio
  and television programmes
• Dissemination of information - brochures, flyers
  and posters
• Organisation of a number of information sessions
• Website - http//home.um.edu.mt/socrates/
• - updated regularly
• - applications and guidelines are online
• Information sessions at schools

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Socrates Office

• Provides technical advice and assistance on the
  different stages of developing a project.
• Hold face-to-face meeting with project
  co-ordinators and partners.
• Promote the availability of Socrates
  opportunities.
• Help participants to make contacts and find
  partners.
• Maintain close relationship with the Technical
  Assistance Office in Brussels and with other
  National Agencies.

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Comenius 1 - School Partnerships

• Increase in the number of projects
• 2000 - 6 projects
• 2001 - 36 projects
• 2002 - 55 projects

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Comenius 1 - School Partnerships

• 1st March 2002
• 49 School Projects
• 5 Language Projects
• 10 School Development Projects
• 64 applications were submitted
• 55 applications were approved

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Selection Procedures

• 2 phases
• Assessment carried out at a national level
• Inter-agency consultation

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Comenius 2.1 - European Co-operation Projects for
the Training of School Education Staff

• 1st March 2001 - 4 projects were submitted and
  approved.
• 1st March 2002 8 projects were submitted
• 4 Renewals
• 4 New

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Comenius 2.1 - European Co-operation Projects for
the Training of School Education StaffExample
of Projects - Water Wisdom Well being
for the World - MIND/Critical Thinking
for Successful Future Career in EU -
SEEPS Developing Sustaining and Evaluating
Sustainable Practices in European Primary
Schools - Community, Diversity,
Communication Building Bridges in the
Multicultural European Classroom
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Comenius 2.2C - Individual Grants for In-service
Training

• 2000 4 In-service Courses
• 2001 21 In-service Courses
• 2002 14 In-service Courses
• Examples of In-service courses approved
• Creating a Better Environment in Our School
• Using Portfolios in Careers Education and
  Guidance to Enhance Students Career and
  Development
• Cross Currents in European Literature
• Teaching and Learning German with the Internet

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Example of Good Practice

• Title Euroview TT on the use of ICT in
  Education
• Place Alden Biesen, Belgium
• Course Content
• Creating Web Sites
• Using the Web in International Projects at school
• The role of ICT in
• Education

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Comenius 3 - Networks

• 2 applications were submitted
• - TEPEE - Towards a European Portfolio for
  Environmental Education
• - RIAC - Regional Identity and Active
  Citizenship

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Structure of Comenius

• Overall Priorities
• Equal Opportunities
• Pupils at risk
• Children of migrants, Gypsies, travellers and
  occupational travellers
• Pupils with special educational needs

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Who can participate?

• Pupils, students and other learners
• All categories of educational staff (such as
  teachers, head teachers, administrative staff,
  management staff, guidance counselors and
  inspectors)
• All kinds of educational establishments
• Education authorities at local, regional and
  national level

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Comenius - Three Actions

• Comenius 1 - SCHOOL PARTNERSHIPS
• Comenius 2 - TRAINING OF SCHOOL EDUCATION STAFF
• Comenius 3 - NETWORKS

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Comenius 1 - priorities

• Pupils with special educational needs
• Intercultural education, combat racism and
  xenophobia
• Equal opportunities of women and men
• Schools lacking experience in European
  cooperation
• Disadvantaged schools and pupils

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Comenius Plan

• Short and simple paper
• Tool for school to plan and evaluate activities
  under Comenius
• Outcome of reflection and discussion between all
  actors concerned
• Point of reference for the National Agencies

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Comenius Projects

• Subject
• Aims
• Timetable of activities
• Duration
• Budget

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Comenius 1 - Project Types

• Three project types
• Comenius School Projects
• Comenius Language Projects
• Comenius School Development Projects

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Comenius School Projects

• Objective to develop and reinforce the European
  dimension of school education
• Format at least 3 schools from at least 3
  countries for 3 years maximum
• Area any theme or topic of common interest to
  the participating schools

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Example of Good Practice

• School Achille Ferris Primary School,
  Msida
• Title Green Links
• Partners Belgium (Co-ordinator),
  Estonia, Spain, Italy, Romania,

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• Aims
• To learn about the environment and nature in a
  dynamic way,
• To look for ways to share ideas about
  environmental education with the complete school
  team and stimulating interdisciplinary work,
• Improving the school environment and the school
  atmosphere,
• To create a network that allows the participating
  schools to come together and to value their
  shared potential.

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All the countries participating in the project

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• Information about the countries

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• Pupils explaining and showing items received
  during the Show and Tell Exhibition.

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• Pupils dressed in National Costumes.

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• Pupils and teachers act as jury in the logo
  contest choosing a logo for the Comenius
  Project.

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• Chart done by pupils which incorporate their
  ideas on the different countries

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• Pupils Work

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Comenius Language Projects

• Objective to improve pupils motivation and
  capacity to learn foreign languages
• Format 2 schools in 2 countries for 1 year
• Priorities
• - the least widely used and taught languages of
  the EU
• - vocational and technical schools

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Example of Good Practice

• School De La Salle College, Cottonera
• Title From Malta to Normandy The Sea
  and Its Issues
• Partner Verson, France

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• Aims
• To allow students to communicate with another
  country and discover another culture, another
  system of education, an unknown language and new
  technologies, egdesalination of water in Malta,
  the use of the tide energy in France,
• To broaden pupils reflection on and
  understanding of important topics such as the
  sea, the natural environment and pollution,
• To make the pupils fully conscious that the
  building of a united Europe requires people to
  know each other better, as well as a joint
  reflection and work on issues involved in this
  community project.

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• Franco-Maltese Evening in France

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• Franco-Maltese Evening in Malta

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• All the children (French Maltese) that
  participated in the exchange

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Comenius School Development Projects

• Objective to improve school management and
  pedagogical approaches
• School centered management and staff
• Format at least 3 schools in at least 3
  countries for 3 years maximum
• Area any theme or topic relating to management
  and pedagogical approaches of common interest to
  the participating schools

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Example of Good Practice

• School Tumas Dingli Primary School, Attard
• Title EPSEN (Examining Provision for
  Special Educational Needs in
  Participating Schools
• Partners UK (Co-ordinator), Ireland, Poland

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• Aims
• To examine provision within each school region
  for Special Educational Needs for children of
  Primary School Age,
• To provide an opportunity for comparisons to be
  made between partner schools and lead to the
  development of a comprehensive policy which will
  encompass the best practices identified in each
  country,
• To improve the skills and techniques used by
  teachers of children with special educational
  needs,
• To raise the level of awareness among these
  pupils about their own capabilities and those of
  children in other countries.

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- Case studies performed with students- Age 6
- 8 years- Examples of Special Needs -
Autistic - Communication problems semantic
pragmatic disorder - Attention Deficit
Disorder (A.D.D.)
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Other Examples of Projects

• Integration of pupils with special educational
  needs
• Integration of ethnic minority groups
• Preventing and combating racism and xenophobia
• Conflict resolution prevention of violence
• Equal opportunities between girls and boys
• Acquiring skills in the language of instruction
• Adapted teaching methods classroom management
• Involvement of mediators and teaching assistants
• Involvement of parents and the local community
• Co-operation and co-ordination with local
  authorities such as social services, health
  services, employment services, youth services and
  the police

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Partners other than schools

• Objective to embed projects in a wider school
  and local environment
• Examples parents associations, pupils
  associations, local and regional authorities,
  businesses, associations, non-profitmaking
  organisations, NGOs, museums etc.

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Staff Mobility

• Outside projects preparatory visits
• Within projects
• - transnational project meetings
• - head teacher study visits
• - teacher exchanges
• - teacher placements
• - accompanying class exchanges

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Pupil Mobility

• Comenius School
• Projects
• Comenius School
• Development Projects
• Comenius Language Projects

• participation of limited number of pupils in
  transnational project meetings
• class exchanges for min. 14 days of min. 10
  pupils aged 14 years and above

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Financial Support

• Standard amount
• Variable amount
• Complementary
• Funding

• Various project costs
• Transnational mobility of staff and pupils
• Schools

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Schools Web Sites St. Michaels Foundation
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Carmela Sammut Primary School, Mosta
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COMENIUS 2

• Comenius 2 contributes to the professional
  development of all staff involved in school
  education, by supporting
• - transnational projects
• - mobility activities

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Training of School Education Staff

• Transnational cooperation projects
• curricula
• modules
• courses
• teaching material
• Mobility activities
• Initial teacher training
• Comenius language assistantships
• In-service training courses for teachers

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Comenius 3 Networks

• Composed of at least 6 organizations from 6
  different countries
• All types of educational institutions, public or
  private bodies interested eligible under
  Comenius universities, teacher training
  institutions, education authorities, research
  centers, associations...
• Objectives
• - To encourage the networking of Comenius
  projects on subjects of common interest
• - To promote European co-operation and innovation
  in school education in various thematic areas

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Deadlines

• 1st November 2002
• - Comenius 3 - Pre-Proposal Applications
• 1st March 2003
• - Comenius 1 - School Partnerships
• - Comenius 2.1- European Cooperation Projects
  for the Training of School Education Staff
• - Comenius 2.2B - Language Assistantships
• - Comenius 2.2C - Individual Grants for
  In-Service Training
• - Comenius 3 - Full-Proposal Applications

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Further Information

• Schools, Organisations and Institutions which
  are interested in submitting project ideas to be
  funded under the SOCRATES/COMENIUS Action can
  contact
• Socrates Office or EUPU
• Ms. Annhelica Scerri Mr. Ivan Borg
• Tel [phone] Tel [phone]
  E-mail socrates_at_um.edu.mt

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Web site

• http//home.um.edu.mt/socrates/comenius.html