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Over 110 school principals took part in the work meeting, which was held from 2 to 6 July in complex ‘Lesoparka’, near the town of Lyaskovets.   Meeting was held on two stages: first was from 2 to 4 July (for Northwestern Bulgaria schools) and second was from 4 to 6 July (for Northeastern Bulgaria schools). The meetings were organized by the Center for Interethnic Dialogue and Tolerance Amalipe within ‘Reducing the dropout rate of Roma children’.   The project is a 3-year program which is being realized by Amalipe Center with the support of America for Bulgaria Foundation.

Project’s main goal is to decrease the school dropout of Roma children on age when they are obliged by the law to visit school. Project activities are directed on solving the problem of the many absences, the low grades in class, the law percentage of Roma who are continuing their education on a secondary level (high schools), the non-participation of Roma parents in the school-life and in the school management structures. During the meetings principals were familiarized with the program and its pedagogical conception. There were discussed the main reasons for the early dropouts of schools and how they could be overcome by special pedagogical means. Also there were presented the results from the first two years of implementation of ‘Reducing the dropout rate of Roma children’. Most interesting were the results of those schools that are part of the project from its very beginning. In these schools, the dropout rate was reduced to 0.36 percent drop compared with 0.65 percent drop in first year of the project, before starting work on this project% drop in these schools was 2.04. During the academic year 2010/2011, the project is implemented in 34 schools in 2011/2012 - in 90 schools and plans for 2012/2013 are to reach 180 schools.

The results of the first year indicate that dropouts in the project schools are minimized, especially for children visiting the EPA "Ethnic Folklore - Roma folklore" absenteeism fell to 18.35 per pupil compared with 40, 66 the first year of the project.  There on the meeting were considered the strengths and weaknesses of each school, and their development opportunities and dangers on the basis of which any representative of the school prepare its school program for dropout prevention. According to the majority of participants in the meeting this session was most valuable and most useful for schools. In a very interesting way were presented the main activities of the project. Principals who are part of the program form a long time presented and told about the strengths regarding the work with children, attracting parents and their involvement in the active school life, work with the teachers and the most favorite – exchange visit between the schools and sharing of experience. 

We are happy that the entire participant who came for first time on such a work meeting with little fluctuations and uncertainty left the meeting satisfied and loaded.

‘I am happy for the new information I gained and for the shared experience – we have what to take in order our involvement in the project to be successful ’, said E. Yordanova, principal of ‘Hristo Botev’ Elementary School.