Macedonian Civic Education Center (MCEC)

ADVANCING SOCIAL CHANGE THROUGH STRENGTHENING CIVIC EDUCATION IN MACEDONIA

Program Timeframe:

December 2004 - April 2006

Funding: Balkan Trust for Democracy - http://www.gmfus.org/balkantrust/

Goal: Future generations in Macedonia learn about democracy, justice and human rights and develop a lifelong commitment of responsible civic participation in order to address issues of social injustice.

Objectives:

(1) Pedagogical faculties in Macedonia develop civic education curriculum and methodology for the inclusion into pre-service teacher training.

Pedagogical faculty professors influence developing and implementing civic education modules on a pilot basis to ensure inclusion of civic education into the pre-service teacher training and students from Pedagogical Faculties receive professional training to instruct pre-primary and primary schools students in civic education. ACHIEVEMENTS

Project stakeholders:

Pedagogical Faculties:

	”St. Kliment Ohridski” - Skopje
	“Goce Delchev” - Shtip
	”St. Kliment Ohridski” - Bitola
	Pedagogical - Methodological Faculty at the South Eastern Europe University (SEEU) – Tetovo
	University “Tetovo” - Tetovo

(2) Education policy makers facilitate the integration of civic education curriculum and methodology into the framework of the national educational curriculum.

Project activities support education policy makers in Macedonia to understand and endorse integration of civic education content and methodology into the framework of the national educational curriculum. ACHIEVEMENTS

Project stakeholders:

	Bureau for Development of Education at the Ministry of Education and Science – Experts’ group on Civic Education
	Cross – Sector Civic Education Coordinative Body

This project allowed the Macedonian Civic Education Center (MCEC) to continue to build on the positive and productive partnership established with the Ministry of Education and Science/Bureau for Development of Education (MOES/BDE) and ensure that educational stakeholders work cooperatively for project success.

The major impacts and changes include the following:

	The excising curricula for grade 1-4 was revised and changes were proposed for inclusion of the civic education content;
	First time the civic education programs have a documented teaching curricula and methodology for pre-service teachers training at all 5 pedagogical faculties in Macedonia (state and private). Future teachers will gain knowledge and acquire necessary skills on Civic Education content and methodologies to teach new generations of student on democratic practices;
	The education stakeholders on relevant decision making positions within MOES/BDE and Pedagogical Faculties worked on the development and adoption of programming with active assistance from MCEC staff and this program;
	For the first time the project promoted coordinated working relations between MOES/BDE and pedagogical faculties that will serve as good example for development of cooperation between different sectors and establishment of multi sector links;
	This program has risen an awareness about Civic Education at other faculties that work with curricula for educating teachers for upper elementary school subjects and secondary schools.