European
dimension of education
Extract from the REPORT OF THE COUNCIL
(EDUCATION)
FOR THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL ON THE CONCRETE FUTURE
OBJECTIVES
OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING SYSTEMS (Brussels, 14
February 2001):
1.3 Equal opportunities and social exclusion
Education and training are the structural means by
which society can help its citizens to have equal access to prosperity,
democratic decision-making and personal socio-cultural development. Access to
lifelong updating of skills is therefore a key element in the fight against
social exclusion and the promotion of equal opportunities in the broadest
sense.
promoting equal opportunities in the broadest sense of
the term. In this context, particular attention should be paid to vulnerable
groups such as people with specific learning problems.
Education and training systems should aim to
contribute to the creation of an inclusive society by ensuring that structures
and mechanisms are in place to
eliminate discrimination at all levels.
To achieve this, a chain of improvements and
implementation of resources, knowledge and techniques is needed:
Improving education and training of teachers and
trainers
·
Ensuring access to ICTs for all
·
Facilitating access to all education
and training systems
·
Opening up education and training
systems to the outside world
·
Improving foreign language learning
·
Increasing mobility and exchanges
·
Strengthening cooperation at European
level
European
education systems in partners countries - our view
Croatia: Croatia has
inclusion, but there are also schools for children with special needs called
Education Centers, and are specialized in specific types of needs such as the
Center for Autism, the Center for Children with Disabilities, blind and
visually impaired. Early Childhood Education and Care in Croatia is funded and
managed by local authorities. Central educational authorities provide
legislative guidance, accreditation and monitoring of the educational programs.
Primary education starts at the age of 6 or 7 and
consists of eight years of compulsory schooling. Secondary education is not
compulsory, but almost all students do enroll into secondary courses upon
completing primary level. Depending on the curriculum, secondary schools are
divided into:
Gymnasiums
(cover a general education and are mostly a transition to the professional
training in colleges, universities and faculties) – 4 year programs,
Vocational - 3
- 5 year programs
Art schools
(music, dance, art) - 4 year programs
Children with special needs in Croatia are educated in
regular schools or in the centers for children with special needs. In regular
schools they are included in general curriculum, with adjustments made to the
subjects' contents and working methods in regard to the type and degree of
disability. They can also follow general education curriculum in the centers
but under special conditions or according to a special program. The decision
about the type of the education system is made by a commission for
determination of psychophysical condition of a child, with parents' consent.
Exceptionally, in some regular schools there are special classes for children
with developmental difficulties, in which children are taught by defectologists
(special needs teachers).
In the Croatian mobility, we learned a new way of
inducing concentration and implementing the attention span of pupils through
brain gym. We were impressed by the effectiveness of this methodology. In the
dissemination phase in our school, we were able to directly observe the
benefits for individual pupils and for the whole class. The children are happy
to experiment with new forms of "play" and let themselves be guided,
with the end result being benefit and enjoyment. In the period following the
brain gym, the children are better prepared for the activities presented and
the activities are carried out with commitment, concentration, less wasted
energy and better learning results.
..............................................................................................................
Slovenia: Slovenia has
special education and mainstream schools. However, they also have integrated
students with special need. Besides, Slovenia have education centers who are
specialized in specific types of needs such as the Center for Cerebral Palsy,
the Center for Children with Disabilities, Blind and Visually Impaired.
https://youtu.be/slZhc8FS7wM
Slovenian mobility has been food for thought on
several fronts. First of all, we have had confirmation that contact with nature
and with domestic animals brings us all back to a state of calm, of peace; it
brings us into harmony with ourselves and with the world. This contact favours
listening to our deepest emotions and feelings, a contact with ourselves and
consequently favours the establishment of positive relationships with others, animals
or people. The docility of animals allows the sweetness, calm and serenity of
those who have made contact with them to emerge.
In Italy, many legal provisions relating to
allergies, hygiene and therefore the health and safety of people prevent the practice
of hippotherapy at school, leaving it up to personal initiative. Hippotherapy
is widespread, as a practice through which the child's balance, muscle tone,
coordination and motor awareness are worked on. It brings
psychological-behavioural benefits: the main psychological benefit is the
increase in self-esteem generated by the small responsibilities assigned to the
child.
There is a strong impact on the philosophy that
guides Halliwick's practice. The concept combines the area of mental and
physical adaptation to water, relaxation, breathing control, balance and the
acquisition of basic motor skills in the water. The Halliwick concept is based
on the following: introduction to water, motor learning, holistic learning,
awareness of abilities and achievements in the water instead of disabilities on
land, improvement of the quality of life, integration of children and people
with and without disabilities. Not just a simple and fun bath in water, but a
process that leads the child to believe more in himself, forgetting the
conditioning of a life based on contact with the earth. Water makes possible
what the earth can make difficult if not impossible. Wow! A new way of
interpreting reality and experience.
................................................................................................................
Poland: Education
of pupils with special educational needs is an integral part of the Polish
Education System. The Polish education system allows the choice between three
options: mainstream schools, integrated schools and special schools. A need of
special education is ascertained in a decision issued after a psychological and
pedagogical examination is carried out by specialists from guidance and
counselling center for youth and children. Special education is intended for
children and young people with disabilities (physically disabled, incl.
aphasia, intellectually disabled, blind, visually impaired, deaf, hearing
impaired, autistic, incl. Asperger syndrome, with multiple impairments, with
social maladjustment or at risk of social maladjustment who require special
organization of teaching and learning processes and working methods). Every
pupil with a statement of need for special education has his/her individually
formulated educational and therapeutic program which is adjusted to his/her
needs and psychological and physical abilities. Depending on the special
educational needs and type of disability, pupils with disabilities attend
special nursery schools, special primary schools, basic vocational schools and schools preparing for employment.
During the Polish mobility, we had the
opportunity to observe the use of BIOFEEDBACK THERAPY. We were struck by the
effectiveness of the technology, which allows the students' emotions to be
conditioned favourably so that they can understand, through images and colours,
their emotional state and, if altered, bring it back into a positive, calm
emotional phase. This methodology, if used extensively in all schools, could
positively change the learning outcomes of many children with special needs,
especially those with altered emotional states.
...........................................................................................................
Turkey: The
Ministry of National Education (MoNE) conducts educational activities on a
central level in the Republic of Turkey. Each level of education is made up of
Pre-School, Primary and Lower Secondary, Upper Secondary and Higher Education.
Education level in Turkey consists of preschool, primary, middle, secondary and
higher education. 12 years education is mandatory for all students, every each
level (primary, middle, secondary) takes 4 years to finish. There are programs
for preschool, primary, middle, vocational and technic higher levels which
based on education of person with special needs. Besides, there are special
education institutions which implement special education programs for primary,
middle and higher education levels.
What struck us about the Turkish Mobility was the
paintings made by disabled children from one of the schools visited in
Istanbul, all the manual-artistic works, made using different techniques, by
children who are so fragile, but who convey such serenity. Some of the works in
particular impressed us with their beauty and the serenity they conveyed.
Considering that they were made by children with serious problems, they proudly
showed us their hard work.
..............................................................................................................
Portugal: In Portugal
the Public Education System is the most widely used and best implemented,
although there are Private Schools at all levels of education. The school
network is organized mainly in “Agrupamentos” (School Groups) that integrate
educational establishments that provide all levels of education from preschool
to secondary education. Education levels consist of preschool, elementary,
intermediate and secondary - 12 years of mandatory education for all students -
and higher education.
The Portuguese education system is very centralized,
both in terms of organization and funding. However, preschool, elementary,
intermediate and secondary public education establishments enjoy some autonomy,
particularly at the pedagogical level, in the management of school hours and
non-teaching staff.
However, new guidelines for curricular flexibility and
greater autonomy have recently been published, and schools are implementing and
developing new paths.
Public schools offer conditions for greater and higher
equality of opportunities to all students. The City Council is also involved,
as are other strategic actors such as Parents' Associations and Social and
Local Institutions.
Since the Salamanca Declaration (UNESCO, 1994),
Portugal is committed to develop an inclusive education. Therefore, all mainstream
schools, at all levels of education, have integrated students with special
needs that benefit from special programs according to their level of
disability.
Currently, there is a Learning Support Center in every
school that accompanies students who need help in their teaching-learning
process. Furthermore, the Portuguese System includes Vision, Bilingual
Education, and Early Childhood Intervention Reference Schools.
There are also Information and Communication Resource
Centers and Resource Centers for Inclusion that provide supports in the
selection of technological products, Speech and Occupational therapies,
Psychology and in the development of Individual Transition Plans when students
move forward to active life.
In the Portuguese mobility we were able to
observe how the image can convey important messages through the use of a
particular methodology of storytelling called KAMISHIBAI. Through the use of a
simple tool, the botai, or the use of technology (video, ppt, ebook) to support
children who have motor or language difficulties, we can work towards the goal
of understanding a story by reading images.
We experienced the use of mandalas to unleash the
children's creative powers: colours, materials and techniques for making them
can be customised.
The children greatly appreciated the techniques
learned, showing greater joy and involvement during the creation of the
products.
Tilde Giacomelli
school coordinator
with school project team
