The program

The research project of TOCSIN (Teacher suppΟrt Confronting Social INequalities – TOCSIN) has been co-financed by the General Secretariat for Research and Technology through the Financial Mechanism of the European Economic Area (EEA) (FM GR07 / 3708).

The planning of the project complies with the Code of Conduct on Social and Educational Research, which has been approved by the no. 59/10-12-2015 act of the Administrative Board of the Institute of Educational Policy (IEP) of the Ministry of Education, Research and Religious Affairs.

More specifically, the basic concept of TOCSIN is to study the consequences of the escalating economic crisis upon vulnerable population at early childhood education schools. TOCSIN aims to record and analyze existing problems and difficulties, which children face during their early childhood schooling experience in the context of social and economic inequalities in Greece, as well as teachers' practices to support them.

In particular, it aims to provide a) an account of the current difficulties that students face as presented in schools (according to school principals reports), b) a detailed presentation of teachers' good practices though semi-structured interviews with teachers c) an electronic platform with educational material and tools to support teachers based on the results of the survey, and d) a well-organized dissemination process based on collaboration with associations, networks and experts to ensure its long-lasting effects. The objectives of TOCSIN, which is a research project, aim at understanding and minimizing the impact of the increasing social and economic disparities in Greece as a result of the current economic crisis from a research- based perspective. TOCSIN branches out into three objectives: The first and second objectives are mainly research-oriented, while the last one aims at publishing and disseminating the results of the research in the form of educational material. The originality of the TOCSIN project has to do with the fact that the educational material will not include theoretical or academic suggestions but teachers' good practices and approaches, which have been tested and turned out to be effective. If one educator did it, then it's certain that another one can also do it. Specific suggestions will be put forward to delineate the policy at schools and in society based on a research- based perspective.