In the period of 19-21 November 2018, at the EC PRO DIDACTICA, a study visit “Intercultural Education from Primary School to University: Good Practice” was organized for an international delegation within the NGO Education Centers Network, Zagreb, Croatia. The members of the delegation were NEPC (President Mario Bajkusa), Vilnius University Education Policy Center (Rimantas Zelvys), Belgrade Educational Policy Center (Milica Todovici, Lola Hasanović, Žaklina Veselinović) and the Step by Step Program (Zorica Topalovic) – people with the educational experience of teaching and research.

The first visit was held to High School “A. Pushkin” from Chisinau, where we were guided by distinguished director Mrs. O. Abramova, who showed us the institution with an elitist allure in which the transformational leadership is visible. Two quality lessons were presented at the optional discipline “The Culture of Good Neighborhood” (grade 1 – Ms. M. Racul and grade 3 – G. Miteva), through which the beneficiaries of the visit have experienced some novel practical aspects in the implementation of innovations from the intercultural education field, promoted by previous projects of partnership with EC PRO DIDACTICA. Also, relevant visits and presentations were carried out to the high school museums, by which the museum pedagogy for the knowledge of other cultures is harnessed: the Russian culture (Al. Pushkin’s Museum), the Romanian ethnographic culture in Bessarabia (Ethnographic Museum as part of the Cabinet of Romanian language) and the history of the institution (School Museum).

The second visit took place at the State University of Moldova (USM), which has special experiences of intercultural education, known by the participants through the meeting with the dean of the faculty of PSESAS, dr., prof. Vl. Guţu and the head of the Department of Educational Sciences, Dr. M. Şevciuc, but also by visiting the USM Museum, the Japanese Culture Center and other Centers of Foreign Culture and Civilization (Italian, Polish, French, American, Spanish, Austrian) – all opened and functional within the Faculty of Foreign Languages through extra-budgetary projects, supported in particular by the embassies of the countries concerned and exploited in the multilingual training of USM students.

During the 3rd day, visits took place at two rural institutions in the UTAG: Lyceums Moldovan-Turkish in Congaz and the “T. Zanet “in the same locality, where we had the chance to see some integrated non-traditional lessons, but also an extensive extracurricular activity, with the original artistic presentation of the Gagauz culture, in interference with the aspect of the culture of Moldovans, Bulgarians, Russians, Turks, Ukrainians, entitled “We are all different, we are all equal”. The hospitality of the Gagauzians and the generosity of the demonstrated traditional habits, on the one hand, and the professionalism of the teaching and managerial staff, on the other hand, have been fully demonstrated both in the lesson of history and civic education, organized as a press conference and facilitated by 4 teachers of History and Civic Education, Romanian, Turkish, and English languages, but also the original artistic event, when folk music and folk dance with dramatic poetry and art have been combined, with a long lasting impact on the guests, as well as on parents, students, and other community members. In this context, We express our gratitude for accountable involvement and support – Mrs. Alla Nikitcenko, principal consultant from the Ministry of Education, Culture and Research and Mrs. Elena Tulba, specialist from the Education Department Comrat, with whom we are cooperating fruitfully for many years.

In conclusion, we emphasize the interest of our colleagues from NEPC for the intercultural education practices known to us, but also the respect, tolerance, the opening of the educational actors from the visited institutions for acquaintance with the values of other cultures, the knowledge and the practice of the Romanian and the English languages, and, last but not least, pride and concern for the perpetuation of the traditional values of the ethnic groups to the younger generation.

Viorica Goraş-Postică, Project Coordinator

Saturday, September 15, 2018, at EC PRO DIDACTICA, within the framework Anticorruption Education Component of the Project “European Lessons 2”, funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania from the Cooperation Program for Development and Promotion of Democracy and implemented by PRO DIDACTICA, in partnership with the Center for Modern Didactics from Vilnius (Lithuania),  took place an interactive seminar for teachers of civic education, of history and other school subjects. The participants opted for the promotion of the topic among pupils and teachers in the secondary education. This innovative initiative supports the activities of preventing and eradicating corruption in the country by educating conscientious, critical and responsible citizens to develop and implement education for integrity and against corruption through thematic activities in and out of the classroom.

Expert trainers Rodica EŞANU and Eugenia NEGRU have developed teaching materials for teachers, students and pupils which can be accessed here and taught separately or infusionally and selectively at different subjects, including in the optional discipline “European Integration for You”, namely:

• International and national structures for monitoring and combating corruption;
• Non fighting against corruption means sustaining it;
• Corruption – the “creation” of the man holding the power;
• Succeed history of corruption. Case Study. Corruption in the Soviet economy;
• Extra-curricular activity. Corruption in the eyes of humorists;
• Sources of income of the person. Legal and illegal sources. Risks associated with illegal revenue accrual.
• Phanariot countries in the Romanian countries. Link to Education against Corruption: The History of Corruption in the Romanian Countries; a society tolerant of corruption.

After the seminar, all the trained teachers are committed to apply the experimental materials and gained practices and skills and to continue to be part of the network for raising awareness and preventing corruption in schools, in their communities, and throughout the entire society. Unfortunately, currently all levels of our society continue to be heavily affected by this plague. In this context, PRO DIDACTICA is launching a campaign for the publication and dissemination of the didactical materials on the Anticorruption topic at www.red.prodidactica.md, but also on the pages of Didactica Pro… magazine. Those who would like actively contribute to our campaign, please submit your proposals and materials to the email: prodidactica@prodidactica.md.

Univ. Prof. Viorica Goraş-Postică,
Project Coordinator

On the 15th of September, a group of primary school teachers and school managers from all over the country participated in a seminar to be initiated and promote the optional “Culture of Good Neighborhood” in Primary Classes, at EC PRO DIDACTICA.  The trainer Daniela STATE has facilitated an interactive training program, encouraging teachers to learn to communicate assertively and empathically with children, representatives of different cultures, ethnicities, confessions, etc., encouraging their peaceful, open, tolerant and friendly behavior. The program included the analytical course of learning units through a Travel Guide; the analysis of the Culture of good neighborliness as a component of civic education, democratic values ​​and civic competence; interactive teaching-learning methodology, with project, portfolio, lap book; the manifestation of multiculturalism in everyday / school life, but also extracurricular activities within this discipline.

Other possibilities have also been proposed to ensure continuity between the primary and secondary levels of sustainability of the discipline “Culture of Good Neighborhood”, including application to Education for Society, Personal Development, as trans-disciplinary activities as extracurricular and extracurricular activities interest circles, but also to the Co-ethnic ethnic culture.

All participants benefited from donations of intercultural education notebooks for pupils in grades 1-4, in a revised version, after the 2014-2018 pedagogical experiment, conducted based on the agreement with the Ministry of Education, which you can access HERE.

We continue to foresee a greater impact amongst pupils, teachers and parents on intercultural relationships and respect for each other in order to have a balanced and interesting life together as citizens with equal rights and chances, with success in their personal and social life.

Coordinator: Univ. Prof. Viorica Goraş-Postică

WE CONTINUE TEACHING THE “CULTURE OF GOOD NEIGHBORHOOD” IN THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS