Cultural and sportive activities and seminar
organised in “Asdreni” and “Naim Frasheri” schools in Korca

Following Korca Schools Project implementation, the two days Seminar and cultural and sportive activities were organised in both schools in Korca, on 27 and 28 April 2012.

47 participants; teachers, pupils and parents, monitoring groups’ members, trade union leaders from other 3 schools ( “Naum Veqilharxhi”, “Nuci Naci” and “Shkolla e Re” attended the Seminar.

More than 90 pupils from both schools participated in cultural-artistic and sportive activities and almost all teachers and pupils of these schools attended their interesting performances.

Both Chairmen of FSASH, Xhafer Dobrushi, and SPASH, Bajram Kruja, as well as headmasters from both selected schools, “Asdreni”, Ylli Kreka, and “Naim Frasheri”, Sotiraq Bica, also attended the Seminar and cultural and sportive activities.

A detailed Seminar program, last edition of the Magazine “Tribuna Sindikale”, the Brochure “Elimination of Child Labour, an Important Trade Union Issue”, published in the framework of the Project in January this year, a special Brochure on Collective Agreement, published recently, as well as other publications like SCREAM Modules, the Manual on Non Formal education etc, where some of the materials of Seminar file provided for each participant.

The Seminar was organised in four different sessions.

During the First Session, the Chairman of FSASH, Xhafer Dobrushi,
was focused on theoretical training and explanations on:
International standards and national legislation on prevention and elimination of child labour, elements of Child Labour Monitoring System, good practices and lessons learned in prevention and elimination of child labour in Albania and in Korca.
Discussions from participants followed these explanations, also making some proposals, on Albanian legislation and especially regarding the implementation of existing legislation.

During the Second Session, the Former National Manager of ILO-IPEC Office in Tirana, already closed by ILO, Etleva Vertopi, made special presentations on:

1. SCREAM package - “Supporting Children’s Rights through Education, Arts and  Media”: how can teachers / trade union members raise awareness of children against child labour and how teachers can use SCREAM in their daily work
2. Non-Formal Education Manual, Teaching methodology and learner-centered approach, learning styles, learner attributes and the related teaching approaches.

Explanations were accompanied with concrete exercises regarding different modules with interactive participation of teachers and pupils present in the Seminar.

During the third Session, the Coordinator of Project implementation, Stavri Liko, made a wide presentation on the Brochure “Elimination of Child Labour, an Important Trade Union Issue”, being focused especially on the Guidelines about trade unions and teachers engagement in child labour prevention and elimination.
Discussions in this session were really concrete, based on the concrete experience they are gaining in the process of Project implementation.

Fourth Session was focused on concrete situation of Project implementation, work done, results achieved, working methods used, conclusions and duties for the future and so on.
Heads of Monitoring Groups, Martha Xharo, (“Asdreni” school) and Mailinda Tona, (“Naim Frasheri” school), held detailed reports on the work done, problems faced, progress done and duties to realise the project objectives.

Teachers Majlinda Anxhara, Donika Nakollovski, Juliana Dhimitri, Alma Shyle from “Asdreni” school and Alma Mançolli, Andrea Tollkuçi, Diana Myrtollari, Florie Senia, from “Naim Frasheri” school, spoke on behalf of their respective Monitoring Groups, analysing one by one each pupils subject of project implementation, mentioning individually pupils 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.  

Headmasters of both schools, Ylli Kreka, ”Asdreni” school, and Sotiraq Bica, “Naim Frasheri” school, appreciated the support from AOb and the engagement of teachers, pupils and parents, mentioning the improvements done and results achieved in the framework of Project implementation.

Following are some of the concrete results in both schools:

In “Asdreni” school:
Out of 20 pupils dropped out, 9 are turned back in school and other 2 have made progress, while the work is continuing with other 9 pupils remaining problem for this school year.
Evident progress is also made regarding pupils at risk to drop out from school. Out of 62 at the beginning of the Project implementation, in the seminar were reported 45 pupils out of risk to drop out from school, attending it regularly and making progress in school performance.

In “Naim Frasheri” school:
Out of 45 pupils dropped out, 13 are turned back in school and other 3 have made visible progress, while the work is continuing with other 29 pupils remaining problem for this school year.
Evident progress is also made regarding pupils at risk to drop out from school. Out of 124 at the beginning of the Project implementation, in the seminar were reported 63 pupils out of risk to drop out from school, attending it regularly and making progress in school performance.

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.

Massive Cultural and sportive activities were also organised during those days, with participation of more than 90 pupils from those dropped out or at risk to drop out and being integrated in school, as well as their classmates from both schools.

All the 24 teachers engaged in Project implementation and many other teachers, especially those from physical education and music, were the organisers of many sportive and cultural disciplines, including football, volleyball, athletic, popular games, painting, singing, dancing, recitations and so on.

Based also on the experience from last year, some of the activities were organised in the form of competitions between the two schools, announcing the winners by special commissions composed of teachers and pupils.

It was important that the organisation of these activities was taken very seriously by teachers and pupils, headmasters and local trade union leaders, being an example also for schools administrations and the Regional Educational Directorate.

Very important was massive participation of local and national media representatives in both cultural and sportive activities, as well as during the Seminar. Local TV channels and the main national TV channel, Public Albanian TV, (TVSH) broadcast news about the activities and Seminar, mentioning also the engagement of both FSASH and SPASH and the contribution from AOb. Dobrushi, also, through interviews for many TV channels, spoke about the commitment of both education trade unions, also appreciating the support from AOb.

Following these activities, both FSASH and SPASH, sponsored an artistic show for 300 pupils form Roma and Egyptian minorities organised in Korca schools yesterday.

Many thanks were expressed during the Seminar and all other activities by teachers, pupils and parents towards AOb, Secondary Education, for this concrete support, making possible all of these activities and results.