Description

Within Romania there are significant differences between the schools in the rural and urban areas, as well as between those schools which are viewed as being in 'good' locations (in neighbourhoods or areas in which the majority of the population are wealthy), and those considered as being in 'bad' locations (on the outskirts of the urban areas in which the population live in precarious conditions and where there are scarce educational opportunities).

The schools 67, 55 and 22, who run this project, belong to the second of these two categories, where students hail from families with socio-economic difficulties and whose parents have a low level of education and do not consider schooling as being a tool with which to improve their children's situation. As a result, the parents do not make an effort for their children to attend school.
An improvement in academic performance is not immediate and parents don’t consider education as an investment in time and money with which to offer their children a better future.

Given these circumstances, the children are in need of activities which allow them to socialise in a constructive manner, as well as opportunities to learn about values, such as discipline, team spirit, as well as how to behave in different situations. These activities allow them to gain in confidence and motivation as they continue their schooling.

By taking part in the socio-sporting schools, the children learn to play football, but they also learn social skills and are educated in positive human values, all whilst strengthening their commitment to education.