“Program for adult education and literacy” - Assotiation for development of Roma community "Sumnal" Skopje

In the frames of our strategic orientation to support adults into competing primary education for adults according to the Law for adult education, we have developed “Program for adult education and literacy”.

The inclusion of the persons and their families in the program of this type represents not only a supplement to the educational component in a society, but it also has a wider social meaning. This Program for adult education contributes to potential improvement of the educational and socio-economic status for every participant, but as well, by gaining basic skills and competences, they become more competitive on the labor market.

With the teaching units prepared by the educators, the participants gain basic knowledge of different areas and in a short period of time there are visible results. The participants gain more trust, self-confidence and built positive attitude about themselves and their education and can talk openly about their future life plans while the elderly give them full support. The implemented program has a positive impact upon the users of this project as well as to strengthening their capacities and their everyday life.

The program for adult education corresponds with the three competences for gaining primary education of adults, which are: oral communication, literacy (reading and writing) and counting (everyday mathematics).

The themes of this program are divided in areas which are:

            - Numeric competence (recognizing and writing of numbers, calculating, ordinal numbers);

            - Oral communication (communication, narrating, clear speech and oral expression);

            - Literacy (reading and writing of short words, simple sentences and reading short texts).

Each teaching unit consists of:

            - Theme;

            - Target group;

            - Goals;

            - Content;

            - Fоrmat;

            - Educational process;

            - Time frame.

For each teaching unit the SMART analysis is used: S-specific, M-measurable, A-achievable, R-relevant and T-time-based goals.

Target group: Participants with low level of literacy and low socio-economic status.

This module has been developed for several years, in the frames of several projects, thus scanning the real need of the direct target group, and by building networks with relevant social partners.

For the first time, it was realized in 2012/13 through the Twinning project of the EU – “Support for building of the capacities of the Center for adult education and development of programs for adult education and programs for literacy and finishing of the primary education of the excluded persons” – a pilot project of the Government of Republic of North Macedonia which lasted one year. 15 Roma women aged between 18 and 35 years, who did not finish their primary education or were not at all included in the educational system were included. The goal of the suggested activities was to support the social-economic inclusion of the Roma women in the society by improving their informal education. The action support the efforts of the state to provide sustainable change and real decline in the educational gap between the Roma and Non-Roma. Two types of training were organized in Skopje and Bitola: “Learning Macedonian language – basic level” and “Learning basic counting skills”.

The candidates were present at the training five days a week:

1. Language training:

- Macedonian alphabet;

- Skills for reading and writing;

- Macedonian grammar.

2. Computer skills

The pilot project was successfully implemented and as part of it the participants got certificates for successful completion. Also, two educators were trained in order to be able to teach and sustain this kind of program intended to literate the users. The pilot project – the adult education program was implemented in collaboration with the Center of adult education and the Government of Republic of North Macedonia in partnership with the Spanish and French Government.

“Sumnal” in 2014 and 2015 in collaboration with the Swedish women organization from Finland continued and implemented the project for adult education in which also, 15 Roma women who did not finish their primary education were included in “Sumnal” – Skopje and “Sumnal” – Bitola. The users gained basic competences and skills from the numeric and language competences as well as basic computer skills.

Since “Sumnal” has long years of experience in the area of adult education, in collaboration with UNDP and in partnership with the Center for adult education and other relevant institutions, NGO’s and schools, in 2015/16 was involved in development of an educational program from the language and numeric area of competence. Several products were developed: the working version of the programs for numeric and language competences, the standards and levels of knowledge and skills, the mechanisms, tools and procedures for evaluation and recognition of previously gained knowledge, development of recommendations for establishment of formal authorities for recognition of previously gained knowledge. In 2018 we were involved in development of programs of the subjects for technical and informatics skills, history, social sciences and culture, foreign languages and natural sciences. These programs are being developed with an expert consultant and in the following period it will be worked on their approval and adjustment and for final usage in the educational process.