“Pev Kolej, the CHANCE project under the Erasmus+ program of the European Union, welcomed teachers from Het Erasmus School in the Netherlands as our project partners. The common goal of the project is to improve the inclusion of students with a migration background within the education system. The first phase of this project took place in May. Teachers from Pev Kolej visited Het Erasmus School in the Netherlands and visited the International Transition Class (ISK), where they shared their experiences and insights. During this second visit, the district director of Pamukkale, Mehmet ÇİMEN, and Hacı İbrahim Cin High School were also visited. During these visits, sample lessons within the project framework, as well as discussions on the progress and process of the project, were conducted.”
Welcome and Program
After an introductory meeting providing an overview of the program and its expected outcomes, Education Director Mehmet Çimen was visited in his office. Following lunch at a restaurant in the historic center, Pev Kolej’s sister school
Hacı İbrahim Cin Middle School, was visited, where refugee students were also present. As part of the program, teachers from the Netherlands were guests in mathematics and music classes. After the classes, an evaluation meeting took place before returning to the hotel. On November 9, teachers from Het Erasmus ISK taught at Pev Kolej at 9:00 in the morning. After a short break, teachers from Pev Kolej taught music and robotics to Het Erasmus teachers. While teachers attended the lessons, the board also convened for TPM2, with Thomas participating online. During the evaluation meeting, Het Erasmus teachers expressed a desire to speak with refugee children at Hacı İbrahim Cin Middle School, so a meeting with the students was arranged. Recordings were also made for the website during this session. After the evaluation meeting, the team went to Hacı İbrahim Cin Middle School, where they engaged in conversations with refugee students, and then visited Pamukkale with the Het Erasmus team. The farewell dinner was scheduled for 7:30 p.m. The Chairman of the Foundation, Hasan Kazdağlı, and Foundation Council Member İsmail İyilikçi were also present for the dinner.
İlçe Milli Eğitim Müdürlüğü Ziyareti
Visit to the Directorate of Education, Pamukkale District
In Turkey, there are representatives of the Ministry of Education in provinces and the Directorate of Education in districts. These directorates are responsible for managing, directing, monitoring, and coordinating the policies, strategic plans, legislation, and programs of the ministry. Pev College and its partner school, Hacı İbrahim Cin Middle School, fall under the Pamukkale District Directorate of Education. Managers and teachers from Het Erasmus School in the Netherlands, along with Pev College in Denizli, visited the Director of the Directorate of Education of Pamukkale District, Mehmet ÇİMEN, to get acquainted and exchange information about our project. During the visit, information was shared that contributes to the development of professionals providing education to refugees, the project’s main objective. Additionally, discussions were held regarding possible new projects after the completion of this project.
Hacı İbrahim Cin High School Visit (+ Evaluation)
After a brief introductory tour of Hacı İbrahim Cin High School, the sister school of Pev College, mathematics and music classes were conducted. The objective was to demonstrate how lessons are delivered in classes where refugees are also present. During the evaluation session, differences between the Dutch and Turkish systems were discussed, along with the challenges faced. In the Netherlands, the focus is on language acquisition and social skills, with a generous budget, special transition classes, and mandatory education overseen by the municipality, along with responsibility for keeping attendance records of students. In Turkey, newcomers are placed in regular classes without a special program since the previous specialized program has been terminated. High absenteeism rates, difficulties in tracking students, and limited municipal oversight are some notable challenges compared to the Dutch system. It is also noteworthy that students who have been in Turkey for an extended period have different expectations and adaptation levels. Students with a migration background in the Netherlands less frequently experience financial problems, whereas in Turkey, families with a low income and a migration background may be compelled to have their children work.
Schools in both the Netherlands and Turkey often prefer to avoid additional challenges due to a lack of extra funding. The absence of the option to repeat a grade in Turkey makes evaluation and punishment more challenging, but Turkish schools certainly deserve to welcome these students equally. Financial inquiries from the Turkish side reflect concerns about whether students and families in the Netherlands have sufficient income; these concerns are addressed with responses indicating the receipt of social assistance. In summary, this story emphasizes the importance of accepting individual differences and the positive engagement of schools and teachers despite the challenges.
TPM2
The assembled team held a meeting to make important decisions and evaluate the progress of the project. Following the monitoring visit by Erasmus+ (and the previous comments from the external expert), it was decided to use ‘internet-based evaluation forms’ for the evaluation of the second and third visits of the project. This will enable participants to analyze their experiences in a more systematic way. The team also decided to enroll in the ‘Erasmus+ School Education Platform.’ This platform will facilitate active promotion and sharing of the project. The enrollment aims not only to record the project but also to actively promote it. The project was enriched with meetings in Almelo to assess feedback and opinions regarding migrant children. During the visit to Denizli, group meetings at Hacı İbrahim Cin School should allow for deeper interaction with these key stakeholders. Personal meetings with decision-makers, such as District Director of National Education Mehmet Çimen, School Principal Sacit ÖZTEPE, and Deputy Principal Cem ATACAN, ensure that these important figures are actively involved in the project’s decision-making process. The completion of the ‘Mobility Tool’ and ‘Project Results’ sections is crucial at the end of the project. Although the basic results have already been uploaded, efforts will continue to make this information shareable and accessible. The revamped website is a significant step to increase interaction with the project and reach a broader audience. Each partner has agreed to add a link to the project on their own website to make information accessible to a wider audience. A second newsletter is being prepared in Turkish and English and will contain important information about the current status of the project. Short films depicting the project’s history and events in Denizli will be powerful tools to share the life and successes of the project. An electronic brochure created by PEV Kolej will encompass the story, objectives, and successes of the project and will be presented to a broad audience via the website and the ‘Erasmus+ School Education Platform.’ The meeting also discussed budgetary and administrative issues. An update on the current situation indicates that the project is proceeding according to plan. The partners made decisions on how to manage their budgets in the final phase of the project. It was also discussed that teachers wanted to talk to the students of Hacı İbrahim Cin School, and a meeting with them was immediately arranged. Finally, sharing the concept of the research report was an important step in understanding the theoretical basis of the project. With additions from Ivo, the concept report will provide a more comprehensive depiction of the impact and results of the visit to Denizli. This meeting involved a series of decisions to successfully continue the project and plan future steps. The team is collaborating to successfully complete their project.
Lessons
he Erasmus teachers observed the Music and Mathematics classes at İbrahim Cin Middle School. At Pev Kolej, during the Robotics and Music classes they attended, we asked them to try to understand and apply a topic without knowing the language. While doing this, we emphasized the need to adhere to class rules. The teachers expressed that this was a stressful experience and that they re-realized the importance of body language, facial expressions, tone of voice, and practical demonstration. In the classes taught by the Erasmus teachers, efforts were made to emphasize what should be considered when explaining lessons to children who do not know the language spoken..
Conversation with Students with a Migration Background
During the small group discussions with students, the teachers’ understanding became clearer after hearing what the children shared. It was learned that the fact that most students were born in Turkey partially alleviated the language issue. While this problem persisted for those who arrived later to Turkey, they were assigned to classes based on their age without any language proficiency requirements in a country where they did not know the language. Initially, different projects and classes were provided for language proficiency, but due to a lack of systematic approach, this situation was not effectively addressed. They expressed that a common challenge they faced was related to being accepted.
Evaluation
Participants were generally positive during the first phase of the evaluation meeting. Particularly, teachers who conducted the lessons expressed that they gained a better understanding of the challenges migrant children face in the classroom. There are various circumstances and opportunities in both countries. In the Netherlands, there is budget support, while unfortunately, this is not the case in Turkey. Moreover, it is challenging in Turkey to impose sanctions on students for non-attendance.As a result of all the evaluations, it was concluded that a different approach may be necessary for each situation and with each student. The value of the project team working well together and being able to discuss and resolve everything was emphasized. This provides a positive outlook for potential future projects.You can find the evaluation forms that participants were required to fill out after the visit here.
Dessimination
Pev Kolej took on the dissemination section of the project. At this stage, you can find project summaries, newsletters, the team, activities, photos, promotional videos, and finally, reports on the website in Turkish, Dutch, and English.
Dinner
The farewell dinner on Thursday evening, attended by PEV Kolej Foundation Board Chairman Hasan Kazdağlı and Board Member İsmail İyilikçi, was very enjoyable. Throughout the dinner, Thea and Ivo, along with the Foundation Board Members, discussed the progress of the project, its current status, and potential alternative projects in the future. In addition, there was an exchange of information about the education systems of Turkey and the Netherlands. We successfully completed the second stage, which we felt was a great team, to the fullest. The next and final meeting will be the visit to the Netherlands in April/May 2024.
