Educational mediators from the districts of Sofia – city, Sofia – district, Kyustendil and Blagoevgrad on training at the Primary School “Kliment Ohridski” Dupnitsa

Amalipe Center started a series of trainings for educational mediators, and the next training took place on March 17, 2022 at the Primary School “Kliment Ohridski” in Dupnitsa. The training aims to exchange experiences between educational mediators from the districts of Sofia – city, Sofia – district, Kyustendil and Blagoevgrad. During the seminar the participants passed several important thematic modules: basic rights and obligations in the field of education; active participation of the educational mediator in school life; organizing and functioning of the educational mediators.

The training started with a presentation of the participants. Raycho Vassilev, regional pedagogical coordinator for Sofia district, Sofia district, Kyustendil district, Pernik, Blagoevgrad and Pazardzhik presented the program “Every student will be an excellent student”. The mediators got acquainted with the work and role of the educational mediator.

Deyan Kolev, Chairman of Amalipe, informed those present how they will continue to work after July 1. During the meeting, many questions were asked by the mediators regarding the future, existence and establishment of the profession of educational mediator.

Here is what the mediators said about their work in the different settlements:

• The educational mediator carries out an effective dialogue between the families of students at risk of dropping out and the school;
• The mediator raises the awareness of the parent community;
• Conducting surveys and other methods of working with parents;
• Applying new approaches in working with parents – trainings, lectures, one-day trainings, talks and others;
• Individual and group meetings with parents, active involvement in common activities, as parents are partners of the school and work with the parents’ club;
• Organizing campaigns to reach parents / guardians, strengthening the control of absences and timely informing the parents by the educational mediator, good dialogue and constant contact between the mediator and the parents.

During the meeting Valeri Angelov and Atanas Atanasov, experts in the Roma community at the Amalipe Center explained what the goals of mediation are: ensuring equal access to education and kindergartens; projects, programs and partners for access to the labor market; survey of each Roma and non-Roma family, survey of the educational and health status of children and parents; case work – returning students to school, motivation for their education.