Historical Background

The position of Roma teaching assistants (RTA) was first established in the Czech Republic in preparatory classes for children from socio-culturally disadvantaged environment in 1993. In 1995, there were thirty RTAs employed in fifty preparatory classes.

With the adoption of the 'Report on the Situation of the Romani Community in the Czech Republic and Government Measures Assisting its Integration in Society,' familiarly called 'The Bratinka Report,' in October 1997 twenty positions of RTAs were established. In a response to an increasing demand from Czech schools for RTAs, there were one hundred and twenty RTAs employed by the end of 1998. By the year 2000, there were 250 RTAs employed. To date there are about 312 RTAs and their number is growing.

There are no specific criteria, which would allocate RTA per a certain number of children. Since the establishment of preparatory classes requires at minimum 10-15 children, it has been a practice that the RTA was employed per class of a minimum ten and maximum fifteen children in a preparatory class. The sizes of the first and second grade classes are on average between 25 and 32 children per class. It has been a practice to employ one RTA per class.

At first, pilot projects, i.e. classes with RTAs, were funded from grants available from the Foundation for Civil Society Development, the Open Society Institute and Phare. After the RTA was added to a register of regular employments, the Ministry of Education has funded the position from its regular educational budget.

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RTA Job Description

Roma or a person familiar with the problems faced by the Romani communities in the Czech Republic (in practice, only about 50% of RTAs were Romani)
Supports children during their instruction and helps them to develop a positive relationship with a teacher
Plays a positive role model
Performs as a mediator between school and family

The teaching assistant is directly under supervision of the school director, who is also in charge of designing the RTA's job description. The Methodological decree No. 25 484/2000-22 sets the requirement of direct 20-28 contact hours with pupils a week.
Preparation for the contact hours are not defined, but include activities such as:

• preparation for the pedagogical activity
• assistance to the teacher during preparation of teaching aids
• cooperation with other teachers
• cooperation with educational worker of the school and other pedagogical workers
• cooperation with parents and public
• cooperation with Romani community and in the given locality
• pursuing further education (workshops, meetings etc.).

The definition of tasks and RTA job description is fairly flexible. In practice, the actual tasks of an RTA are adjusted to the needs of the school and children. The Czech model of RTA puts an importance on a positive role model of RTA, who often conducts teaching and provides assistance to the teacher. The equality between RTA and a teacher, which is inserted into the tasks division in class, helps to bridge the gap between the school and Romani children.
Assistants with a complete secondary education can be put into the fourth payment category, which corresponds with the following job descriptions:

4.01 Rudimentary work with upbringing of children in pre-school or elementary schools

4.02 Expert work related to reinforcing hygienic habits and the improvement of proper behavior of children and youth.

The fifth payment category, which the assistant can be placed under, contains the following work description:

5.03 Pedagogical work to developing, deepening and reinforcing hygienic, social and working habits.

Under special conditions, a school director might have the opportunity to employ a RTA under payment category 3, providing that there is a lack of qualified RTAs and might consider certain positive discrimination in terms of higher payment.

The Draft Schooling law, presently under discussion in the Parliament, further incorporates the position of teacher's assistants.

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Legal Framework

Initially, the Statute of experimental testing of preparatory classes No. 12748/97-20 from June 25, 1997
Information about creation of a position of RTA in an elementary and Special School No. 14 170/98-22 from March 3, 1998
Methodological decree of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Physical education of the Czech Republic for establishing preparatory classes for children with a social disadvantage and on establishing a position of a pedagogical worker - teacher' assistant, No. 25 484/2000-22. (With the adoption of this Methodological decree, the above mentioned decrees were cancelled. Presently a new Schooling law in elementary schools is being discussed in the Parliament)

RTA Training

According to the Methodological decree No. 25484/2000-22, a RTA must attend 40 model teaching classes and successfully pass a course of pedagogical minimum in a length of ten days (80 units of 45 minutes lessons). Training has been conducted by organizations accredited by the Ministry of Education.
A number of different accredited institutions have trained RTAs, ranging from Universities to foundations and Romani NGOs.
The following organizations have trained RTAs:

• Humanitas - Profes, o.p.s.
• New School Foundation
• Aisis o.s., Gorkého 499, 272 01 Kladno, tel.: 312 245 818, e-mail: maruska.thonova@aisis.cz
• Masaryk University, Teacher Training College

The course is composed of lectures on:

• Ethics and rules for working with children
• Re-diagnoses of children
• Cooperation with pedagogical-psychological advice centers and parents
• Social psychology and special pedagogy (relationship between parents and children, group, peers, interaction and communication, empathy, non-verbal communication)
• Specific failures to learn and behave (training of perceiving signals of dyslexia, dyscalculation, social deviation and their prevention, especially prevention of bad habits, lying, thefts and omitting school)
• Introduction into reading with understanding, telling tales and stories
• Pedagogy (school system in the Czech Republic, condition of education of children at Special school, individual approaches and elementary program and curriculas)
• Health and Socially disadvantaged children in the Czech Republic, children with problems, integration in school and in the society
• Child psychology - developmental psychology
• Art therapy
• Children rights in school and in the family (the reason for adoption of the Convention on the Rights of Child); The sense of education
• Free-time activities
• Romani children in Czech schools
• History of the Roma, culture and specificities
• Support of ethnic minorities - grants and programs
• Drafting thematic essays, using once own imagination and practical ideas for work with children in cooperation with parents and teachers

Source: Manual for Romani Pedagogical Assistants, Prague: Humanitas Profess

Trained RTAs are registered with a given Schooling Office (Školský Úrad), and allocated to schools, upon request from the directors of the schools.
A Manual for training of pedagogical workers "Manual for Romani Pedagogical Assistants" was published by one of the accredited training institutions, Humanitas Profess.

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Appendix: Relevant Documents (Czech)

Metodický pokyn Ministerstva školství, mládeže a telovýchovy CR ke zrizování prípravných tríd pro deti se sociálním znevýhodnením a k ustanovení funkce vychovatele - asistenta ucitele
C.j. 25 484/2000-22
Na základe výsledku pokusného overování prípravných tríd pro deti ze sociokulturne znevýhodneného prostredí, které probíhalo od l.9. 1997 do 30.6. 2000, umožnuje MŠMT pokracovat ve zrizování prípravných tríd, a to podle § 58 zákona c. 29/1984 Sb., o soustave základních škol, stredních škol a vyšších odborných škol, ve znení pozdejších predpisu a podle § 45 odst. 6 zákona c. 76/1978 Sb., o školských zarízeních, ve znení pozdejších predpisu.

cl. 1 Zrizování prípravných tríd pro deti se sociálním znevýhodnením
Pocínaje školním rokem 2000/2001 mohou být zrizovány prípravné trídy pro deti se sociálním znevýhodnením (dále jen "prípravné trídy") za techto podmínek:
1. Za deti se sociálním znevýhodnením se považují deti z rodinného prostredí s nízkým sociálne ekonomickým postavením, ohrožené sociálne patologickými jevy, azylanti a úcastníci rízení o udelení azylu na území Ceské republiky podle zvláštního zákona .
2. Prípravnou trídu muže zrídit reditel základní školy, materské školy, výjimecne speciální školy (dále jen "škola") se souhlasem zrizovatele a školského úradu; od 1.1. 2001 se souhlasem zrizovatele a orgánu kraje v prenesené pusobnosti .
3. Prípravná trída muže být zrízena pri poctu nejméne 10 a nejvíce 15 žáku; výjimky z minimálního i maximálního poctu žáku schvaluje zrizovatel školy a školský úrad; od 1.1. 2001 zrizovatel a orgán kraje v prenesené pusobnosti. V prípade, že pocet docházejících detí klesne pod 7, prípravná trída se zruší.
4. Do prípravné trídy jsou zarazovány deti, kterým byl udelen odklad povinné školní docházky a u kterých je predpoklad, že zarazení do prípravné trídy vyrovná jejich vývoj, a výjimecne deti petileté.
5. Príprava na plnení povinné školní docházky se rídí metodickým materiálem "Prípravná trída - výchovný a vzdelávací program pro deti ze znevýhodnujícího sociokulturního prostredí" (používat je možné i metodický materiál "Prípravná trída pro deti ze sociokulturne znevýhodneného prostredí").
6. V prípravné tríde pracuje s detmi ucitel príslušné školy.
7. Reditel školy urcí ucitele, který zpravidla pro každé díte vypracuje individuální vzdelávací program (dále jen "IVP"); pri jeho vypracování postupuje obdobne jako pri zpracování IVP pro deti se zdravotním postižením.

cl. 2 Ustanovení funkce vychovatele - asistenta ucitele
1. Ve školách a školských zarízeních (dále jen "školy"), ve kterých se zúcastnuje vyucování vetší pocet detí a žáku (dále jen "žáku") se sociálním znevýhodnením, muže reditel školy predcházet komunikacním a adaptacním obtížím a dalším výchovne vzdelávacím problémum žáku také tím, že ustanoví funkci vychovatele - asistenta ucitele (dále jen "asistent") z osob dobre znajících prostredí, z nehož v prevážné vetšine žáci pocházejí (napr. asistent z prostredí romské komunity).
2. Ustanovení funkce asistenta není vázáno na zrízení prípravné trídy.
3. Asistent

1. musí být starší 18 let,
2. musí mít minimálne dokoncené základní vzdelání,
3. musí být trestne bezúhonný,
4. je prijímán podle platných predpisu o prijímání pracovníku ve školství.

4. O souhlas s ustanovením funkce asistenta požádá reditel školy príslušný školský úrad; od 1.1. 2001 orgán kraje v prenesené pusobnosti. Žádost bude obsahovat:

1. název a adresu školy, pocet žáku a tríd celkem,
2. pocet žáku ze znevýhodnujícího sociokulturního prostredí,
3. jméno a príjmení, rodné císlo a dosažené vzdelání asistenta,
4. zarazení asistenta do platové trídy dle stávajících platových predpisu.

5. Asistent musí absolvovat 40 náslechových hodin a úspešne absolvovat kurz pedagogického minima v délce 10 dní (80 výukových hodin) ve vzdelávacím zarízení s akreditovaným programem, kde mu budou poskytnuty základní informace o jeho cinnosti.
6. Zpusobilost asistenta pro tuto cinnost overí reditel školy v prubehu zkušební doby.
7. Za práci asistenta zodpovídá reditel príslušné školy.

cl. 3 Nápln práce asistenta
1. Nápln práce asistenta sestavuje reditel školy po dohode s asistentem. Hlavními cinnostmi jsou:

1. pomoc žákum pri aklimatizaci na školní prostredí,
2. pomoc pedagogum školy pri vlastní výchovné cinnosti pri komunikaci se žáky,
3. spolupráce s rodici žáku,
4. spolupráce s romskou, popr. jinou komunitou v míste školy.

2. Míru výchovné práce tvorí:

1. prímá výchovná práce s žáky v rozsahu 20 - 28 vyucovacích hodin týdne podle provozu a potreb školy,
2. príprava na výchovnou cinnost a práce bezprostredne související s prímou výchovnou cinností, napr. pomoc uciteli pri príprave ucebních pomucek, spolupráce s ostatními uciteli, s výchovným poradcem a dalšími pedagogickými pracovníky, spolupráce s rodici a ostatní verejností, spolupráce s romskou komunitou v míste školy, další vzdelávání (semináre, porady, atd.).

cl. 4 Platové zarazení asistenta
1. Vzhledem k tomu, že v náplni práce asistenta je zarazena výchovná péce o žáky pod vedením pedagoga (usnadnování kontaktu trídního ucitele s žáky i rodici, pomoc pri rešení sociálních problému v souvislosti s výchovným a vzdelávacím procesem a individuální výchovná práce s žáky v rámci vyucovacího procesu), doporucujeme postupovat pri zarazování asistenta do platové trídy následujícím zpusobem:

1. Asistenti s úplným stredním vzdeláním mohou být zarazeni podle katalogu prací do 4. platové trídy, cemuž odpovídá bod:

4.01 Odborné rutinní práce pri výchove detí v predškolních zarízeních, nebo v základních školách:

4.02 Odborné práce vztahující se k upevnování hygienických návyku, zkvalitnení spolecenského chování detí a mládeže.

nebo do 5. platové trídy, cemuž odpovídá bod:

5.03 Výchovné práce pri vytvárení, prohlubování a upevnování hygienických, spolecenských a pracovních návyku.
2. Pokud by výjimecne v nekterých prípadech pro prechodný nedostatek kvalifikovaných uchazecu bylo nezbytné zamestnat asistenty se základním vzdeláním, lze je zaradit
do 3. platové trídy, cemuž v katalogu prací odpovídá bod:
3.1 Pomocné práce pri výchove v predškolních a školních zarízeních.

2. Zamestnance zarazené do 3. platové trídy lze za podmínek sjednaných v kolektivní smlouve nebo stanovených ve vnitrním predpisu do urcité míry zvýhodnit, nebot podle § 11 narízení vlády c. 251/1992 Sb., o platových pomerech zamestnancu rozpoctových a nekterých dalších organizací, ve znení pozdejších predpisu, lze urcit platový tarif v rozpetí platových tarifu nejnižšího a nejvyššího stupne a netrvá se tedy na délce odborné praxe. Tuto možnost musí zamestnavatel peclive zvážit, nebot na rozdíl od ostatních tito zamestnanci nebudou mít zarucenu výdelkovou perspektivu - nárok na postup do vyššího platového stupne v závislosti na dosažené praxi.
3. Na asistenta ve speciální škole, príp. speciální materské škole se vztahuje § 9 odst. 2 citovaného narízení vlády.

cl. 5 Spolecná ustanovení
Zrušuje se: Statut pokusného overování prípravných tríd (c.j. 12 748/97-20), Úprava Statutu pokusného overování prípravných tríd (c.j. 14 169/98-22) a Informace o zrízení funkce romského asistenta v základní a zvláštní škole (c.j. 14 170/98-22, Vestník MŠMT, sešit c. 6/1998).

Úcinnost:
Tento pokyn nabývá úcinnosti dne 25.12.2000

PaedDr. Jaroslav Müllner v.r.
námestek ministra školství, mládeže a telovýchovy

Appendix: Relevant Documents (English)

Methodological decree of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Physical education of the Czech Republic for establishing preparatory classes for children with a social disadvantage and on establishing a position of a pedagogical worker - teacher' assistant, No. 25 484/2000-22

(unofficial translation REI)

On a bases of results from the experimental testing of preparatory classes for children form socio-culturally disadvantaged environment, which took place between September 1, 1997 and June 320, 2000, the Ministry of Education, Youth and Physical Education provides the opportunity to continue with establishment of preparatory classes, according to the Article 58 of the Law No. 29/1984 Coll., about the system of Elementary, Secondary and Higher Specialized Schools, as amended and according to Article 45, paragraph 6 of the Law No. 76/ 1978 Coll. about Schooling infrastructure, as amended.

Article 1. Establishment of preparatory classes for children with social disadvantage

As of the school year 2000/2001 it is possible to found preparatory classes for children with social disadvantage (preparatory classes). The following conditions have to be met:
1. Children with social disadvantage are children from a low socio-economic family background, threatened by socio-pathological aspects of life, refugees and asylum seekers at the territory of the Czech Republic, in accordance with a special law.
2. The preparatory class can be created by a director of Elementary school, Kindergarten, and exceptionally of Special School (School) with the agreement of the founder and Schooling Office; as of January 1, 2001with agreement of the founder and regional administration.
3. The preparatory class can be founded for minimum ten and maximum fifteen pupils; exceptions from the minimal and maximum number of pupils is approved by the founder of the school and Schooling Office; as of January 1, 21001 the founder and the regional administration. In case, that the number of children in the preparatory class sinks bellow seven, the class is cancelled.
4. The preparatory class is attended by children who were granted a waiver of school attendance and who are assumed that their attendance of preparatory class would equalize their development, exceptionally children who are five years old.
5. The preparation for regular school attendance follows the Methodological material "Preparatory class - pedagogical and educational program for children from disadvantaged environment" (it is possible to use also a material "Preparatory class for children from socio-culturally disadvantaged environment").
6. The children are taught by a teacher employed by that school.
7. The director of the school allocates a teacher, who drafts Individual educational plan for each (IEP); during its drafting the teachers follows a similar conduct as if drafting an IEP for children with health handicap.

Article 2 Establishment of the position of Pedagogue - teacher's assistant
1. In schools and schooling institutions (schools), in which a teaching of a larger number of children and pupils (pupils) with social disadvantage takes place, the director of the school, in an effort to prevent communication and adaptation difficulties and other pedagogical and educational problems of pupils, can also establish a position of pedagogue - teacher's assistant (assistant), who is familiar with the environment, from which most of the pupils originate (for example assistant from the Romani community).
2. The establishment of the function of the assistant is not limited by an establishment of the preparatory class.
3. Assistant

1. Must be over 18 years old.
2. Must have completed elementary education at minimum.
3. Must have no criminal record.
4. is recruited according with the regulations about hiring of employees in the school system.

4. The director of the school requests approval to establish the position of assistant from the Schooling office; as of January 1, 2001, the regional administration. The formal request will contain:

1. The name and address of the school, number of pupils and classrooms in total.
2. The number of pupils from socio-culturally disadvantaged environment.
3. Name and surname, birth number and educational level of the assistant.
4. Allocation of the assistant on the payment scale in accordance with the regulations.

5. The assistant has to attend 40 model lessons and pass successfully a training of pedagogical minimum in a length of ten days (80 teaching classes) in an educational institution with accredited program, where the assistant gets elementary information about its future activity.
6. The competence of the assistant will be tested by the director of the school during the trial period.
7. The director of the school is responsible for the work of the assistant.

Article 3 Job description of the assistant
1. The job description is drafted by the director of the school in agreement with the assistant. The main tasks are:

1. Helping pupils to adjust to the schooling environment
2. Helping pedagogues of the school to develop their pedagogical activities during their communication with the pupils.
3. Cooperation with the pupils' parents
4. Cooperation with Romani, respectively other community in the locality of the school.

2. The educational work is composed of:

1. Direct 20-28 contact hours weekly in accordance with the regime and needs of the school.
2. The preparation for pedagogical work and work connected directly to direct pedagogical work, for example helping the teacher to prepare educational support material, cooperation with other teachers, with educational advisor and other pedagogical workers, cooperation with parents and wider public, cooperation with Romani community in the area of the school, further education (seminars, workshops, meetings etc.)

Article 4. Placement of the Assistant at the salary scale
1. Regarding the fact that the job description of the assistants includes pedagogical care for pupils under supervision of the teacher (smoothing up the contact of the head teacher with pupils and parents, helping during the solving of social problems connected with the educational and pedagogical process), we recommend to place the assistant in relevant payment category in a following way:

1. Assistant with full secondary education could be placed according to the catalogue of employment to the payment category 4, which corresponds to the point:
4.01 Rudimentary work with the upbringing of children in pre-school or elementary schools
4.02 Expert work related to reinforcing hygienic habits improvement of proper behavior of children and youth.

Or to fifth payment category, which corresponds with the point:
5.03 Pedagogical work to developing, deepening and reinforcing of hygienic, social and working habits.

2. In case of scarcity of qualified applicants, in exceptional cases, it is possible to employ assistants with elementary education, which can be place in the third payment category, which corresponds with point three of the catalogue of employment:
3.1 Support work during pedagogical activity in kindergartens and schooling institutions.

3. The employees placed under payment category three, under circumstances in defined in a collective agreement or in an internal regulations, can be to some extent positively discriminated, because according to the Article 11 of the Government Order No. 251/ 1992 Coll., about payment conditions as amended, it is possible to define the payment category on a scale from the lowest to the highest degree and the length of experience does not play a role. This possibility can be carefully considered by the employer, because compare to others, these employees wont have their earning perspective secured - promotion to a higher payment category in accordance with their experience.
4. The position of the assistant in Special school, kindergarten, respectively is regulated by Article 9, paragraph 2 of the above cited Government order.

Article 5 Joint statement
Null and void: The Statute of the experimental preparatory classes (No. 12748/97-20), Regulation of the Statute of experimental testing of preparatory classes No. 14 169/98-22 and Information about establishment of the function of the RTA in elementary and special school No. 14170/98-22, Newsletter of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Physical Education, exercise book No. 6/1998).

In effect:
This decree enters into effect on December 25, 2000

PaedDr. Jaroslav Mullner v.r.
Deputy Minister of Education, Youth and Physical Education

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