Alternative Education Methods

Todays feature looks at alternative education methods, which are gaining popularity in Romania.

Ana-Maria Cononovici, 09.10.2013, 12:56

In recent years the Romanian education sector has been confronted with the evidence of system failures, while the success rate in the Romanian Baccalaureate has failed to exceed the 50% threshold in the last two years. The shortcomings of traditional education have prompted parents to look at alternative tuition methods for their children, which are gaining more and more popularity.

In 2011 the “Communication for Community” Association, known as C4C, launched a project entitled “Let’s rediscover school”. The project kicked off this autumn with a meeting of representatives of alternative education institutions certified by the Romanian Education Ministry. The aim of the meeting was to find solutions to improve the education offer addressing normal or disabled children. Daniela Visoianu, the coordinator of the project, told us more about the purpose of the programme.

Daniela Visoianu: “With ‘Let’s rediscover school’, our aim was to focus on the parent-child relationship. The parent of a child with special needs is subject to a high amount of daily pressure, having no time to breathe. More often than not such pressure rebounds on children. Physically disabled children may sometimes develop an emotional disability in their relationship with their parents, to whom they feel attached. This is often the case when parents tend to blame their children for quitting their jobs and other problems in their life. What we did was to try and break this pattern”.

Alternative teaching methods endorsed by the Romanian Education Ministry are Jenaplan, Freinet, Montessori, Step-by-Step and Waldorf.

The Jenaplan method fosters a disengaged type of schooling, free of the ideals of adult life, in which freedom of expression and choice are central to the child’s development. Monica Cuciureanu, the head of the Jenaplan Association, told us more:

Monica Cuciureanu: “The Jenaplan alternative is less known in Romania. At present the method is used only in the countryside. This alternative type of teaching emerged following an interesting experiment, given that schooling no longer keeps abreast of society. What’s most important is that Jenaplan promotes free and active learning, a complex method centred on natural learning situations. The specificity of this method lies in the fact that children are integrated into mixed age groups, on the assumption that children can learn as much from children as they do from adults. The maximum accepted age range is three years. Conversation, games, activities and festivities are key. The traditional timetable is replaced with a periodic activity plan, alternating between four fundamental activities. The curriculum is the same as in traditional schools, with a focus on environment-oriented education”.

One of the best-known alternative tuition methods which has been used for the last 20 years in Romania is Step by Step. Elena Mihai is the head of an Institution offering Step-by-Step programmes:

Elena Mihai: “Why is Step by Step so popular? This is mostly due to the fact that it uses the national curriculum, it is adapted to local culture and integrates the best practices in the field of pre-school education. The model it fosters is based on a specific involvement of parents. We want to raise citizens who can push society forward, who display initiative and self-confidence. We have a strong network of professions and training centres. We hold regular meetings with the teachers in our network. In terms of numbers, we have 280 kindergartens and 290 schools in 40 counties, teaching 690 classes of over 15,000 children”.

The “Celestin Freinet” method of alternative education is based on the assumption that schools are not bare-walled temples. Rather education emerges from contact with life and nature. Mariana Bandea attended the meeting of alternative education professionals. She is the chair of the “Celestin Freinet” Romanian Association for Modern Society, which focuses on extra-curricular activities.

Mariana Bandea: “Although we have few Freinet schools, many teachers opt for this method. Freinet classes were a late development in the school network. We focus on extra-curricular activities. We have summer schools, such as the one in Reghin, central Romania. Our extra-curricular activity calendar is certified and approved by the Education Ministry. We’ve also implemented a project called ‘The Freinet Universe’, which starts with the outset of the school year and ends with the summer school”.

In turn, the Montessori method addresses children with disabilities, helping them develop just like normal children. Dana Crainic, a teacher working for the Montessori School in Timisoara, shared with us her experience:

Dana Crainic: “The teacher is seen like a waiter serving children and taking their orders. The Montessori class is structured on five areas of learning: language, sensorial development, mathematics, nature and culture. The material is laid out in order and children are encouraged to choose a theme. The teacher then explains the material using as few words as possible. What distinguishes this method from others is that we have mixed groups of children, aged 3 to 6. Younger children learn from older children, and older children are trained to help young children learn. Our motto is ‘Help me to do it by myself!’ “

Boasting a 23 year- experience in Romania, Waldorf offers a schooling alternative for all ages. Zenovia Ungureanu is a teacher with Waldorf Bucharest High School.

Zenovia Ungureanu: “Waldorf education begins in kindergarten and in Romania ends with high school graduation. There are many Waldorf classes in public kindergartens. There are also Waldorf high schools in Bucharest, Cluj, Timisoara and Iasi. Usually eighth-grade graduates prefer to opt for Waldorf high school, although some choose other high schools, given that our only specialty is philology”.

Although their number is small, alternative means of education are gaining ground in Romania. What they offer is a fresh perspective on a child’s experience by means of different approaches, being accessible to any parent interested in a change.