Romania Seeks EU Standard Childcare
- Published: 14 July 2005
In the last of a series of articles on children's institutions in Romania, Kate McGeown looks at the country's current childcare provision, as it prepares to join the EU.
In a specially-built complex near the Romanian city of Bacau, trained staff look after a small group of children, amid brightly painted walls and state-of-the-art equipment.
The facilities are easily as good as those in Western Europe - which is just as well, because they need to be if Romania is going to be successful in its attempt to join the European Union in January 2007.
Childcare in Romania has certainly come a long way since Nicolae Ceausescu's rule, when rows of malnourished babies stared listlessly from cots. But questions remain as to whether the country has made the Herculean leap necessary to satisfy the demands of EU membership.
The current government's strategy is opposite to that of Ceausescu's regime - it wants to get as many children as possible out of the big institutions.
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 Romania's modern alternatives to institutionalised care  In pictures |
"We started from the premise that each child should be in an environment which is as close as possible to a real family," said Bogdan Panait, secretary of state for children's rights.
Almost all the large Ceausescu-era institutions have now been closed down, in favour of alternatives such as foster care, adoption and small state-run homes.
When the Gardani institution, near the city of Baia Mare, closed down, 16-year-old Adi moved to a smaller family-type unit, which houses nine teenagers and a full-time member of staff.
"In the beginning it took me a while to adjust, but now I love it," he said. "We have hot running water and plenty of food. I feel so much safer here, and the staff are really nice."
"We're accepted in the community now - we're not 'those kids from the orphanage'."
Going back home
The ideal scenario, according to the new thinking, is for children to go back to live with their parents.
As in Ceausescu's era, only a tiny minority of children in state care - currently estimated at just 3% - are there because they have no living relatives.
Under the old system, two-year-old Andre would undoubtedly have grown up in an institution. When he was born, his mother, aged only 13, was not in a position to look after him.
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CHILDREN IN STATE CARE  1 - Foster care (15,682) 2 - Extended family (26,928) 3 - With other persons (6,094) 4 - About to be adopted (1,225) 5 - Still in institutions (32,974) |
But when his institution closed down, the local authorities - together with a charity called the Community Support Foundation - facilitated his return home.
"It's fantastic now he's back," said Andre's grandmother Maria. "When his mother comes back from school every day, he jumps into her arms."
In fact orphanage closure programmes and family reintegration schemes have been so successful that there are now only 33,000 children in institutionalised care, compared to 80,000 in 1997.
While few people would argue against the closures, some say they have happened too fast - satisfying EU requirements but not always satisfying the best interests of the children concerned.
"It became a competition to see which regions could close the most institutions," said Stefan Darabus, the national director of Hope and Homes for Children, an organisation which advises the government on its closure programme.
"Some children were reintegrated into a family before it was properly thought out," he said.
Old attitudes
The improvements to Romanian childcare did not come about overnight. In fact for years after Ceausescu's downfall in 1989, nothing much happened at all.
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  The days of many children living in one bed, with bad food, and each with the same haircut - those days don't exist any more  Bogdan Panait, secretary of state for children's rights  Have your say |
Changes in 1997 and 2000 improved conditions somewhat, and another legal framework was introduced at the beginning of this year.
"The legislation is good, almost better than any in Europe, but what matters is what happens in practice," said Jonathan Schelle, the head of the EU commission delegation to Romania.
According to Mr Schelle, there are still a few problems left to sort out - notably a lack of training and the occasional evidence of old Ceausescu-era attitudes.
In the institutions due to close, there have been reports of staff telling children that life outside will be worse, in order to safeguard their own jobs.
And Silvia Boeriu, head of Save the Children Romania, said: "There are still nursery staff who encourage women to give up their children. An estimated 9,000 children are still abandoned every year."
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Another aspect of concern is the care of disabled young adults, many of whom are still living in institutions. Mr Schelle admitted that an improvement in their welfare "needs to be done quite urgently".
But despite these problems, Romania has undoubtedly revolutionised its childcare facilities in recent years.
Mr Panait, the man charged with ensuring it stays that way, said there was "still a long way to go", but added that "the days of many children living in one bed, with bad food, and each with the same haircut - those days don't exist any more". Click here to access the article on the BBC News website
EUREKA - weekly science publication for primary schools
- Published: 12 July 2005
What is EUREKA?
- EUREKA is a weekly, four-page glossy science publication for primary schools.
- It is written and researched in St. Patrick's College, Drumcondra by Paula Kilfeather, Janet Varley and Cliona Murphy and published by the Irish Independent.
- Many students all around the country currently use EUREKA to learn about the exciting world of science.
What EUREKA achieves?
- EUREKA is designed to make science attractive and interesting to primary school pupils.
- By covering current events, EUREKA reflects what's happening in the
world around us and how this relates to the Primary Science syllabus.
- EUREKA encourages pupils to learn about Science through exploration and discovery within the classroom and at home.
- EUREKA covers the four key strands -living things; materials; energy; and environmental awareness and care- in addition to reaching into related areas in the Geography syllabus (water, weather, air, the solar system, etc.)
What has been said about EUREKA?
- "I am sure Eureka will prove to be a useful resource for teachers
and pupils and will help to supplement the excellent work being done by
teachers across the country to promote curiosity and enjoyment in the
learning of science. It will make science fun for children with lots of
interesting facts and quizzes." Mary Hanafin, Minister for Education
and Science (at the EUREKA launch).
- "Eureka is a most impressive initiative to make young people aware
of the true importance of science. This is an outstanding way to
generate the creative enthusiasm needed by the next generation...". Sir
Harry Kroto, Nobel Laureate.
- "We are delighted that the Irish Independent has taken the
initiative to produce Eureka. The format is very accessible and
colourful and it is packed with interesting information." Leo Enright,
Chairman 'Discover Science & Engineering'.
- "In issue 12 you said that "Comet Machholz" was visible on the 2nd of February. I went out to see if I could see it and I did, it was really cool! I LOVE EUREKA!!!" Laura Jones (age 12), EUREKA Reader.
Who writes EUREKA?
- EUREKA is written by is written and researched in St. Patrick's College, Drumcondra by Paula Kilfeather, Janet Varley and Cliona Murphy.
How to get EUREKA?
EUREKA is available to order by primary schools and is delivered with a copy of the Irish Independent to your nominated local newsagent/shop.
Click here to find out more about Eureka and sign up to receive it
What pupils' assessed level means
- Published: 11 July 2005
Children are coming home with their end-of-year reports - but these do not always explain their attainment levels to parents.
So if a nine-year-old is assessed as working at Level 3c for maths, is that good news or not?
Some school reports provide a guide but there is no standard format and others have no glossary at all.
As with most things, aspects differ within the UK's four education systems.
'Key stages'
The assessment levels relate to the national curriculums in England, Wales and Northern Ireland which are divided into "key stages" corresponding with schooling years.
In England and Wales, Key Stage 1 covers Year 1 and Year 2, at the end of which most children will be aged seven.
Key Stage 2 covers the next four school years, until most children are 11 and at the end of their primary schooling.
Key Stage 3 is, for most, the first three years of secondary school, after which they will be 14.
Key Stage 4 covers the two years in which children generally will be working towards GCSE and GNVQ examinations, and takes them to the end of compulsory education aged 16.
In Northern Ireland the broad pattern is similar but the ages differ.
Key Stage 1 covers the first four school years for pupils aged four to eight.
Key Stage 2, Year 5 to Year 7, pupils aged eight to 11.
Key Stage 3, Year 8 to 10, ages 11 to 14.
Key Stage 4 is years 11 and 12 for pupils aged 14 to 16.
Attainment levels
The curriculum and assessment authorities expect children to be able to do certain things by certain ages.
EXAMPLE: LEVEL 2 MATHS, ENGLAND
Pupils count sets of objects reliably, and use mental recall of addition and subtraction facts to 10 They begin to understand the place value of each digit in a number and use this to order numbers up to 100 They choose the appropriate operation when solving addition and subtraction problems They use the knowledge that subtraction is the inverse of addition They use mental calculation strategies to solve number problems involving money and measures They recognise sequences of numbers, including odd and even numbersTeachers assess their pupils against these to establish how they are doing - and the children also sit formal tests at certain stages, especially in England.
The results are reported as levels, ranging from 1 to 8 (with W for "working towards Level 1" for the less able).
For younger children these levels may be reported with sub-divisions: a, b and c - "a" being the highest.
Most children at the end of Key Stage 1 will reach Level 2.
The level expected at the end of Key Stage 2 in England and Wales (11-year-olds) is Level 4, though in Northern Ireland the expectation is officially "Level 3 or 4".
At Key Stage 3 most children are expected to reach Level 5 or 6, so those attaining 7 or 8 are above average, while there is also an "exceptional" category.
Things are less clear for parents of children who are not at the end of the key stages - such as the nine-year-old said to be at Level 3c.
But most children making steady progress would be expected to move up a level on the national curriculum scale every two years or so.
In Scotland, where there are guidelines but no prescribed curriculum, things are rather different - and the assessment system is being changed.
At present, attainment levels run from A through to F.
Most pupils are expected to achieve Level A in their second or third year of primary school (P2/P3), aged six or seven, Level B by the end of P4, Level C in P5 or P6 and Level D by the end of P7.
Level E should be reached by the end of the second year of secondary schooling, when some will manage the higher attainment of Level F.
Special Education Panel Update
- Published: 08 July 2005
Where the main panels are clear schools may offer temporary posts created under the new special education system to teachers with restricted recognition on the special education panel. In the event of the teacher accepting such a post he/she will retain panel rights for the Special Education Panel.
Heads call for cuts to 'red tape'
- Published: 08 July 2005
Head teachers in England have called for the government to cut bureaucracy in schools to "free up" time for staff to work in classrooms.
The Implementation Review Unit, an independent government-appointed group of heads, said meetings and paperwork should be reduced to a minimum.
Ministers' initiatives should be shown to have a definite purpose, it added.
Education Secretary Ruth Kelly said she agreed that bureaucracy should be kept to "an absolute minimum".
'Shine a light'
The review unit (IRU), made up of 12 head teachers from primary, secondary and special needs schools, says new initiatives should replace old ones, rather than simply be added to them.
It asks heads to query requests from local authorities and central government for information they are not compelled by law to supply.
IRU chairman Chris Nicholls, a head teacher from Essex, said: "I feel now we have shone a light on this issue, people can really begin to see the true amount of work those working in schools have shouldered in recent years and that's a very encouraging start.
"The real test will be when those working in schools actually begin to notice a difference with a lessening of their workload which must be a benefit to the children in their care."
Ms Kelly said: "I will not, of course, always agree with everything they [the IRU] say.
"I do share completely their objective to create a culture whereby bureaucracy is kept to an absolute minimum - to the point where there is no longer a need for the IRU to exist."
The IRU was set up in 2003 after the national agreement on workload was signed by the government and most of England's teaching unions.
This takes certain tasks, such as photocopying and calling the register, out of teachers' hands, while providing more time for lesson preparation and professional development.
But opponents, such as the National Union of Teachers, complain that it will allow classroom assistants to take lessons.
This, the union argues, threatens the quality of teaching and learning.
