Initial and Continuous Training of Roma Paraprofessionals in Education and Child Care of Vulnerable and Disadvantaged Children

The main objective of our project was to improve the quality and inclusiveness of ECEC and primary school services for disadvantaged Roma children up to the age of 10, particularly by removing bar...

The main objective of our project was to improve the quality and inclusiveness of ECEC and primary school services for disadvantaged Roma children up to the age of 10, particularly by removing barriers such as language and cultural disadvantage, distrust in (pre)schools and non-inclusive school environments, through the strengthening the policies of Roma paraprofessionals (RP). Although RPs play a crucial role as mediators between children, families, and schools, they are often undervalued, undertrained, and lack career perspectives. Through this project, we aimed to strengthen the recruitment, training, and professional development of RPs, while also supporting their recognition as key contributors to inclusive education. Our specific objective was to create tools and resources to support their work, including a competence framework, self-assessment instruments, and professional development guidelines. In parallel, we sought to produce policy recommendations for governments, universities, educational institutions, and civil society to promote sustainable, holistic, and inclusive approaches to RP and Roma children’s education in generall.

The project was implemented through 4 main activity strands. We ensured effective project management and quality control. A functional consortium was established, supported by communication and project management platforms, regular online and in-person meetings, monitoring and quality assurance. We facilitated 4 transnational learning activities together with practitioners (RPs, teachers and principles) to countries with experience in CPD for RPs, 2 of which were self-funded. These study visits allowed us to exchange practices, compare national contexts, and integrate diverse perspectives into the project results. We developed Guidelines for training, support and professionalisation of RPs, as a comprehensive document includes a mapping of existing practices, needs, a competence and a training framework with tools such as a self-assessment model and videos, and proposals for professionalisation pathways, accompanied by policy recommendations. The content was co-created with stakeholders and international partners to ensure practical relevance and transferability. Finally, we carried out dissemination activities: widely sharing project results via national (advocacy and educational) events and international visibility.

The project resulted in several concrete outputs and significant outcomes. The central product was the Guidelines for training, support and professionalisation of Roma paraprofessionals (RPs). This document includes a comprehensive mapping of existing practices and needs, a competence and a training framework for CPD, a self-assessment tool, some proposals for professionalisation pathways and policy recommendations. Beyond this, the project revived the transnational discussion on Roma paraprofessionals. Dissemination activities led to broad awareness and uptake of the results: the Guidelines were translated, published, and presented at national events and advocacy meetings, ensuring outreach to policymakers, educators, and practitioners. Importantly, the project also contributed to raising the professional recognition of Roma paraprofessionals internationally through ISSA's 140 members in 40 countries and its REYN initiative, composed of 11 national networks of institutions and practitioners that work with Roma children and families.