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The second year results of the program "Prevention of Roma children drop out of school" were presented to the heads of Regional Education Inspectorates. It happened in Veliko Tarnovo from 30 August to 1 September during the annual meeting of the RECs, organized by the Ministry of Education and REC - Veliko Tarnovo. In addition to the heads of all 29 Regional Inspectorates  the meeting was attended by Deputy Minister Milena Damyanova, Lazar Dodev - Director of "organization, control and inspection" Directorate in Ministry of Education and other representatives of the Ministry of Education.

At the beginning of the working meeting the participants were familiarized with two practices initiated by NGOs and occurring nationwide –the "Junior Achievement" training program in entrepreneurship and the Center "Amalipe” prevention of Roma children drop out program. The latter was represented by the head of the organization Deyan Kolev and Maya Pencheva - Principal of Primary School "V. Levski ", located in the village of Vidrare.

Deyan Kolev emphasized the results achieved in the second year of the program. The average dropout rate in all 90 schools that participated in the program during the 2011/12 school year was reduced to 0.69%, which is almost three times under the national average. Effect is particularly visible in the 24 schools that participated in the initiative for the second year where dropping is minimized to 0.19%, Kolev said. The average number of absences – 14, 41, which includes both unexcused and excused absences was also substantially reduced. Only a year ago the number of absences in those schools were 32,4 per student. This is the result of the implemented complex educational intervention, of the introduction of intercultural education, of student activation and parental involvement in school life, Kolev said.

Maya Pencheva told about the change the program has brought at her school. Its appearance changes radically, it became attractive not only for children but for their parents, she said. The school has few students – just 60, but the drop was a big problem. A year before entering the program we had seven students dropped out of school, and just one this year.

 Evgeni Angelov, principal of the"Hristo Smirnenski“ Elementary school in Byala Slatina and Dimitar Kostov, principal of the "Kliment Ohridski"Primary school in Tishevitsa village also took part in the discussion. Both schools are basic schools under the program and for second year they channel their experience to other schools in the region of Vratsa.

 Deputy Minister Damyanova said that she has visited a number of schools participating in the initiative of the Centre "Amalipe" during the last year and was impressed by the results. She recommended the heads of RECs to promote the inclusion of more schools, which are faced with the problems of irregular attendance or even children drop out.

The "Prevention of Roma children drop out of school" is a three-year initiative implemented by the Centre "Amalipe" in support of the "America for Bulgaria"Foundation. In the first year it included 34 schools and in the 2011/2012 school year the number of schools increased to 90. 180 schools across the country will participate in the program during the new school year 2012/2013.