The challenges facing educational institutions in terms of working with disadvantaged students are many and of different nature. Various factors - social, economic, demographic, etc. - influence equal access to quality education for all students.
The most pronounced negative ones are the economic and social environment, which are of determining importance for the education system. A high percentage of students are at risk of dropping out of school or exclusion. Deepening social inequalities, global migration processes and the growing need for social intelligence and digitalization of the modern world require a qualitative change in the form of education. The introduction of new educational structures, courses and training will aim to motivate young people towards personal quest, self-development and life fulfilment. The development of specialised courses to be taught by teachers aims to pay special attention to the specific needs of young people arising from their social inequalities. Due to poverty, remote areas of residence, low family culture or other factors, these young people suffer from low self-esteem and self-worth. An additional downside is misunderstanding from family, circle of influence or school environment. Disadvantaged students often lack access to technology, do not have personal devices, and do not always have uninterrupted access to the Internet. Schooling is free, but it is not inclusive and there is no active conversation about equity in education or access to quality education for all children.
In order to develop the qualities, moral ethics, adaptability and inquisitiveness of disadvantaged young people, an additional motivational policy that is targeted to their problems is indispensable. An effective way of adoption is teaching in a school environment by educators trained and familiar with their lifestyles and the issues they raise. In the process of building and shaping right thinking and socialising, teachers should be directly involved and help to promote values and value-oriented behaviour.
We would like to create a self-development course, where adolescents (age 16 to 20 years) would be guided through a series of self-exploration activities to understand what their strengths and talents are, to find their vision of how they can use them to contribute to society while making their living. Furthermore, we also want them to realise what resources they have at hand and what steps they need to take to make it a reality. Moreover, the course would also target to develop their 21st century skills (4C - communication, collaboration, creativity and critical thinking). With the rise of digital technologies such as AI, these skills are becoming crucial for succeeding on the labour market. The course will be based on the principles of gamification and experience education in order to be engaging, effective and to support natural ways of learning.
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