Training of Trainers Programme for Sports and Physical Education Teachers in Kosovo

My second week has been spent developing Physical Education learning outcomes for the six stages of the Kosovo Curriculum Framework. The framework is a competency based framework so the wording of the outcomes must link to these key competencies, the Health and Wellbeing Curriculum Area of which Physical Education is part, and of course development stage appropriate skills, concepts, attitudes and values.

I have met two government ministers and they are clear that the philosophy of the transformative Kosovo Curriculum promotes Education for Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship. The start of the twenty first century brings several crucial questions/issues facing people in all societies throughout the world. This includes:
• how to preserve and protect the environment, reduce pollution and manage natural resources in a sustainable way
• how to reduce the inequalities that exist between different peoples in all parts of the world and protect their human rights
• how to develop peaceful and harmonious communities by promoting understanding between people who are different from one another

The curriculum and new learning planned in Kosovo is key to achieving harmonisation. We can learn a lot from the History and development of this war torn country.
Week One:
The overall objective of the project is to improve the provision of quality physical education and sports for young people and children in Kosovo and, thereby, increase the opportunities for leisure and sports training for all in Kosovo and increase the quality of life of Kosovo inhabitants.
The client is Europeaid and the consortium that secured the contract was Human Dynamics, CfBT Education Trust and Vienna University, Austria. The project started in October 2011 and is nearing its end date. My role is to develop a Physical Education Curriculum as part of a Health and Wellbeing Curriculum Area and to provide workshops for Trainers to provide training re the effective delivery of the Physical Education Curriculum. The contract is for 40 days, which I am splitting into two visits between January and March, with the time in between spent in conference delivery to British Schools in Prague, Czechoslovakia!
There is a huge United Nations investment into the country and there are many ex-pats out here mostly ex-forces or ex-police on security contracts who have guided me around town during my initial days!

My first week has been spent background reading the Kosovo Curriculum Framework and backward planning from the vision, aims, principles and competences that provide the headline targets to be achieved. The Curriculum is organised into six key stages, seven curriculum areas and the Health and Wellbeing area includes Physical Education. Much of the influence has come from Europe but also from the Scottish Curriculum that is currently evolving.

I am based in the University of Pristina sharing an office with Sara Seferi, the Office Manager for the project and the Project Coordinator Harald Tschan.
More next week…