The role of educational partnership in preventing learning difficulties of students from disadvantaged backgrounds

The economic environment in Romania has generated major differences in living standards and education in certain areas, in rural areas or in communities where interest in children's education is low. The material situation of the family is one of the most important generating factors of school dropout. To this is added the students' learning difficulties determined by the low motivation for learning, but also by the inefficiency of their learning skills. The present study presents the data of a pedagogical research addressed in the 2021-2022 school year at Limanu – 2 Mai Secondary School, Constanța county. From the analysis of school documents, it emerged that 10 students between the ages of 8 and 12 were at increased risk of developing learning difficulties, respectively, school dropout. The purpose of the research: the identification of school-family-local community partnership activities with a role in reducing the risk of developing learning difficulties in students from disadvantaged social backgrounds. The following research methods and tools were used: analysis of school documents; interview-based investigation. The research began with the establishment of the initial level of the group of subjects regarding the school situation, absenteeism, attitudes and behaviors. Later, through the educational partnership activities addressed, the mobilization of human and material resources and their focus on students from disadvantaged backgrounds who are at risk of developing learning difficulties was pursued. The "We care" afterschool program was the most important project carried out, bringing the students back to the educational environment and offering, on the one hand, a hot meal to the students, and, on the other hand, support in completing homework and remedial activities. The final stage of the research highlighted the significant reduction in absenteeism, the increase in school performance, the involvement of students in various activities, the social integration of students from disadvantaged backgrounds. We consider it opportune to repeat this research on a larger group of subjects, from several school units and from several localities, in order to achieve a clearer picture regarding the learning difficulties of students from disadvantaged backgrounds and their prevention through the prism of the school-partnership family-community.