Best practices

Access - Providing Full Access for Refugee Children to the Bulgarian Education System

The main purpose of the practice is to provide full access for asylum seekers and refugee children to the education system in Bulgaria. Bulgarian experts in the field of education worked on the preparation of measures, including a training program in the Bulgarian language, standardized tests to identify the level and degree of education, a methodology for enrolment in Bulgarian schools, booklets for teachers working with refugee children, a set of language activities and games for language training of refugee children. The prepared products were submitted for approval to the Ministry of Education and the State Agency for Refugees. Then a lobbying campaign for their approval for practical application among relevant stakeholders was held. There was also a sociological study conducted in order to identify the difficulties encountered by refugee children in Bulgarian schools. The national legislation for "access" was also researched. Then proposals for legislative changes were submitted to the responsible institutions.

Harmanli Refugee Camp Play School

Harmanli Refugee Camp Play School is a centre for play based learning and play therapy in which refugee children can relax, have fun and thrive!The school provides children between the ages of 4 and 14 with a range of activities and lessons to develop maths, science, art and English skills, knowledge and understanding as well as opportunities for personal, social and emotional development. The school also aims to introduce children to the structure and style of European schooling. It is an inclusive school, many children who attend have specific special educational needs and all children have experienced differing levels of trauma in recent years.