Study visit to Norway with the parents of the second generation students in IBPS

(01 – 06.12, 2009)Part of the teachers and parents of the students from the second generation who attend the integrated bilingual school in the village Preljubiste, Jegunovce Municipality, have made a study visit to the Kingdom of Norway from 1st till 6th of December, 2009.

The purpose of this visit was for the parents and teachers to get familiar with the educational system of Norway, to exchange experiences how the schools are functioning, the conditions in which they are operating, the quality of the teaching programs and the involvement of the minority groups in the Norwegian educational system. The group had an opportunity to visit the primary schools “Sore Al” in Lillehammer and “Toyen” in Oslo, as well as the National Center for Multicultural Education in Oslo.

The parents have attended a performance in “Sore Al” school in Lillehammer, organized by the students. After that, they had an opportunity to directly follow part of the realization of the teaching and also the Director of the school has introduced the parents with the way the school is functioning and the role of the parents in this school.

In the primary school “Toyen” in Oslo, the parents through attending part of the teaching classes and meeting with the school management have learned about the biggest multiethnic school in Norway which is attended by 25 different ethnic communities The visit to this school has been a good opportunity to see how both languages in the teaching are being used – the mother tongue and the official (the Norwegian), also the methods, the methodology and the skills for bilingualism which are being used by the teachers when working with the students.

Part of the teachers has also visited the National Center for Multicultural Education in Oslo, where their hosts have informed them about the goals of the Strategic plan and the way and methodology of its operating. NDC Skopje team and the teachers have received the curriculum and teaching programs that are being applied in the multilingual and bilingual schools in Norway.

The experience from this visit is of a great importance for the teachers, parents and the future development of the project “Integrated bilingual primary school” which is being realized in Jegunovce Municipality