ROMANIA

PATCH WORLD REPORT

Grup Scolar Tehnic de Transporturi Cai Ferate, Iasi, Romania

PATCH-WORLd - PArenTs and Children working, ORganising and Learning together

135285-LLP-1-2007-1-IT-KA3-KA3MP
Grant Agreement 2007-3620/001-001
This project has been funded with support from the European Commission
This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible
for any use which may be made of the information contained therein
PATCHWORLD (PArents and CHildren Working, ORganizing and Learning together) is
one of the European projects in which Grup Scolar Tehnic de Transporturi Cai Ferate
from Iasi, Romania participates, the project being coordinated by the Centro Studi e
Formazione Villa Montesca from Citta di Castello, Italy. There are 10 institutions
from 9 countries that take part in the project.

The selection of the students for this phase was done taking into consideration the
following criteria: their communication skills and their ICT skills. The age range was
between 15 and 17. Most of the families consisted of the two parents and two or
more children.

We made a protocol that was to be signed by both the students and their parents.
Twenty protocols were handed out and seventeen were sent back to us signed by
those agreeing to be part of this project phase. Fifteen parents were interviewed
over the phone and the other two were filmed interviews. All the interviews were
realized during the month of May 2008. The two parents who agreed to be filmed
during the interview were Popa Margareta and Simion Petronela. These interviews
were realized according to a questionnaire sent to all the institutions by the
coordinator and all the questions concerned the use of ICT tools.

The parents’ level of instruction was high school. 9 of them are at a beginner level
in the use of ICT tools, 7 of them at an intermediate level and 1 at an advanced
level.

During these interviews it was shown that parents and children use the ICT tools for
different activities. The main purpose the parents acquired the computer in their
household was the educational purpose. They want to help their children find
information for school activities more easily. Another purpose for the purchase of a
computer was the recreational one: games, chatting, listening to music, watching
videos and films.
When using these tools, the parents do it especially in the interest of their
household, to pay bills, to buy different things online, to find information concerning
their job and to read the online edition of the newspapers. Students use these tools
especially for school activities, to find necessary information for their homework, to
chat with friends on the Internet, to find different information and to play games. In
all of the families interviewed, the children are those who use these tools most of
the time.

There are times when parents and children use the computer at the same time,
especially for playing games or chatting with their loved ones who live abroad. The
parents showed a lot of interest in collaborating with their children in order to learn
more about how to use the ICT tools. They also admitted that the time their
children spend alone in front of the computer or on the phone could be spent
together as a family, doing different activities that could bring their families
together. Some parents prefer to know that their child is in the house in front of the
computer than on the streets with the friends. They feel that they have a better
control over their child’s activities.

There is a serious gap between the students’ level of ICT knowledge and that of
their parents. This gap appears because of the lack of time. Parents have little time
to spend in front of the computer or listen to music on the iPod or mp3 player, and
there are huge differences between children and parents when it comes to using
ICT tools.
Level of ICT Parents Students
knowledge 10

8
Beginner 9 3
6 P arents
Students
Intermediate 7 8 4

2
Advanced 1 6
0
Base Medium Advanced
 Students

Parents
communicatio

informations
households

education

n on internet

games
searching

When it comes to ICT safety and security, all of the interviewed people agreed that
it was important to have a good antivirus program; they heard that using the
Internet can be dangerous but few of them knew how to fight against these
dangers. Most of the parents claimed that they monitored their children’s time in
front of the computer and that their children have a timetable for the time spent in
front of the computer: 2 or 3 hours in the evening.

ICT SAFETY AND

SECURITY Parents Students 18
16
dangers of using the
14
Internet 17 11 12
dangerouse of Internet
knowledge
10
have security system 17 17 have security system
8
monitoring the students
monitoring the students 6
activity
4
activity 12 12
2
0
Parents Students

This study showed that ICT tools could help improve the parent-child relationship,
helping them to communicate more with one another. ICT could also help develop
the parents’ skills in this field and raise awareness among the participants about the
dangers of the Internet.

There were also some weak points that were singled out during this survey. It was
sad but true to find out that parents don’t have enough time to spend with their
children at home, leaving them alone in front of the computer a lot of time. There is
a definite lack of communication in most of the families, but hopefully this project
will help them spend more time together.

Nr
parents
which
had High level Medium Base level
interview of ICT level of ICT of ICT
17 1 5 11

Base level of ICT

11

Medium level of ICT

5

High level of ICT

1

Nr parents w hich had

17

interview

0 5 10 15 20

Serie1

Nr
parents
which Medium
had Universitary stdies (high
interview studies school) Gymnasium
17 2 9 6
 Gym nasium

6
Medium stdies (high school)

9
Universitary studies

2
Nr parents w hich had

17
interview

0 5 Serie1
10 15 20

Nr more
parents than 3
which had 1 Kids in 2 Kids in 3 Kids in kids in
interview family family family family
17 2 10 3 2

m ore than 3 kids in fam ily

2 3

2 Kids in fam ily

10
2

Nr parents w hich had

17

interview

0 5 10 15 20

Serie1
 INTERVIEWS DETAILS

Popa Margareta; 44 years old and lives in Iasi, 97 Nicolina street ; She is a taxi
dispatcher and her family is composed of four members : she, her husband and 2
children: a 18 year old girl and a 22 year old son.

knowledge in ICT  medium level

In particular:

ICT KNOWLEDGE

I know to create a folder, to use Microsoft office program and a little XL, to use the
Internet

Since 1988 I have a computer at home, at the beginning not very up-to-date, but
now we changed it with a good one.

My daughter teaches me many things about ICT

FAMILY GENERAL USE OF ICT

We use the PC for communication, to get some information and also for games.

My girl uses the computer generally for school to make her lessons and homework:
portfolios, papers, projects and to get information. She also uses Internet for
recreation, to play some interesting games and to communicate with her
schoolmates by Messenger.

ICT ADVANTAGES

About the advantages of using ICT, I think it’s important the fact that we have
access to a lot of information

The children learn many good things

I have to add that my girl teaches me how I can use the computer and find some
information

ICT DRAWBACKS

About the drawbacks, there is acces to many sites with a lot of violence and which
incite to wrong and to violence

Because my girl spends a lot of time in front of the computer, I watch her all the
time, to see exactly what programs she uses, what sites she accesses.

ICT GAMING AND RECREATION

My daughter likes very much to play games on Internet, to play games with
questions and answers

I don’t know exactly how much time she stays at the computer, but I know she has
a lot of work at school, so she has a little time for games

I don’t like to play games on Internet

The games help the children to learn about good things to get a lot of information

My children play games which consists strategies, constructions and driving

It’s difficult to interact with my children concerning the using of ICT for educational
reasons , because I learn from them

EDUCATION THROUGH ICT

I don’t know many things about ICT In Education.

I see that my girl uses the computer a lot of the time for school to make her
homework, or some projects, to look for information on Internet

Me and my husband we didn’t take part to on-line training activities

ICT SAFETY AND SECURITY

I know about the dangers of the Internet

Unfortunately the information stocked in a virtual environment are subdued to the

danger to be destroyed by the hackers

The legislation in this aria must be improved in what concerns the security of
information, to be protected

Simion Petronela Gabriela; 49 years old (Iasi), Musatini street; Engineer building
machines, teacher. Family composed of three members : wife, husband and 1 child.

In detail:

ICT KNOWLEDGE

I have a certificate –PC operator from 1998 and in 2006 I finished a course for
using ICT and AEL programme, organized by Teachers House, Iasi.

Later, in 2007 I graduated Master of Mechatronics, with competences in Laview and

Solidox programme.

Since 1998 I have a computer at home , which was used at the beginning only for
design, reports, tables, etc

FAMILY GENERAL USE OF ICT

We used the PC for information in Mechatronics aria, for daily information from
newspapers, information about legislation, health or to communicate with our
friends and to transmit some reports, papers.

My child is 15 and uses the computer for school (portfolios, papers), to play some
interesting games and to communicate with his colleagues by Messenger
Together, we like to draw, to play games and to work for school (I have a pleasure
to help my child in searching materials, making papers, PP presentations)

FAMILY COMMUNICATION AND RELATIONSHIPS THROUGH ICT

Each of our member has a personal computer ; together we like to communicate, to

search information, to help each other, to share our experience and to discuss or
search about an interesting subject

Me, as a parent, I have to say that I don’t know how to install different
programmes, to search programmes used for opening different documents and my
child knows. I write slowly, my child writes without looking at the keyboards with a
higher speed.

ICT ADVANTAGES

The development of logical thinking and speed reaction by playing the games with
questions and answers from different fields

The development of knowledge in ICT and in many arias by acquiring information

The learning of the good way to search information by using more resources

The enrichment of knowledge with information from varied domains (arias)

ICT DRAWBACKS

The position in front of the computer can produce some problems with the spine

The child can have contact with violent and obscene images on Internet

Sedentary life and reading carelessness

In this context it is important to make a strict and precise programme for student
to use the computer, and to know very well what he talks with collegues and which
sites he surfs
ICT GAMING AND RECREATION

The games in our family help us to verify our knowledge, develop our thinking and
relax us

All our family members play games.

I know what kind of games my child plays, and I know he needs many knowledge
from geography, history, mathematics, logic aria

Because he has to work a lot of time at school he plays an hour daily

I don’t play games on Internet with my child because he is too old.

EDUCATION THROUGH ICT

In Education, ICT tools help to make some presentations, to realize demonstrative

lessons, to simulate some experiences in physics, chemistry, mechanics, auto,..

Because I know different sites I like to help my child to find different educative
information .

I participated in AEL courses and my child took part only at the lessons I showed at
home.

ICT SAFETY AND SECURITY

I know the dangers of the Internet and I talk frequently with my child about them;
We have antivirus, firewall and other security programmes

I always take care that he doesn’t have contact with unknown persons, or access
dangerous sites

I watch carefully my child’s activity; when we are not at home we have a password
for the computers and he doesn’t have access
Finally it is important to make his lessons, to read, to practice sport and to know
very well what and how he communicates.

CONCLUSIONS

We can conclude that as result of our research by involving in interview 17 families

with children :
  The level of ICT for parents is low and the interest for using
ICT is only to search information of internet or at least to
send messages

 The level of ICT for students is far more advanced than their
parents’ and they don’t like to communicate

 The parents don’t have time for their kids because they have
a lot of work at their jobs and it’s expensive for some
families to own a computer

 There is also the difference of mentality, age, interests,

hobbies between parents and children and the parents do not
make any efforts to communicate with their children

Maybe by implementing this project Patch world we can obtain a partner ship school
– children-family which will try to be integrated in European space, to find thinks in
common with other European families.

Grup Scolar Tehnic de Transporturi Cai Ferate Iasi - Romania