About Project

In the latest IPA call for cross-border co-operation Romania-Serbia, funding was accepted for the Banat Language School project, where Borislav Petrov Braca High School is a leading partner. As before, the Grammar School in Vrsac has continued its partnership with the Dositej Obradovic Serbian Theoretical School in Timisoara, with which it has implemented previous IPA projects.

"Banat Language School" is a project aimed at achieving quality knowledge and experience in the mother tongue as a successful preparation of students for further study, as well as assisting vulnerable groups in the fields of psychology, sociology and communication. The project involves young people aged 15 to 19. Students will gain knowledge of their native language, psychology and communication through the following activities: native language workshops, psychology and communication workshops, debates, quizzes. Promotions of faculties from Serbia and Romania are also foreseen so that students will become better acquainted with the conditions of study as well as areas of interest. A total of 480 students will be involved in the project. Appropriate teaching aids are also required to realize the project.

We envisioned the acquisition of a complete phono cabinet with all the accompanying computer equipment that will be used in the teaching and after the project is completed. Applying an innovative approach to learning both native and foreign languages by establishing a multifunctional classroom will help prepare our students for the challenges they face in the contemporary job market.

The students involved in the project will participate in workshops in the field of mother tongue Serbian or Romanian as well as civic education. The project envisages a workshop type of work, because through interactive teaching, students are in a subjective position and learn through discovery, which ensures quality and lasting knowledge of students. In addition to regular workshops, other activities such as testing, knowledge quizzes and debates are foreseen. Each school will include 75 students each in native language workshops, a total of 150 from both schools. Topics to be addressed in the mother tongue workshops are in the following areas: orthography, syntax, morphology, lexicology, punctuation, phonetics, phonology, transcription and communication skills. One of the workshops will be dedicated to the preparation of the native language entrance exam. After the realization of these workshops, the expected result is the creation of a good basis for passing the entrance exam and further education of students.

As far as the civic education workshop is concerned, topics in the field of psychology, sociology and communication are foreseen, which would enable students to strengthen their social skills. These workshops will involve 80 students from vulnerable groups (youth, ethnic minorities) with the aim of integrating more easily into the social environment in which they are located. The formation of workshop groups will respect gender equality through equal representation of male and female participants, thus ensuring equal opportunities in cross-border social participation. After the workshops are completed, student testing will be conducted to determine and verify the knowledge gained.

Among other things, presentations from faculties from Serbia and Romania are foreseen, in order to familiarize students with the conditions of study and to bring them closer to their area of interest. Also, statistics will be collected on student achievement at colleges over a 10-year period to give an insight into whether high school students have gained a good foundation for further study.

The overall objective of the project is to contribute to the quality of life of young people in the border area, to improve the quality of education of secondary school students and to increase educational, social and cultural exchanges. The project will also promote mutual understanding, tolerance and respect for cultural diversity and innovative solutions to the social problems of vulnerable groups by increasing educational efficiency and accessibility, social challenges and cultural exchange among young people in the Banat region.

The expected outcomes of the project are: established cross-border network of language study centers; a campaign for raising the quality of knowledge and success of future students in the entrance tests at higher education institutions; debates on youth life in the border region and social integration held; students from vulnerable groups have acquired new knowledge in sociology and psychology; a series of knowledge quizzes were held.

The expected results of the project are: open conditions for quality education of high school students in the border region; increased number of high school students interested in higher education; increased quality of education and level of language skills among students; improved system of information and promotion of higher education institutions in secondary schools; increased involvement of students from vulnerable groups in educational and cultural activities as well as increased awareness of the quality of life of young people on both sides of the border.