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Erasmus exchanges
General Principles - Programs
Since 1994 the Coménius Association has helped to coordinate the organisation of teacher & student training courses & exchanges with the financial aid of the European LLP Programmes.
Erasmus student exchanges are for three months or longer & allow participating students direct contact with other colleges & school life, with all the associated social & cultural richness different from their own environment. During this time students follow courses & carry out teaching practice. All this is evaluated & graded at the end of the exchange period by the host institution & then integrated into the evaluations of the home institution.
By comparative analysis of educational & training plans of the participating institutions (teacher training modules in psychology / eduaction and practice), the association constructed grids for the presentation of teacher training & current courses (in common or specific) offered to students who wish to take part in the Erasmus Exchange Program. Information on these exchanges is available from designated 'international office' staff in each instuitution.
To establish a contract of studies specifying the ECTS
relative to the chosen courses & the validation of the different obligations of the student, a designated academic tutor must be named in both the home & host institutions. Likewise, the criteria & practical methods for evaluation catering for equivalences necessary for final certification must be clearly communicated.
The objectives, dates , training methods & detailed must be established between the student, his/her home institution & the academic tutor in the host institution.
Students participating in this Erasmus program receive funding from the European Commission. In order to receive this student exchange funding, the requesting student must be able to justify his/her choice of courses & teacher training & follow the educational objectives offered by the host institution.
International Weeks
General principles
Member institutions of the Comenius Association organise short international projects for staff and students that usually last for one or two weeks.
These international projects can be implemented in different ways:
1. a week including school visits, discussions about practice, cultural visits, etc.
- a thematic week focusing on a specific topic
- school placement
- courses in the host institution
- a research week
The objectives of the exchanges are many:
- above all to challenge their ‘ethnocentric’ views on culture by meeting other cultures, other ways of living, other families, other people.
- to enhance the personal development of students and staff by enabling them to experience something different from their daily routine
- to encourage their autonomy by giving them the opportunity to develop their own projects
- to broaden their educational experiences by being exposed to other systems
- to give them the opportunity to communicate in another language
Conditions
- Target groups: any student or any staff member from member institutions interested in the project
- Cost: no fees will be required for members of the Comenius Association. For students not coming on an exchange basis they (or their institution) will have to pay for accommodation and subsistence. We will try to reduce costs as much as possible.
- ECTS credits: 1 (or 2) credit(s) for a week, dependent on the preparation and involvement
- Certificate: each participant will receive a certificate.
- Preparation: depending on the project, some preparation might be required.
- During the project, participants have to be present at all activities involved in the project.
- After the project, participants are encouraged to disseminate the results, the contents of the project in their home institution.
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