Chisinau, 22nd of September, 2023.
Another 1,000 children from four high schools located in Chisinau and Balti will be included in the "Better Learning Programme" /BLP/, to support students in situations of crisis. In this context, on 22nd-23rd of September, 60 teachers, managers and school psychologists from the four high schools participate in a workshop on the implementation of BLP.
The workshop aims to strengthen and develop the capacities of education professionals in facilitating the inclusion in the school environment of children in situations of crisis, including refugee children.
Daniela Mamaliga, director of "Partnerships for Every Child" /P4EC/, said: "It is gratifying that, together with local and international partners, we managed to implement this programme in 16 high schools located in Chisinau, Balti and Cahul for over 4000 children. The programme is appreciated by teachers and students, because it supports them to improve their wellbeing when they are affected by traumatic situations," said Ms. Mamaliga.
Cristina Savin, Coordinator of Education and Youth Programmes of the NRC: "The Better Learning Programme" aims at strengthening teachers' capacity to respond adequately to students' stress and should be seen as an effective and useful tool for teachers in their activity. We are glad that teachers and students from several schools will attend this programme. During the two days of training, our teachers will learn several psycho-social support techniques, calming exercises that involve breathing regulation, stress reduction. All this will have high emphasis on the socio-emotional learning, centered on students' experiences to create a safe environment, conducive to better learning".
The BLP was launched in the Republic of Moldova in 2022 through several trainings, where 15 national trainers, 100 local trainers, as well as about 200 psychologists, teachers and managers from Balti, Cahul and Chisinau were trained.
The event is carried out in the project "Improving the wellbeing of children: Better Learning Programme for the training of education professionals", implemented by P4EC in cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Research, with the financial support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Germany, as part of a partnership with the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC).
BLP is a psychosocial support programme that can be integrated in education programmes in contexts of crisis, including humanitarian. The programme uses a holistic approach to support children's recovery from traumatic events experienced during conflicts or from the impact of displacement on both displaced and host communities by improving learning conditions. It mobilises children's support network with the aim of restoring a sense of normalcy and hope. BLP is implemented in 26 countries. Research data shows that the participation in the programme helps children improve their ability to understand their emotions, communicate and self-regulate, thereby improving their mental and physical well-being.