Our goals are: to implement the newly acquired competencies of teachers in regular classes and in direct work with students, to create equal opportunities for all students, to develop new methods and tools for better inclusion of students with fewer opportunities in the educational process and to strengthen the international dimension of the School. With this project, we will promote the preservation of the value of the European space and raise awareness about it. We will use everything learned during this project in the long term as a basis for future projects. The main goal of the project is to introduce new methods and competencies through the Erasmus+ program, which will improve the work of teachers with students with fewer opportunities and their inclusion. These are students who are at a disadvantage compared to their peers due to one or more difficulties. The first special goal is to educate teachers in order to improve regular classes with new methods and innovations due to the results of a survey on the quality of classes for students with fewer opportunities. Another special goal is to motivate students with fewer opportunities to participate in formal and informal education so that they can learn from each other and be more successful in work and study. The third specific goal is to strengthen awareness of the importance of inclusion and empathy among students, teachers, parents and the local community. The fourth special goal is to encourage the internationalization of the School and achieve the goals set by the Erasmus+ program, KA1, the National Strategy of Education, Science and Technology and the European Development Plan of the School: improve the intercultural dimension of education and training; to promote the creation of the European area of lifelong learning; train students for living and working in a multicultural world, for respect for diversity and tolerance, and for active and responsible participation in society; raise and educate students in accordance with general cultural and civilizational values.
The number of students with difficulties (health, economic, social and learning) is growing, and teachers are not sufficiently educated for successful work with them and their inclusion. The professional assessment of pedagogues and class teachers of individual classes showed us that in each class there are on average four students with fewer opportunities (at the School level, almost 20%) who do not have a modified form of education. To the best of their ability, teachers provide support to these students on a daily basis, but there was no visible need to strengthen teacher competencies and adopt new methods in order to improve the school and personal success of such students. During December 2019 and January 2020, a school survey was conducted, which included 171 respondents (66 parents, 88 students and 17 teachers). Its purpose was to collect data on the awareness of parents, students and teachers about who children with fewer opportunities are and about their attitudes about coexistence with them. More than 2/3 of all respondents claimed that they have understanding for students with fewer opportunities, but do not know how to help them with inclusion. That is why we saw the need to acquire new teacher competencies that would make the inclusion process more successful. According to the same survey, as many as 49% of students and 1/3 of teachers and parents feared the inclusion of refugees in the educational process, which is why we read the need to strengthen awareness of the importance of inclusion among students, teachers and parents. More than 1/3 of students and parents and almost 2/3 of teachers witnessed unacceptable behavior towards students with fewer opportunities. According to the results of the survey, as many as 53% of teachers believed that other students were deprived of attention and time directed to students with fewer opportunities. This showed us the need to introduce positive changes. We wanted to enrich the existing attitudes and values of our teachers about mutual understanding, respect for diversity and more effective inclusion of students with fewer opportunities in educational work. Based on the above, we considered that the key needs of our institution are: quality development and modernization of education (development of new methods and approaches for developing empathy and strengthening the process of inclusion), professional development of individuals and greater cross-cultural awareness of teachers, students and parents. We can meet these needs by adopting new teaching methods, acquiring new competencies in the field of inclusion, and transferring newly acquired knowledge to students, teachers, parents and parents.