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14.05.2016Disturbing trends of dropping out and enrollment of students in pre-school and school education: possible solutions


Negative trends indicated by NSI data on dropout and enrollment of students in pre-school and school education in 2015 (see details on http://amalipe.com/index.php?nav=news&id=2589&lang=2) will intensify in the coming years if no action is taken for dropout prevention / early school leaving and increase the levels of enrollment in all stages and levels of pre-school and school education. The possibility of Bulgaria to achieve a reduction to 11% of drop-out among youths (target value of this indicator in the strategy "Europe 2020" is 10%, Bulgaria is committed to 11%) will become increasingly imaginary. Of course, any well designed, well targeted and effectively implemented interventions can reverse the "trend." I suggest the following ideas in this direction.

 

Prerequisites

At first, policy makers in education should consider the fact that due to dropout and enrollment there are two or even three BULGARIA- s: there are schools that don't have  a single dropout, but in fact there is an influx of enrollment, and there are schools which are literally "annihilated" for dropping out and going abroad. Traditionally, education policy is made as if the second group is gone and often the implementation of these policies further deepens the gap and problems. And it is well known that successful education systems that are given as an example, measure their success not by how further the first have gone, but by the position of the last ones!

The recognition of significant differences in dropout and scope should be reflected in a clear definition of the groups of schools and design of specific actions / interventions in each of them. That is a matter of efficiency and effectiveness. A map of schools depending on the condition of dropping and scope in them is needed. It certainly will not indicate that in some groups of schools work is more intensive! On the contrary, in many schools the "problems" are solved by very good teachers applying innovative pedagogical methods (often following the principle Do it yourself) and throw so much efforts as their colleagues from the so called "Elite schools" can not even imagine.  This map or classification is needed to make proper design of interventions - it is clear that it will be different in different groups.

Currently the Ministry of Education does not have such a map / classification or at least not mentioned it. The large-scale project (it's more about the program) "Your Lesson", which will continue the "Success" of previous programming period should be based on clear differentiation of groups of schools in order to deliver on the reduction and prevention of dropping out.

A second important step is to plan appropriate interventions in schools with dropout problems. As the evaluation of the project "Each student can be best performer" shows, implemented by agencies "Proxima Consult" and "Global metrics" (see summary on http://amalipe.com/files/publications/TSA_REPORT_Executive% 20Summary.pdf) appropriate intervention can lead to severe reductions in dropout: in a period in which the problem is worsening in similar schools (at 2.34% of the averaged national level,  dropping out rate is 3.6% at the intervention schools and 14 % at schools without intervention). That intervention is based on entirely pedagogical approaches: introduction of intercultural education, activation of students, engage and empowering parents, exchange of experience and mutual support between the schools. It is effective and inexpensive. In their work, many schools also gained experience in planning and implementing actions to reduce dropout. I.e. there is a successful practice and in general it is clear what needs to be done.

Third, implementation of interventions needed to be secured, not only financially, but also through appropriate partnerships. Most of the schools in which students drop out, need both additional funding and a comprehensive support. It is no secret that the support of the regional inspectorates of education is insufficient. There are two possible outcomes: partnership with NGOs and partnership with another school. The framework for such partnerships should be institutionally and financially secure.

 

The role of the Ministry of Education

Ministry of Education and Science has the chance to secure these necessary conditions in short and medium term by:

1. Using the capabilities of the Operational Programme "Science and education for smart growth 'and in particular project / program" Your lesson".

During the period 2011-14, the Ministry of Education funded interventions for dropout prevention primarily through Project SUCCESS in which OP "Human Resources Development" invested 100 million leva.Within the project was made meaningful things in non-consolidated schools, by funding a variety of out-of-class activities that "brightened" schools. But the "value added" on dropout was low and was not "caught" by NSI: deteriorating performance at schools during the 2014/15 happened during a period in which SUCCESS was still working.

Project SUCCESS did not differentiated the intervention in different groups of schools and virtually did not groupe schools. Opportunities for inter-school activities, ie for securing partnerships between schools was minimized. It was not provided  an option of re-allocating resources to organizations, community centers, sports clubs and other non-school institutions, which make it impossible for real partnership with them. All this led to very low effect of this large-scale national program on the prevention of dropout and early school leaving.

Project "Your Lesson", which will continue SUCCESS in the current programming period with funds from the new OP "Science and education for smart growth" gives request to correct the shortcomings of his "predecessor". In the selection criteria of operation approved by the Monitoring Committee in May 2015 was required "To increase the effectiveness and efficiency of project funds the set of eligible activities will be differentiated between schools with different profiles of students." The program will also support inter-school activities as there is a possibility the activities to be implemented by schools in partnership with a wide range of out-of-school organizations, sports clubs, community centers, school boards, NGOs non educational institutions and others.

Of course, these capabilities can be developed or rendered pointless by the specific beneficiary MES, which needs to develop and coordinate the implementation of the project. Ministry began with a "false start" by delaying development of the project too long, so schools missed the 2015/16 academic year.

2. In the medium and long term Ministry should invest political attention and resources in the development of the school network in rural areas. In practice, the closure of 450 schools in 2007 and 2008 following the introduction of delegated budgets led to the first decline in net coefficient of enrollment. Second wave of this process can be followed in 2018 when the eighth grade move from primary to secondary education, which will affect primary schools. New Law on pre-school and school education, approved at the end of September 2015 and took effect as of August 2016 provides - although in complicated procedure - the possibility to transform primary schools in united, ie teaching students from 1 to 10 garde. With a very high degree of probability we can say that this opportunity will increase the scope and reduce dropout of students, especially in rural areas and among the conservative minority groups. But its actual implementation will face many serious problems.Thus, for example, although the law allows the united schools to teach first degree of professional qualification, they have no facilities and teachers for that. There is also no experience of partnership between primary schools (which would try to become united) with vocational schools that would have carried out external training. Funds for educational infrastructure in the current programming period of European funds are few and are aimed primarily at public schools, ie these funds will not be used to support the United schools. A lot of other obstacles can be listed that will reduce to a minimum the number of primary schools that will have a chance to become united. This may change in the presence of political will;

3. The Ministry of Education should seek interaction with other "players" in the field of school education. The contribution of NGOs and social partners in the modernization of the Bulgarian school, including the problem of dropping out can not be denied. Currently, MES "interact" with them only within the framework of the Public Council at the Ministry of Education and by the Monitoring Committee of OPSESG. This is clearly not enough because it does not allow the partners together to exchange information and plan joint interventions.

In September 2015 MES requested within the Model 1 list, information from all schools on their partnerships with NGOs. Information was submitted by more than 500 schools. It showed that two NGO initiatives were implemented in hundreds of schools / kindergartens across the country and reached the scale of the national programs: Project "Every student can be a winner" implemented by Center "Amalipe" and "Ready for School",  Trust for social achievement. Probably there are other NGO initiatives that support dozens of schools and kindergartens. It is necessary the Ministry of Education to find appropriate institutional form of  partnership with them.

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