SOLSKI CENTER

This Jobshadowing is a part of the Erasmus+ project called “Integration Through Cooperation, a Great Way to European Future”.

The main objective of this jobshadowing is to learn how other countries and schools work with Students in social disadvantage, immigrants, different cultures and religions students, absenteeism and preventing early school leaving. We are interested in observing and learning other educative techniques that are successful in other schools and at the same time we can explain the educative programs we are developing in our school.

Another goal is to know better the Technical Education and Vocational Training in a foreigner school as the Solsky Center in Kranj, which has many aspects in common with the I.E.S. Gran Via. In this way, we both could share educative methods and experiences in order to improve our students’ education

Day 1: Meeting and school visit

The day began at 9.30, when the Head of the “Intercompany Education and Training Centre” (Nataša Kristan) and one person of her department (Katerina Jagič) picked me up from the Hostel and gave me a lift to the “Solski Centre Kranj”.

Then we visited the library, the Chemistry and Biology laboratories, the conferences room, and the workshops. Among them we saw the following ones: electricity, electrotecnics, electronics, electric automatisms, pneumatics and mechatronics.

After the visit, we were talking about their school organization and we compared their school system to the one in I.E.S Gran Via.

Primary education is compulsory until the age of 15 in the Slovenian system. Then, a group of teachers send the students to one of the different ways they have:

1. The first one is the "Grammar School": Theoretical and orientated to the University. Duration: 4 years (age: 15-19)

2. The second one is called "Technical Education". It is also theoretical and orientated to the University, but in Technical Studies. Duration: 4 years (age: 15-19)

3. The third way is called "Vocational Education". It is more practical and easy (3 years), but it also allows the students to go to the "Vocational college" (2 more years), which is the top level in Vocational training.

4. And the last way is called "Secondary Technical School", that is more practical and it means the lowest level in Secondary Education. This level is very similar to “F.P. Básica” in the Spanish system.

After that, we had a meeting with Milos Frelih. He is the coordinator of the "Work base learning" that is the head of the internship in companies, that is to say, the equivalent of “Formación en Centros de Trabajo” (FCT) in Spain. He showed me how the internship in companies work. It is interesting to know that the company has to appoint a mentor, a person who will be in charge of the students. This mentor has to take a course about pedagogical and methodological training.

It is also interesting to know that, in order to get a certificate, the companies have to fulfill a weekly application form about the student progress.

Day 2: visit to the secondary technical school

First of all, we must remember that this school is the lowest level in the Secondary Education, very similar to “Formacion Profesional Basica" in Spain. There are students who have not got the Primary School Level, here is where we found more problems. In this school there are three branches: Economics, Civil Construction and Hairdresser Studies.

The day began at 9.00, when I was picked up by Katerina Jagič and we went to the "Secondary Technical School", where we met the Headmistress, Nada Šmid.

We were talking about the problems that they have with many of the Albanian and Kosovar students, who are very similar to ours with some of our students, especially with many of the Gipsy and Arabic students, who don’t finish the Spanish Secondary Education. She said that many of those students don't want to learn Slovenian language or anything else. They have bad behavior and it is difficult to contact with their parents because they are working all day long and let their children do whatever they want.

After that, we went to visit the construction workshops. At the same time we were visiting them, one teacher explained me some problems they have, especially with many Albanian students. The maximum number of students in a workshop is fifteen, and the normal timetable goes from 7 a.m. to 15 p.m., including one hour for lunch. But this kind of students cannot be concentrated very long, so they have to take some breaks to let them rest.

Another teacher has found a way to motivate the students. It begins with an enthusiastic teacher. Then the students have to work with their hands in an "unique project", that is to say, a special project, different of any other, wich attracts all their attention because it is their only project.

To finish the visit to the construction workshops, we went to the painting workshops.

Then, we visited the hairdressing workshops.

Talking about the problems with many Albanian students, one teacher told me that parents send them to the school in order to get the money from the social services. Students do not work. And then, the following year they start another course. They can be there until the age of 24, which is the legal limit. In addition, when a student causes problems he or she must stay in class, and the only thing the teacher can do is talking to them. Only in serious cases, the teacher is allowed to call the social worker to take the disruptive student out. Apart from those "special" students, the majority of them work well, but in the end they have always to face with the challenge of getting an unskilled job.

Day 3: Lessons attendance and social worker

One again I was picked up by Katerina Jagič at 8:45 a.m. and we went to the "Solski Centre". I was introduced to the English teacher, Meta Arnež, and we went to an English lesson with seventeen-year-old mechatronics students. I introduced myself, explained. I explained where I am from, my school and what I teach. Then, the teacher, I and the students began a conversation about different subjects.

When we finished, I had a meeting with the social worker, Mirjana Erlah Košnik. Her job as social worker consists in talking to the students and their parents when there are problems, and to the Police in serious cases.

When she was asked about absenteeism, she said that when a student has been absent during 35 hours without justifying, first they call their parents with a letter telling them that this absence implies that the student must leave school. If the student comes back, she makes a plan in order to get the marks. And if not, he or she is expelled from school. She says that parents don't usually want their children to be outside school because this has bad consequences for them, like losing the social aids or benefits.

Talking about foreigner students that can't speak Slovenian, she says that there are usually no problems with students from the ancient Yugoslavia because the languages are similar and it is easy for them to learn it. It is different when we talk about students from Kosovo or Albania. Usually, those students don't want to learn Slovenian and, in addition, their language is completely different. In those cases, they study only the Slovenian language just in school. They don’t have other subjects at school time, and in addition, they have to study Slovenian two hours a week in the evenings.

The capital is a friendly city, but it was raining most of the time.

Day 4. Project works, Drop out prevention and Technology lessons

I was picked up at 8:45 a.m. and taken to the "Solski Centre". I was introduced to one of the teachers of Technology and Mechatronics, Jure Meden. We went to see the construction project of a submarine for one person with students at the last year of Mechatronics, who are about 21 years old.

Jure Meden also showed me some projects that have been made by his students. The first step is to think the subject. The teacher helps the student to find the appropriate one. Then the student has to make the project, including the full design, materials, tools, building process, and all the necessary items to build the machine.

Then, he took me to see the mechanized workshops for the First Year students.

After that, I had a meeting with a teacher, Alenca Potocnik Zadrgal, who has participated in a project: “lowering the drop out levels” in the school. This project is based on five main ideas.

1) The first one consists in creating a "Recreation Room". It is a room with some games like a table football, darts and others, so that they can be used by students and teachers during their free time, not at lessons hours. Teachers can speak to students in a very informal and relaxed way there.

2) Another idea, which is already implemented in IES Gran Via, is creating a mediation group, formed by the headmistress and two more teachers, they also having a “Mediation Room”. The idea consist in discussing the problems when they happen so that they can be solved in a friendly way.

3) In third place, she has "leaflets". They are folded papers with simple tips to help students with its behavior and motivation.

4) In fourth place, she proposes a form with the title "How to be a successful student". It must be fulfilled by the student and help the teacher to find potential problems or to recognize persons in need.

5) And finally, in fifth place, she proposes a paper called "Time management for tests". It is a chart where the students write down their exams and the time needed to study. She says that it is a good idea for the students to organize their time, specially in the lasts years.

After lunch, I met Jure Medem again to take part in a Technology lesson with students of the last grammar year (19 years old). First, we saw a typical lesson of Thermal machines, and before ending, we saw a video about the graduation ceremony in Kranj, where students of the four schools in the Solski Centre participate. It is interesting to see how they go in a row along the streets of Kranj, and finish with a dance.

When we finished, and taking advantage of the first sunny day in the whole week, Nataša and Katarina helped me to make a trip to Bled, where Lake Bled is surrounded by Slovenian Alps

Day 5. International Projects and IES Gran Vía Presentation

He is a teacher of Computer Tecnology but he also controls the computer network of the center and is in charge of two projects. One of them is a mentoring project which consists on giving support to new teachers when they come to the school.

They started this project last November and they are in the first step now, searching the appropriate model. Then they will buy some and they will begin to work with them.

We went for lunch. After that, it was my turn. The school had not planned me to explain anything. I thought IES Gran Via does many things, specially related to students with difficulties, and it could be interesting for them. Therefore, I proposed Nataša to present IES Gran Via and she prepared everything. In my presentation, I spoke about different aspects.

1. Alicante and our school. Where they are and general aspects.

2. Spanish scholar system

3. IES Gran Via

3.1. Organization Chart

3.2. Our workshops in pictures

3.3. Some projects we have made in Technology

3.4. General timetable, with one example.

4. Disciplinary procedure, showing an "Incident Report"

5. Extra-curricular programs

There were nine people, including the Managing Director and members of the executive board, in my presentation

After that, I had the last meeting with Milos Frelih. He explained me another international event: the “Project Week – electrical bicycle”, which took place in Solski Centre in April 2016

They had a meeting with 66 students of different countries and made a full shared project during one week. It consisted in designing a machine or product from the project election until the final presentation. In the first step, they chose an electrical bicycle as a topic. Then, the main topic was divided into eight sectors (battery, motor, transmission...). They started working in groups. Each workgroup was formed by students of different countries. One week later, they had to present their work to parents, students and teachers in the great lecture hall, and finally evaluate it.

In the evening, I went to walk to one of the mountains near Kranj to say goodbye to Slovenia