Roma children belong to a social group exposed to multiple axes of discrimination. Roma paraprofessionals, together with other trained professionals and educational leaders, are crucial for achieving the success of education by eliminating many obstacles Roma children face. At the same time, Roma paraprofessionals are often underappreciated and rarely professionally supported. The INVAC project (Initial And Continuous Training Of Roma Paraprofessionals In Education And Child Care Of Vulnerable And Disadvantaged Children) aims to provide an educational policy framework for quality support to Roma paraprofessionals in order for them to successfully reinforce and encourage the education process of Roma children.
These Guidelines aim to contribute to informed transnational strategies for recruitment, selection, training, continuous professional development (CPD), and professionalisation of Roma paraprofessionals. They include mapping of the existing practices and needs analysis internationally and in participating case-study countries, competencies framework, a proposal for training and CPD framework and potential pathways for their professionalisation (achieving professional educational credentials). The Guidelines are in service to different stakeholders (Roma paraprofessionals, education, care and welfare institutions, CPD and teacher training organisations and policymakers) so that they can engage in or improve individual, institutional, national, or international processes and policies aimed at supporting the professionalisation of Roma in ECEC and education in order to improve quality and equity of education for disadvantaged Roma children.
Access the guidelines now: INVAC Guidelines
