EiTTT · 2019. 5. 18. · EiTTT was coordinated by Marino Institute of Education, Ireland, with partner organisations in Belgium (University Colleges Leuven-Limburg & Karel de Grote

EiTTT was coordinated by Marino Institute of Education, Ireland, with partner organisations in Belgium (University Colleges Leuven-Limburg & Karel de Grote University College), Cyprus (Dimotiko Sxoleio Anthoupolis KA), Latvia (Rigas 45. vidusskola) and Finland (Lukkarin koulu). The project partners, who represent three teacher education institutions and three schools, shared a commitment to inclusive education and an understanding of priorities to be addressed if inclusion is to become intrinsic to school practice. The project ran from October 2016 to March 2019.

With a view to facilitating learning for all in the diverse population of contemporary classrooms, EiTTT identified that schools themselves must also be enabled to provide support structures that can facilitate teachers’ inclusive practice. As a cross-sectoral group of educators, the EiTTT partners exchanged learning about what they believe are exemplary inclusive education practices in their respective teacher education institutions and schools.

EiTTT Case Studies in Context:Impact of our Project Learning

EiTTT ( Empowering Inclusive Teachers for Today and Tomorrow ) was a European strategic partnership project funded under the Erasmus+ KA2 Education Programme of the European Union. EiTTT focused on the development of mainstream schools as inclusive learning environments for all learners, including those with special needs and disabilities; those from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds; and persons with a migrant background.

For morE inFormaTion ViSiT: www.mie.ie/eittt or EmaiL US: [email protected]

EMPOWERING iNCLUSIVE TEACHERS FOR TODAY AND TOMORROW

EiTTT

These resources are designed to outline how the EiTTT partners implemented the learning from the project’s activities. They aim to inform teacher educators, practising teachers, student teachers, school administrators and policy makers at national and European levels.

The project carried out six transnational learning activities on the following themes:

This document forms part of a suite of publically available resources from EiTTT:

EiTTT Learning activity Summaries

EiTTT Case Studies EiTTT Case Studies in Context

1 2 3 4 5 6

Co-Teaching in Teacher Education

Co-Teaching for inclusive Classroom Practice

Video interaction Guidance in Teacher Education

inclusion through Education - Students from refugee/migrant/Socio-economically Disadvantaged Backgrounds

Student-teacher Placement in a Special Education School Context – Developing Knowledge, Skills and attitudes for inclusive Practice

Cross-Disciplinary Support for inclusive Education

Co-Teaching in Teacher Education


EiTTT

Policy and Practice in Ireland• Co-teaching(sometimestermed‘teamteaching’inIreland)isa

key recommendation in several policy documents on teachereducation in Ireland. Thesepolicies incorporate initial teachereducation, the induction of newly qualified teachers andcontinuingprofessionaldevelopmentforteachers.

• Inaccordancewithitsinclusiveeducationpolicy,theDepartmentofEducationandSkills(DES)encourages‘teamteaching’.In2017,withaviewtomoreeffectiveinclusioninmainstreamschooling,the DES revised its approach to the allocation of SpecialEducationTeacherstomainstreamprimaryschools(DESCircular0013/2017).Whileeachschoolisfreetodeploytheseresourcesasappropriatetotheirowncircumstances,theyarerequiredtoemployarangeofteachingsupportsincluding‘team-teaching’toaddressspecificlearningneeds.Thispolicyhasimplicationsforteachereducation*.

• The Teaching Council of Ireland is the statutory body thatregulatesstandardsintheprofessionofteachingandpromotesthe professional development of teachers. The Council issupportiveofco-teachinginInitialTeacherEducation(TeachingCouncil,2013).

• Co-teaching is being introduced into Initial Teacher EducationprogrammesinseveralIrishHigherEducationInstitutions.

• The Professional Development Service for Teachers (PDST)facilitates pilot projects and seminars on team teaching forpractising teachers. With a view to practical inclusion inmainstreameducation,manyof these seminars address teamteachingforthepurposesofsupportingpupilswithliteracyandnumeracydifficultiesinmainstreamschools.

Impact of Project Learning in our Institution• Following our project learning about the potential of co-

teaching in teachereducation,Marino InstituteofEducation isto incorporate this strategy intomodules for student teachersatMarinoInstituteofEducation(MIE).FromSeptember2019allB.Ed.1(firstyear)studentteachers(approximately110students)atMIEwillbeintroducedtotheconceptsandpracticesinvolvedduringtheirteachereducationcourses.Theywillthenberequiredtoemployco-teachingpracticesduringtheirschoolplacementexperiencethatyear,i.e.allstudentsonplacementwillbeplacedwithoneotherstudentteachertoworkinaco-teachingcapacitythroughoutthatthree-weekschoolplacementperiod.AllteachereducationstaffatMIEwillreceiveinputonthisdevelopment.

• In the academic year 2019 – 2020 a new Bachelor Degreecourse (Baitsiléir san Oideachas Trí Mheán na Gaeilge (Bunmhúinteoireacht) for prospective primary teachers willcommence inMIE. This coursewill prepare teachers to teachexclusivelythroughthemediumoftheIrishlanguageinrelevantprimaryschoolsthroughoutIreland.Thisisthefirstsuchcourse

in IrelandandstudentteachersundertakingthecoursewillbetaughtentirelythroughtheIrishlanguage.ArisingfromlearningduringtheprojectweekatUCLL,ithasbeendecidedthataco-teaching approachwill be employed in the development andplanningofcoursemodules,wherebyMIElecturerswithexpertisein the various curriculum areas will co-plan, co-teach andco-assesswithlecturerspresentingthroughthemediumoftheIrishlanguage.AtameetingofallacademicstaffinMIEinJanuary2019,staffwereprovidedwithanupdateonthisdevelopmentandonthevariousco-teachingmodelsthatwillbeemployed.

• Amember of the academic staff of the Professional Studies /SchoolPlacementDepartmentinMIE,whowasaparticipantattheLearningActivityWeekinUCLLhas,asadirectconsequenceofherlearningduringthisexperience,commencedPh.D.studiesonthesubjectofCo-TeachinginTeacherEducationforInclusion.

Recommendations

•*TherequirementbytheDES(Circular0013/2017)thatteachersengage in ‘team teaching’, to support theneedsof studentswithspecialeducationalneedsinmainstreamschools,impliesthatteachereducationprovidersmustrespondaccordinglyintheirprovisionforinitialandongoingteacherdevelopment.

•Ireland’s Teaching Council (2011) supports a ‘continuumof teacher education’ – incorporating initial, induction andcontinuing stages of professional development. As Murphy(2011,p.326)suggests,teamteachingopensuppossibilities[forthedevelopmentofinclusivepractices]acrossthecontinuum,and can support in a very practical way (via cultures ofcollaborationand‘teacherlearningcommunities’)theconceptoflifelonglearningamongteachers.

•In accordance with recent policy developments, all studentteachers in Irelandundertake an extendedperiodof schoolplacement (up to ten weeks) during the final year of theirinitial teachereducationcourses. Thisperiodcouldprovide opportunityforstudentteacherstoengageinco-teachingwithoneanotherandwithhostteacherswithaviewtoenhancingtheir preparation for inclusive classroom practice. E.g. co-teaching is likely to provide better opportunity for focuseddiscussiononpupillearningbefore,duringandafterlessons.

•Having undertaken continuing professional developmentactivities related to inclusive education, teachers in Irelandmightmosteffectivelyseektoimplementthislearningbyco-teaching with a colleague, thereby generating new learningfor each other that is context-sensitive and context-focused(Murphy,2011,p.327).

•In summary, it is recommended that co-teaching beincorporatedasacomponentofallstagesofteachereducationinIreland.


EiTTTContext: Ireland

Case Study: Co-Teaching in Teacher Education


EiTTTContext: Cyprus

Policy and Practice in Cyprus• Inourefforttogatherasmuchinformationaswecanfromthe

UniversitiesinCyprus,wemanagedtogetthefollowingfacts:

• The European University of Cyprus does not offer anymodules on co-teaching between mainstream and specialeducation teachers. Nevertheless, there is a theoreticalbackgroundtoteachthebasicprinciplesofco-teachinganditsapplicationasfollows:

• TheEuropeanUniversitypresentsvariousteachingpractices,one of which is co-teaching, to its studentswho attend the followingprograms:

(A)MAinSpecialandInclusiveEducation.

(B)DifferentiationCourseintheteachingprocess.

(C)TheCoursesofEducationforChildrenwithDisabilities:Politics&Practice.

• In the MA Program of Special and Inclusive Education the Universityoffersaschoolpracticecoursewhereco-teachingisencouraged.Ofcourse,thiscanonlyhappeniftheteacheroftheclassgiveshis/herconsenttothestudenttoco-teachwithhim/her.

• In the Undergraduate Program, the students who followthe inclusive education program, are being taught aboutco-teachingbut only on a theoretical basis. At thepracticallevel,whenstudentshavetheirpracticeinschools,thesameprincipal as above, applies. However, the consent for co-teachingismucheasiertogetinthekindergartenlevelthanintheprimarylevel.

Itmustbeclarifiedthatforthepurposesofthestudents’schoolpractice, theprofessors encourage their students toapply co-teaching,butthisisnotobligatory.Thefactthatitisnotobligatoryisaconsequenceofthefactthattherearemanyfactorswhicharenotundertheuniversity’scontrol.

• TheUniversityofCyprusTheUniversityofCyprusdoesnotofferanyexclusivemodulesonco-teaching.Nevertheless,atheoreticalbackgroundofthebasicprinciplesofco-teachinganditsapplicationarebeingtaughtasfollows:

• In the Undergraduate Program within the module of“Introduction to Inclusive Education”, a lesson about co-teachingisincluded.

• In the MA program within the module of “Differentiationin the inclusive class”, a lesson about co-teaching is beentaught.

• During the second year of the student’s school practice,the University encourages its students to co-teach. The co-teachingthoughtakesplaceonlybetweentwomainstreamstudentteachers.

Impact of Project Learning in our School• TheUniversityofCyprusandtheEuropeanUniversityofCyprus

report that due to limited University staff and budged, theUniversitydoesnothavetheopportunitytooffermoremodulesonco-teachingeitheronatheoreticaloronapracticalbasis.

• The European University of Cyprus states that some of theirstudentsintheirLongDistanceMAProgramhavetheirpracticaltraininginothercountries.Inthecountriestheydotheirpractice,the regulations differ on the subject of co-teaching and it issometimes impossible to enforce co-teaching on the schoolprogramsofothercountries.

Recommendations•MoretimeshouldbegiventoprofessorsofUniversities inordertobeabletosupportco-teachingonatheoreticalandpracticalbasis.

•Inclusion and co-teaching (between mainstream andspecialeducationstudentteachers)shouldbeincludedinthestudents’in-schoolpracticeduringtheirUndergraduateProgram. However, the above depends on the studentsbeinggiventheopportunitytofollowandstudythedirectionofinclusionandco-teaching.

•Eachandeveryprofessorshouldbeadequately informedandtrainedonco-teachingsothattheyareabletoadviseandgivetheoptiontotheirstudentstoapplyco-teachingduringtheirpracticaltraining.



EiTTTContext: Finland

Policy and Practice in Finland

• The teacher educators, teachers, universities, schools andregions have developed collaboration practices to increaseinclusiveteachinginFinland.Co-teachingisoneofthesepracticesusedininclusiveteaching.It’sanincreasinglypopularpracticeinmainstreamsettinginFinland.Forthisreasonstudentteachershave the opportunity to co-teach during their placementsin many universities in Finland. Students can co-teach withother students or with teacher educators. Co-teaching duringplacementsgivesfutureteachersexperiencestobuildonastheyfinishtheirstudiesandenterworkinglife.

Impact of Project Learning in our School

• Itwasinterestingtoseethatmanyelementsofco-teachingareidenticaltoourpractiseofco-teaching.Itwasveryimportantand interesting to hear about the classification and theorybehindco-teaching.Sinceweareaprimaryschool,thereisn’tapossibilitytoimplementco-teachinginteachereducation.

Recommendations

•Co-teachingcanbeseenasasolutiontodevelopapowerfullearningenvironmentforeverypupil.Itisahighlyrecommendedpracticeforinclusiveteachinginclassrooms.

•Itisimportantforteachertraineestohavetheopportunitytopractiseco-teachingduringtheirstudies.Co-teachinginteachereducationenablessharedassessmentandplanning–potentialforeffectiveteaching,learning,differentiation,inclusiveeducation.

•Teacherscanlearninpractisefromoneanother-sharingcurriculumknowledge,methodologiesandinterests.Itprovidesforflexibilityofpractise.Co-teachingapproachesmaybedesignedinaccordancewithvariedteachingandlearningstyles.



EiTTTContext: Latvia

Policy and Practice in Latvia

• In Teacher Education Institutions in Latvia modules ofco-teachingaretaughtforstudentteachers.

• Co-teaching is recommended by the Ministry of Education inLatviaand is suggestedasapartof theSupportTeams’workinschools inLatvia,mainly inprimaryand inelementary levelclasses,inordertohelpteachers.

• Accordingtothenewcurriculumsettobeintroducedfrom2020-2030,co-teachingisgoingtobeacompulsorypartoftheteachingprocessinallmainstreamschools.


• In our school a variety of co-teaching models areimplemented.WehaveaSupportTeam(comprisingteacherassistants, social teachers, speech therapist, psychologist)helpingmainstreamteachersintheirlessons.Veryoftenweuse the co-teaching model One Teach (mainstream classteacher)–One Observe(psychologistobservingwholeclassorsomechildrenwhohavelearningdifficultiesorchallengingbehaviour). The co-teachingmodelOne Teach-One Assist iswidelyusedinourschoolwhenSupportteamsmembersandmainstreamclassteacherareleadinglessonstogetherinordertohelpteachers.

• Since our involvement in the project we have introducedco-teaching between two mainstream teachers in someclasses

• Wegainalotofnewmethodsfromeachotherbypractisingco-teachingwithourcolleagues.

• We practise co-teaching between special teachers andmainstreamteachers.

Recommendations

•Co-teaching(betweenmainstreamandspecialeducationstudentteachers)shouldbeincludedinthestudents’in-schoolpractice.Co-teachingisagoodwayhowtobuildcooperationbetweenspecialstudentteachersandmainstreamstudentteachers.

•Co-teachingiscollaborationbetweencolleagues.Teachersinourschoolstronglybelievethatitisatoolforgettingexcellentexperienceandknowledgefromeachotherandwebelieveitshouldbetaughttoallstudentteacher.



EiTTTContext: Belgium (KdG)

Policy and Practice in Belgium

• Theapproach toco-teaching in teachereducationatKareldeGroteUniversityCollege(KdG)inAntwerpisverysimilartothatinLeuven.

• Weorganisepracticaltraininginco-teachingatall levelsoftheteacher education programme. In the first year, two studentspractise together in a classroom, supervised by their hostteacher.Atfirsttheybothobservethehostteacher.Laterontheyparticipateandworkastwoassistants.Attheendoftheyearthestudentstakeovertheclassinaco-teachingmodel.Usuallythiswillbeviathe‘oneteach-oneassist’model.

• In their secondyearweadvise the students tocarryondoingtheirpracticeinco-teachingwiththeirmentor.

• Finalyearprimaryschooleducationstudentteachers(1th-6thgrade) co-teach with student teachers from the pre-primaryeducationsector(2.5–5yearoldtoddlers).Eachpairofstudentsco-teachesineachofthesecontexts.

• Lecturerswhoteachthirdyearstudentteachersalsomodelco-teaching. Aswith thestudents,one lecturer fromtheprimaryeducationsectorteacheswithacolleaguefromthepre-primaryeducationsector.

Impact of Project Learning in our Institution • Followingourprojectlearningaboutthepotentialofco-teaching

inmainstreamschools,KdGhasbeenworkingtogetherwithourpartner schools to inform the schools about co-teaching andthe advantagesof this during student teachers’ placement. Aseminarforplacementschoolswasorganised.

• KdGisliaisingwithschoolssothatmoreofourstudentscangointoco-teachingplacementsinschools.

Recommendations•Wefeelthatitisnecessaryforallstudentteacherstobeintroducedtothetheoryofco-teachingandtoengageinco-teachingduringtheirpracticeplacementinschools.Itisonlybypractisingco-teachingthatstudentscanexperiencetheadvantagesofthisstrategyfortheirownteachingandpupils’learning.Atpresentthereisnorequirementonouruniversities/teachereducationcollegestoofferthisstrategytostudentteachers.


Co-Teaching for Inclusive ClassroomPractice


EiTTT

Case Study: *Co-Teaching for Inclusive Classroom Practice

Policy and Practice in Ireland• The Department of Education and Skills (DES) recommends

a collaborative approach between mainstream teacher andteacherssupportingstudentwithspecialeducationalneeds.

• While the withdrawal of pupils with special needs from classfor periods of additional support during the day has been acommon approach, the DES and the body responsible fordrawingupschoolcurriculum(NationalCouncil forCurriculumandAssessment)recommendin-classsupportforallpupilsoverwithdrawal,wherepossible.

• In2009,theInspectorateinIreland,reportingoneffectiveliteracyandnumeracypracticesinschools inareasofsocio-economicdisadvantage, identified co-teaching as one of the effective modelsofpractice.

• In2010 theNationalCouncil forSpecialEducation (NCSE), thestatutorybodywhichoverseesthedeliveryofeducationservicesto persons with special educational needs, reported that‘cooperativeteaching’ intheclassroomisoneofthestrategiesthatcanbehelpfultostudentswithspecialeducationalneeds.

• In2011theChiefInspectorintheDepartmentofEducationandSkills launcheda setofGuidelines for ‘TeamTeaching’andanaccompanyingDVDtoassistprimaryandpost-primaryschoolswith its introduction. He acknowledged the benefits that canaccruefromteamteachingintheclassroom.

• In 2017,with a view tomoreeffective inclusion inmainstreamschooling, the DES revised its approach to the allocation ofSpecialEducationTeacherstomainstreamprimaryschools(DESCircular 0013/2017). While each school is free todeploy theseresourcesasappropriate to theirowncircumstances, theyarerequiredtoemployarangeofteachingsupportsincluding‘teamteaching’toaddressspecificlearningneeds.

• Mulholland andO’Connor (2016) point out that team teachingis becoming more popular in schools in Ireland, but indicatea tension between willingness and capacity to cooperate:‘Institutionalandsystemicshortcomings’ (e.g. timeconstraintsin relation to curriculum planning, access to professionaldevelopment) impede opportunities for professional co-operation.

• Insummary,thereisawarenessofthebenefitsofcollaborativepractice in classrooms, and much official encouragement ofthepracticewhichisnowbecomingmoreprevalentinschools.Teachersreportthatsystemicchallenges(overallstaffnumbersin schools, the relatively limited number of staff qualified inspecialeducationinmainstreamschoolsandplanningtime)havemilitatedagainsttheintroductionofsuchinnovativepractices(O’Murchú,2011,O’GormanandDrudy,2010).

Recommendations•That co-teaching be increasingly employed to support thediversityandcomplexityofstudentneedincontemporaryIrishclassrooms.

•That the preferred model of co-teaching would align withthat observed by the EiTTT project team during our visitto a mainstream school in Finland. That approach saw amainstream and special education teacher together with aclassroomassistant,workingonafull-timebasisinmainstreamclassroomstosupporttheneedsofallchildrenwithintheclass.Such an approachwould support, amongst other educationpoliciesandpriorities,theIrishgovernment’srecentlyrevisedstrategy for allocating special education supports to schoolsand in particular the stipulation that ‘team-teaching’ beemployed inmainstream classes to enablemainstream andspecialeducationteachers toworkcollaboratively toprovidesupport within the class tomeet the needs of childrenwithspecialneeds(DESCircular0013/2017).

•Thatteachersbeadequatelysupportedintheireffortstoemployco-teachingforeffectiveinclusioninschools.Thisentailsinitialandongoingprofessionaldevelopmentforteachers,sufficientcurriculum planning time, and satisfactory staffing levels /pupil-teacherratios.

•Following from the above, that consideration be given toinstituting a government-funded ‘Co-teaching for Inclusion’course forpractisingprimaryteachers in Ireland. Thecoursewould see selected mainstream and special educationteachersfromanumberofmainstreamprimaryschoolstrainas co-teachers inaccordancewith themodel recommendedaboveandhenceinaccordancewithrecentgovernmentpolicy.The teachers involvedwouldalsobe trained tohost studentteachersinaco-teachingcapacityduringthestudents’periodsofschoolplacement. (MIEstudent teacherswillbeengagingwith co-teaching theory and practice during their teachereducationprogrammes fromSeptember2018). The initiative would eventually become self-sustaining as the originalparticipants establish a national network of tutors hostingongoingcoursesforteachersineducationcentresaroundthecountry.MarinoInstituteofEducationisinapositiontodevelopsuchaninitiative.

*O’Murchú explains that ‘team teaching’ is about ‘team’, i.e. the whole class, and not just about two teachers. For the purposes of this report the terms co-teaching and team teaching are interchangeable.





Policy and Practice in Cyprus• In Cyprus, co-teaching amongmainstream teachers has been

ongoingforalongperiodoftime.It isappliedforpurposesofteacher’s education and it provides better opportunity forfocuseddiscussiononpupillearning.

• Withinitsinclusiveeducationprogram,theMinistryofEducationencourages co-teaching among mainstream and specialeducation teachers. Co-teaching is a key recommendationgiven by school inspectors to teachers. However, theMinistryof Education never circulated a formal introduction circularfor theaforementionedprogram.Aneffective trainingsessionfor the teachers,wasneverorganizedeitherby theMinistryofEducation or by the Pedagogical Institute. Sporadic seminarsareorganizedonlybecauseofthegoodwillandinitiativeofthespecialeducationandmainstreaminspectors.

• Within the framework of inclusion in education, teachers inCyprus started co-teaching about 7 years ago. Although co-teaching initially startedamongmainstream teachers, lateronthiswasextendedbetweenmainstreamandspecialeducationteachers.Todatethough,co-teachingisnotofficiallyformalizedby theMinistry. However, general-level inspectors and specialeducation inspectors have been always suggesting to schoolheadteacherstopromoteco-teachingasateachingmethodintheirindividualschools.

• As stated by one of the pioneer co-teaching teachers, MrsChristiana Ktisti (special education teacher), in 2013, themainstreaminspectorofSolea (adistrictoutsideofNicosia)atthat time, Mr. Andreas Theodorou, organized an introductorytraining seminar for its network head teachers. The seminarwasabouthowco-teachingshouldbeappliedandconductedbetween special education and general course teachers. Theseminarincluded:

•Whatisco-teaching

•Whyco-teach

•Benefitsofco-teachingforthepupils

•Benefitsofco-teachingforthemainstreamteachers

•Benefitsofco-teachingforthespecialeducationteachers

•Conditionsforthesuccessofco-teaching

•Difficultiesintheapplicationofco-teaching

•Modelsofco-teaching

(Friend,Reising&Cook1993)

•Conclusions

• At the same time, a training seminar in the Solea SpecialEducationTeachersNetworktookplace.Thistimetheseminarconcernedandincludedonlyspecialeducationteachers.

• In2015,SpecialEducationInspectorPavlosPaschalisconductedatwodaysimilartrainingseminarforspecialeducationteachersandspeechtherapists.

• TwomoreseminarstookplaceintwodifferentcitiesofCyprus.ThefirstonetookplaceinNicosiaonthe9thofAprilin2016wasconducted by Rodoula Mavrikiou – Theodorou (mainstreaminspectorinNicosia).ThesecondonetookplaceinLimassolonthe16thofAprilin2016wasconductedbyDr.YiannisSavvides(mainstream inspector in Limassol). Both seminars includedmainstreamandspecialeducationteachers.

Case Study: Co-Teaching for Inclusive Classroom Practice

Case Study: Co-Teaching for Inclusive Classroom PracticeContd.



Impact of Project Learning in our School• Ourschoolisimplementingco-teachingunderthesupervisionof

theschoolgeneralinspectorandthespecialeducationinspector,forthelastfouryears.

• Since we entered the EiTTT program, co-teaching got moreorganized in our school. This was achieved by setting a fixedtimetableonthepupil’sco-teachingweeklyprogram.

• Oursschool’scriteriaconcerningco-teachingare:

•We choose classes that have more than one pupil in the specialeducationprogram.

•The teachers’ approval is needed in order to be includedintheprogram.

•We try to find common free time for programming andsetting the goals for each co-teaching lesson (missionalmost impossible with the overloaded schedule of the Cypriotteacher).

•In this endeavor, we involved the Anthoupolis PrimarySchool KB, and the teachers there have established some co-teachinglessonsintheirschoolprogram.

Recommendations•Ouraimistocontinueco-teachingasapracticeinourschool.

•Weaimoninvolvingmanymoreteachersintheprogram.

•Inordertoimproveourteachingmethodsandpractices,wetrytogetfeedbackfromtheteacherswhoapplyco-teaching.

•TheMinistryofEducationandthePedagogicalInstituteshouldadequatelysupportandreinforcetheeffortoftheteacherstoapplyco-teaching.




• In1994the‘integration’ofchildrenwithspecialneedsintoregularschoolsbecamearealityinLatviaandmoreandmorechildrenwith special needs have been enrolled into regular schoolssincethen.

• In1998theconceptandterminologyof‘InclusiveEducation’wasintroducedinLatvia.

• Co-teachinginschools(inLatviaitismainlyknownasSupportTeaming)wasintroducedinrecentyears.Teachersworktogetherin one class or they lead lessons togetherwith support teamteachers. Co-teaching in Latvia is part of the Support Team’sdailyworkinmainstreamschools.

• AccordingtotheRegulationsoftheCabinetofMinistry,asecond

teachershouldbeprovidedintheclassroomwhenpupilswithintellectual disabilities and severe andmultiple disabilities areincludedinmainstreamsettings.


• Some mainstream teachers in Riga 45th secondary schoolco-teachmainlyintheteachingofEnglishforelementary-andprimary-levelgraders.

• Whenstudent teacherspractise inourschool theysometimesco-teachwiththehostteacher.Theco-teachingmodelusedis‘onepersonteachesandoneobserves’.

• SinceourinvolvementintheEiTTTprojectmanymoreteachersinourschoolhavenowstartedco-teachingandtrytoincludeitintheirdailywork.

Recommendations

•Co-teachinginmainstreamclassescanalsobeusedveryeffectivelyasawayofgivingmoreattentiontostudentswhoaremoreadvanced.





• There is no general policy in Belgiumon how schools shouldorganiseteachingstructuresinindividualschools.Schoolscanmaketheirowninternalarrangements.Eachschoolgetsacertainnumber of government-funded teaching hours in accordancewiththenumberofstudentstheyhadenrolledtheyearbefore.

• Many schools are searching for ways to work best within theM-Decree.Onepotentiallysuccessfulapproachisviaco-teachingwhichisbecomingaverypopularmeansofsupportingstudentsininclusiveclassrooms.However,thetheorybehindthisstrategyisnotyetgenerallywellknown.

• Classroom infrastructure and too few teaching hours are the mainreasonsastowhyco-teachingisnotimplementedineveryschool.Thereisaneedalsoforteacherstobecomefamiliarwiththegeneralprinciplesunderlyingco-teachingapproaches.

Impact of Project Learning in our Institution• Following the project activity in Finland, BuSO Tongelsbos

startedinformingourstaffaboutco-teachinganditsadvantages.Soonafterthatinformationmeetingweintroducedco-teachinginonepedagogicalunitoftheschoolbywayofapilotproject.Afterourevaluationofthat,wehopetoeventuallyembedtheco-teachingstrategysystematicallyinthewholeschool.

• Wewereable toemploy twoco-teachers inBuSOTongelsbosSpecialSchoolduringthepast18months.Byputtingtwosmallclassestogetherweintroducedafull-timeco-teachingclass.Theevaluationsof those teacherswhohavestartedco-teaching inourschoolwillbesharedwiththerestofthestaff.Basedonourlearningfromthisprojectwehopetosetanexampleforfutureco-teachersintheschool.

• At present in Tongelsbos there is an established liaison andcooperationarrangementinplacewithtwomainstreamschools.Teachers fromour school for specialneedsare co-teaching inmainstreamclassestobringinextrasupportandteachingskillsthere.

• Furthermore, negotiations are underway between Tongelsbosandtwomainstreamschools to introduceSpecialEducationalUnits in these mainstream schools. This inclusive way oforganisingeducationisalsomadepossiblethankstotheuseofco-teachingstrategies.

Recommendations

•WerecommendthatpolicymakersandthegovernmentgrantmorefundsandresourcestoschoolsandteacherssothattheycanrespondtotheM-Decreebyestablishingco-teaching.

•Theimplementationofco-teachingrequiresgoodpreparation.Allinvolvedhavetoseetheadvantagesandhavetoknowabouttheopportunitiesandthechallenges.Sowerecommendthatschoolsintegrateco-teachingsystemsinsmallstepsintotheirschool.

•It’sveryimportantthatbothteacherswhoareco-teachingarewellmatched(a‘professionalmarriage’)

•Thereareatleastsixpossiblestrategiesthatcouldbeemployedinco-teaching.Thechosenstrategyhastobe



EiTTT


• Theaimofrecentlyintroducedlegislation(‘MDecree’)inBelgiumis to make education more inclusive. This decree outlinesmeasures that enablemore studentswith special educationalneedstoregisterandremaininregular(mainstream)education.

• In Flanders, the government draws up the framework forimplementing thesemeasures, but schools have the freedomandresponsibilitytoorganisetheircurriculumandputinplacetools to address this framework in the best way possible. Apromisingresponseofthegovernmenttoaidschoolsinadaptingto this new framework is a pilot redeployment programme inwhich180teachersfromspecialschoolshavebeenassignedtomainstreamschools toworkalongsideandsupport (co-teach with) teachersinthatsystem.

• Aswellasprimaryandsecondaryschools,providersofteachereducationprogrammesarealsoobligedtoadapttheirteachingtothenewframework.

Impact of Project Learning in our Institution • AtUCLLweareawarethatco-teachingisastrategywithalotof

meritstoenhancetheskillsofourstudentteachersastheylearntoteacheffectivelyinthediversityoftoday’sclassrooms.Wehavebeenintroducingstudentteacherstothisstrategyforsometime,andinspecificcircumstancesweuseitinstudentplacement:E.g.Ourfirstyearprimaryeducationstudentsco-teachduringtheirvery first practice lessonsonplacement in schools. Last yearourprimary education student teacherswerealsooffered theopportunitytoco-teachwiththeclassteacherduringtheirfinalplacement.

• However,afterourprojectlearningactivityinFinlandourexistingco-teachingpracticeswereupgradedinvariousways:

• Teacher educators who participated in the learning weekenrichedtheirinputtostudentteachersaboutco-teachingwithalotofexamplesseeninNurmijärvi.

• Teachereducatorsweremorestimulatedtoworktogether.Thisbecameacommonpracticeinthepostgraduateprogrammes.IntheteachertrainingprimaryteachereducationprogrammeanewcurriculumwasimplementedfromSeptember2017.Withinthis curriculum two teachersworking togetherare responsiblefor the planning, organisation, teaching and evaluation of aheterogeneousgroupofstudentteachers(first,secondandthirdyearstudentteachers)regardingtheirstudentplacementsandthelearninghappeninginthefield.

InSeptember2018,adecisionwasmadetoco-teachwithinthecourse units of Arts Education. Two teacher educators in thisarea (Visual Arts and Drama) co-teach two course units (onefor first year students, one for second year students)with theexplicitrequirementtousethevariousformsofco-teachingseeninFinland.Although thischoicehasput strainsonourbudgetsituation, learning outcomes for our student teachers appearto be raised. A thorough evaluation of this development willhappeninJune2019.

• Co-teachingasastrategytopreparefutureteachersfordiverseclassrooms became the subject of two different researchproposals. One of these was approved and now research isunderway to examine the value of co-teaching in secondaryeducation.

Recommendations•ItisrecommendedthattheMinistryofEducationprovidesmoremeansbothtoschoolsandteachereducationinstitutionstoimplementtheM-Decreeandtopreparefutureteachersforthechangingrealityofdiversityinschools.Co-teachingisapowerfultoolinreachingthegoalsoftheM-Decree,butmorefundingisnecessarytoimplementthisoptimally.

Context: Belgium (UCLL)


Video Interaction Guidance in Teacher Education


EiTTT

Case Study: Video Interaction Guidance in Teacher Education

Policy and Practice in Ireland• Teacher education institutions in Ireland are encouraged

to employ a wide range of suitable methodologies tofacilitate student teacher development. Proposals on chosenmethodologiesaresubmittedto,andaccreditedby,therelevantuniversitycouncilsandbyIreland’sTeachingCouncil.

• Inrecentyearsanumberofteachereducationinstitutionshaveundertakenpilotprojectsandstudiesthathaveexploredvideo-typerecordingasatoolinvariousaspectsofteachereducation.Thefindingsofthesestudiesareverypromising.

• In these undertakings video has been largely employed tosupport the observation and assessment of students’ generaland specific skill development during teaching practice, toencouragepeerdialogueandlearning,andtopromotestudentreflectionon, andengagementwith, the theories (explicit andimplicit)underlyingtheirpractices

Impact of Project Learning in our Institution• MIEisplanningtoexplorepossibilitiesforincorporatingvideoas

atooltoenhancestudentteacherreflectionandlearningduringourteachereducationprogrammes.

• AstheEiTTTprojecthashighlighted,thereisanurgentneedtofacilitatestudentteachers’developmentofskillsappropriatetosupportingpupils experiencingdifficulties arising fromsocial /emotional factors.Hence inMIEwewill focuson ‘pedagogicalsensitivity’, i.e. providing for and enhancing through videotechnology, the development of sensitive, caring, empatheticteachers, in accordance with the Video Interaction Guidance (VIG)techniqueobservedduringtheproject.

Recommendations

•Thedegreeofchallenge invariablyexperiencedbystudentandpractisingteachers intheirendeavourstosupportthedevelopment and learning of pupils experiencing social /emotionaldifficultieshasbeenwellestablished.Sotoohastheneedforteachereducatorstoenablestudentteachersto validate and respect the theoretical knowledge theyareobliged toengagewithduring their teachereducationcourses. Variations on the theme of ‘student teacherreflection’, ‘critical reflection’ and ‘reflective practice’ havebeen consistently lauded as themost effective ‘response’to these andother challengesof teacher education,while student teachers concomitantly struggle with the veryrequirementto‘reflect’and‘document’thesereflections!

•The use of video technology offers a potentially valuablemeansofrespondingtoeachofthesechallenges.Relevantstudies conducted todate in teacher education in Ireland,pointtothevalueofvideoforconsiderablyenhancingstudentteacherreflection.

•It is recommended that the strategy be widely trialled in teacher education in Ireland with a particular focuson facilitating the development in student teachers ofappropriate dispositions with reference to ‘pedagogicalsensitivity’.






Policy and Practice in Cyprus• Since 2013, three professors of the Department of Education

workingattheUniversityofCyprus,usetheapproachof“videoclubs”inteachereducation.OriginallyadvancedbyvanEsandSherin (2002), the idea of video clubs refers to forming smallgroupsofparticipantswhomeetregularlytowatch,discuss,andreflectuponselectedvideoexcerptsfromtheirteaching.

• Each academic semester, the professors Charalambos Y.Charalambous,StavroulaPhilippouandGeorgeOlympiou,formagroupof5–6volunteerstudentteacherswhoareinterestedinlearningthroughvideoguidance.Thesestudentsare3rdyearstudents,sinceduringthatperiodofstudytheydotheirin-schoolpractice.Itisimportanttomentionthattheseprofessorsdonotevaluatethestudentsinanyway.Theirroleisjusttoeducateandsupportthestudents.

• Onthefirstgroupmeeting,theprofessorsandthestudentsendupontheparameterstheywanttoimprove.Thisagreementisessential,sinceitisconstitutedbycertainstrategiesandpracticesthatthestudentswanttofocusandimprove.Thesecondthingthatitisbeendiscussedistherules/normsofdiscussion:A)Theyallreferanonymouslytothestudentteacher(theydonotusethenamesofthestudents)andB)theydonotjudgeanyone.Insteadthey focuson thepracticesand the strategiesandnoton the personwhoappliesthem.

• Thegroupmeetsevery2-3weeks.Themeetingsfollowaspiralapplication.Thismeansthatthestudentsapplycertainpracticesintheclassroom,thentheydiscusstheirvideosonthosepracticeswiththegroupandafterthat,withnewideas,theygobacktotheclasstoapplythosepracticesorotherpracticeseachtimewithadifferentscope.Beforeeachmeetingtheprofessorsstudythestudents’lessonplansandtheywatchtheclipsofthestudentsinordertoorganizetheupcomingdiscussion.Thedurationoftheclipis2-3minutes.Thefocusisnotonlessonplanning,butoncertainpracticesandstrategies.Forthisreason,theclipsdonotneedtolastverylong.Duringthemeetingstheprofessorsandthestudentswatch,discuss,andreflectontheclips.Theabovementionedprocedureconstitutescommunityoflearning.

• ThevideoclipsaresavedonaserverattheUniversityofCyprus.WhenthestudentsgraduatetheirvideoscanbeusedfromtheUniversity for educational purposes. Thus, other professors orstudentscanaccessthem.

• Videoclubsforin-serviceteachers:

The University of Cyprus had undertaken a pilot project forin-service teachers. The videos are been tested during the academicyearof2018–2019.Fromthefollowingacademicyeareveryone canhave anaccesson these videos for educationalpurposes.

Impact of Project Learning in our school• Lastyearoneofourteachers,MrsEvridikiPapageorgiou,under

theguidanceofDrCharalambosY.Charalambous,tookpartinanErasmus+ProgrammecoordinatedbytheUniversityofCyprusunder the title “Studying the difficulties inherent in the use ofdemandingactivities inteachingMathematics.”TwolessonsofMathematicswerevideotaped.Thepurposeof thevideoswastorevealtheproblemsthatteacherscomeacrosswhenteachingdemandingactivitiestotheirclasses.Afterthediscussionsonthevideos,suggestionsandideasweregivenfromtheUniversityinordertosimplifythosedemandingactivities.

• Duringtheschoolyear2017–2018,someofourteachersatourschool videoedparts of their lessons in order to discuss theirpracticeswithatleastoneoftheircolleagues.Atfirstitwasverystrange towatch themselves teaching.When the teachers gotusedtoit,itwaseasiertodiscussontheactualpracticeandnotonthefeelingofwatchingthemselvesteaching.

Recommendations•TARGET:Theteacherstobeadequatelysupportedintheirefforts to video parts of their lessons, in order to evolvethemselvesonteachingstrategiesandteachingpractices.





• TeachersinFinlandarehighlyeducated.IngeneraleducationallteachersarerequiredaMaster’sdegree.Invocationaleducationteachers should have aMaster’s degree or Bachelor’s degree.ThehighleveloftrainingisseennecessaryasteachersinFinlandare very autonomous professionally. Teaching and guidancestaffwithinday-carecentresgenerallyhaveBachelor’sdegrees.Pre-primaryteachersinschoolsholdaMaster’sdegree.Specialneeds teachers hold aMaster’s degreewith special pedagogyasthemainsubjectorateachingqualificationincludingspecialneedsteacherstudies.Basicskillsarereinforcedinprofessionalstudies.Sensitiveteacherhoodisknownandoftenbroughtup.Theimportanceofnon-verbalcommunicationisacknowledged.

• The teacher education strategy of VIG (video interactionguidance) and the manner in which it is employed at KareldeGroteUniversity College is to provide for and enhance the development of sensitive, caring and empathetic teachers. InFinlandVIG isused in someuniversitieswith teacher trainees.HowevertheuseofVIGvariesanddependsonthestaffoftheteachertraineeinstitute.

• The amount of SES students ismuch smaller in Finland thanin Belgium. Flexible “fly teams” do not exist commonly. The personalizingofcurriculumsforthestudentsseemtobenefitSESstudentsinBelgium.Specialneedsaretakenintoaccountduringschool days for instance by the use of different playgroundsduringrecesstime.

• The objective in Finland has for the last few years been tointegrate as many pupils with special needs as possible. Apositivetrendcanbeobservedduringthelastfiveyears.In2016thenumberofpupilsinspecialneedsinstitutionswas15percentlowerthanin2011.Theproportionofpupilsinsuchinstitutionsofallpupilsreceivingspecialneedssupportwascirca10percentin2016.Theproportionofpupilswhohavebeenpartlyintegratedintomainstreameducationhasgrown inFinland. In2016circa62percentofpupilswithspecialneedsstudiedatleastpartlyinmainstreamgroups.


VIG points out and confirms the important features of goodandcompetentteacherhood.VIGisamethodthatcanbeusedat any stageof teacherhood to reflect anddevelop yourownteacherhood.Thethreeteachersfromourschoolwhoattendedthe learningweek inAntwerpenstartedtouseVIG inordertoreflectanddeveloptheirownteacherhood.TheuseofVIGwaspositive and the teachers reflected their experience togetherwith each other. Teachers used VIG in group work with thestudentsduringlessons.

Ourschoolstartedtoimprovetheuseofdifferentplaygroundsduringrecess.Differentstudentsneedandbenefitfromdifferenttypes of activities duringbreaks. Teachers of Lukkari Primaryschoolwereaskedtoinnovateastructureforrecess.Groupingstudentsindifferentwaysaccordingtotheirtemperamentsorpersonalitywasalsoimplementedduringlessonsforexampleingroupwork.

Recommendations

•Schools have the possibility to develop their teaching andmethods toanswer theneedsof thestudents in theirareaiftheyaregiventhechancetomakeindividualpedagogicalchoices with the granted resources. In order to grant theresoursesfairlytherecouldbeasystemtoevaluate/diagnosetheSESstudents.ThiswouldensurethatSESstudentshavethesameresources/privilegesinallareas.

•As a member of the Finnish Trade Union of Educationparticipatedon this learningactivity inAntwerpen shehasgoodpossibilitiestodisseminateandgiverecommendationsabout sensitive teacherhood and the use of VIGwidely topolicy-makers.TheuseofVIGcanbeseenasamethodtoself-reflect and ensure that pedagogical sensitivity is notforgotten.





• InLatviaTeachereducationinstitutionsareinvolvedindifferentprojectswhich develop and support new student teachers tostart theirwork in schools.Mentoringandvideoingof studentteachers are included in these activities and projects for newstudentteachers.

• ThefirstvideoingofstudentteacherswasstartedintheUniversityofLatvia.Itisanewteachereducationtoolandawayofenablingstudentteacherstoevaluatethemselves.

• Videosaretakentoobservestudentsteachersintheirpracticeinschoolsandfortheassesmentstudents’skills.

• Videoing promotes great feedback opportunities for studentteachers and encourages their work with different pupils inschools.Videosalsoshowstudentteachersvariouspossibilitiesforprofessionalself-improvement.


• Since our involvement in the EITTT project, Support Teammembershavesuggestedfilminglessonsorsomepartsofthemforanalyzingtheirpracticesandfordiscussion.Itisfeltthatfilmingmakesiteasiertoobserveeachchild’sprogressinthelearningprocess.

• Teachersinourschoolarepleasedtofilmalessonorapartofthe

lesson fromwhichother teachers (includingthenewteachers)canlearnmethodologies.

Recommendations

•Videotechnologiesofferpossibilitiestogetclearfeedback.Itisvaluableforstudentteacherstoevaluatethemselves.Itisrecommendedasapartoflearningprocess.Italsohelpsamentorteachertogivesomerecommendationstotheirnewcolleague.

•Videoingalsohelpstoseehowachildisprogessing.InourschoolitisusefulforourSupportTeam.WerecommendthatvideobeusedmoreoftennotonlywithstudentsinTeacherEducationinstitutionsbutalsotoimproveteacherpracticeinourschoolsinLatvia.


EiTTT



• InFlanders,whilethegovernmentsetstheframeworkregardingthebasiccompetenciesrequiredofabeginningteacher,teachereducation institutions have the freedom and responsibility toorganise their curriculumand implement tools toaddress thisframeworkinthebestwaypossible.

• The professional profile (for the experienced teacher) and the basiccompetencies(forthebeginningteacher)whicharederivedfromitarebothbasedonavisionofeducationwhichispupil-orientedandemancipatory.Oneofouttenbasiccompetenciesisdescribedas“TheTeacherasEducator”,withanemphasisoncreating a positive and responsive environment in classroomsand schools. With regard to this particular competency, thelearningactivityinKdGAntwerpprovideduswithfurtherideasandatooltoenhanceourcurriculum.

Impact of Project Learning in our Institution • Withinthecurriculaofourteachereducationprogrammesalot

of emphasis is placed on teacher-child interaction. We agree wholeheartedlywithBertMurawski that learningcanonlycanoccurwhenachildfeelssafe,welcomeandunderstoodbyhis/her teacher. Inbothourcourseunitsandreflectiongroupsasubstantialamountoftimeisgiventofocusingonteacher-childinteraction.

• VideoInteractionGuidanceasakeyteachereducationstrategyis already used within the teacher education programme forEarly Childhood Education. In the programme for primaryeducation student teachers, elements of this strategy havealsobeenintroduced. LucDegrande,oneofourcolleaguesatUCLL,contributedtothelearningactivityatKdGinAntwerpandshowedushowheusesvideoasavaluablemeansofenablingstudentteacherstoreflectontheirclassroompracticesandontheirengagementswiththeirstudents.

• Input / information on the theory of the ‘Sensitive Teacher’ isprovidedtoteachereducatorswhoareresponsibleforourcourseunitswhichhaveafocusonteacher-childinteraction.

• Within the primary teacher educationprogramme, steps havebeen taken to integrate Video Interaction Guidance moreoftenintoourguidanceofstudentsinrelationtotheirpractice.Collaborationbetweenthoseteachereducatorsandourteachereducators inearly childhoodeducationwhoaremore familiarwiththeuseofVIG,isoneofthosesteps.

• However, schools in Flanders are required (more than in thepast,asaconsequenceofGDPRlegislationinEurope)toprotectthepersonaldataofthechildrenintheirschools,andwesensea reluctance to allow our student teachers tomake videos ofthemselvesininteractionwiththechildren.AmeetingtobeheldinApril2019withprincipalsoftheschoolsinwhichourstudentsdotheirstudentplacements,willhopefullybringclarityonthismatter.

Recommendations•ItisrecommendedthatourteachereducationinstitutionreachasatisfactorycompromisewithourschoolsregardingtheuseofVideosolelyfordidacticalgoals.ItwouldbeevenbetterofthegovernmentcouldprovideanexceptiontotheGDPRlegislationfordidacticaluses.

•ItisrecommendedthatourteachereducationinstitutioninvestsintherightmaterialsandvirtualspacetomakeitpossibletouseVIGonalargerscale.


Student-teacher Placement in a Special Education School Context – Developing Knowledge, Skills and Attitudes for Inclusive Practice


EiTTT

Case Study: Student-teacher Placement in a Special Education School Context – Developing Knowledge, Skills and Attitudes for Inclusive Practice



1CharalambosY.Charalambous*,StavroulaPhilippou,GeorgeOlympiouDepartmentofEducation,UniversityofCyprus,Cyprus.Reconsideringtheuseofvideoclubsforstudent-teachers’learningduringfieldplacement:Lessonsdrawnfromalongitudinalmultiplecasestudy.

Fig1.Overviewofthefieldplacementandthevideo-clubdatacollection

Policy and Practice in Cyprus• TeacherEducationinCyprus

In Cyprus, in order to become a teacher, you need to enter auniversity andcompletea full four-year courseof studies.The students,besidestheoreticalstudies,needtocompleteaseriesofin-schoolpracticescalled“fieldplacements”.Fieldplacementsaredividedinthreephasesasshowninthefigure1above1.

• SpecialEducation

In the case of the students who follow special educationstudies,fieldplacementsdonottakeplace.Ifastudentwantstoexperiencetheworkinspecialschoolsortheworkinschoolunitshe/shehastoarrangeitbyhim/herself.

• TheUniversityofCyprusoffersawiderangeofprogrammesfor the students who would like to learn more about special education.

› Undergraduate Programs of “Primary Education” and “Early Childhood Education”

Theundergraduateprogram“PrimaryEducation”offersacompulsoryintroductorycourseandthreespecializationcourses.Theundergraduateprogram“EarlyChildhoodEducation”offerstwocompulsorycourses.

› PostgraduatePrograminSpecialandInclusiveEducation The program aims to inform, raise awareness and educate

graduates of primary and secondary education and activeteachers or prospective teachers on issues of diversity ineducation, disability and inclusive education. The graduatesoftheprogramwillbeableto:(a)conductresearchinthefieldofspecialeducationandtraining,(b)actasreferencepointsinprimary and secondary mainstream schools for the effective operationofintegrationofchildrenwithspecialneedsingeneral,(c)tocontributethroughtheirteachingandgeneralattendanceatschoolstothefunctionalparticipationofchildrenwithdisabilitiesin themainstreamclassesand themainstreamschools, (d) toworkfortheproductionofeducationalmaterial, (e)toactasacatalystforinclusioninthewidereducationsystemofCyprusand(f)toundertakePhDstudiesandresearchinthefieldoftraining.

› DoctoralPrograminSpecialandHolisticEducation The PhD program in Special and Inclusive Education aims to

deepen and critically analyze issues related to disability ineducationwhileencouraginglinkswiththeevolutionofthinkingin other contexts (e.g. society, history, politics). The doctoralprogramisbasedonbothGreekandinternationalbibliographyof Inclusive Education and Disability Studies and aimsmainlyatcreatingastrongtheoreticalbackground,developingcriticalthinking, reflection on research and disability and moralcommitmentofthoseinvolvedensuretherightsofpeoplewithdisabilities.Theprogram isaddressed to teachersofall levels,butalsotopeoplecomingfromSpecialorInclusiveEducation,Disability,PsychologyandSociologyofEducation.

• EducatorshavethechancetoparticipateinseminarstheUniversity of Cyprus offers.

› SeminarsofInclusiveEducation These Seminars are one of the oldest academic institutions

of theUniversity of Cyprus,with the first seminar dating backto the 1995 Winter Semester. Since then, the seminars have beenconductedcontinuously inco-operationwith theCyprusInclusiveEducationGroup([email protected] .cy)headquarteredattheUniversityofCyprus.Fromthisseriesofseminarsuntilnow,almostall executivesof thepublicCypriot educational systemhavebeeninvolvedintheeducationofchildrenwithdisabilities,aswellasparents,teachers,peoplewithdisabilities,therapistsandprofessionalsfromCyprusandabroad.Theseminarshavealsoattractedanumberofwell-knownacademicnamesintheinternationalDisabilityandUniformEducationfield.



• ResearchProgramme“PsifidesGnosis:Millsofknowledge”

The “Mills of Knowledge” research program aims to collect,digitise and disseminate material related to people withdisabilities and chronic diseases, with the ultimate goal ofpromoting holistic education. Within the framework of theprogram,richmaterialhasbeencollected(e.g.primarymaterialdevelopedbypeoplewithdisabilitiesandchronicdiseasessuchasautobiography,poems,musicandworksofart,magazinesandnewsletters,supportivemediaandtechnology,shortfilms,fairytales, educational material for various curricula of thecurriculum,etc.).Thismaterialisbeingusedintrainingprogramscarriedout in the InclusiveEducationWorkshop.Participantsin the training programs have the opportunity to developknowledge,attitudesandskills,whichallowthemtodevelopmicro-level programs aimed at constructing the concept ofdisability at school. Part of thematerial collected under the programhasbeeneditedandpostedon theprojectwebsite(www.ucy.ac.cy/psifides-gnosis. Inparticular, the site includesDigital Portfolio of Disabled People and Chronic Illnessesthat can be exploited by teachers, enriching the curriculum.The site also contains publications on inclusive education inCyprus.Thesepublicationscouldserveasareferencepointforeducators,studentsandparentswhowishtobeinformedaboutthetheoryandresearchinthefieldofintegratededucationinCyprus.Finally,therearelinkstoacademicjournals,pedagogicalorganizations,governmentandotherservicesrelatedtogeneraleducationanddisabilityissues.

• SeminarsinInclusiveEducationPractice

The Research and Teaching Unit of Inclusive Education wasestablishedin2012toenhancetheresearchworkcarriedoutin the Department of Education Sciences of the Universityof Cyprus from its foundation until today. It is a place thatserveseducationalandresearchactivities relatedto inclusiveeducation, such as the education of students, teachersand children, the observation of the learning process, the observationandrecordingoftheinteractionduringlearning,etc.TheSeminarsareintheformofapioneeringmultidisciplinary

space, which includes important material associated withinclusive education, such as primary material developed bypeople with disabilities (e.g. autobiographies, poems, musicandart),archivalmaterial(e.g.shortfilms,fairytalesandliterarybooks),educationalmaterialsandtechnologylearningsupporttoolsforallchildren.

Impact of Project Learning in our School• Itisveryimportantforustoimplementasfaraswecan,since

weareaprimaryschool,theneedof“studentteachers”tobefamiliaroftheworkdoneinmainstreamschools,specialunitsandspecialschools.Forthisreason,wehadacommunicationwithtwoacademics,DrSimoniSimeonidoufromtheUniversityofCyprusandDrKaterinaMavroufromtheEuropeanUniversityCyprus.We informed themabout theprogrammesofMarinoInstituteofEducation.

• SinceitisobligatorytofollowahierarchyinordertocommunicatewiththeMinistryofEducation,initiallywecommunicatedwithourGeneral School Inspector,MrPanayiotisKyrouabout theMIEprogrammes.“Studentteachers”shouldbefromthestartoftheirstudiesbeabletopracticeinthespecialunitswithintheschoolor inspecialschools.Onceagain, the implementationprocedureshouldcomewiththeapprovalandrecommendationoftheMinistryofEducation.

Recommendations•TARGETof theUniversities:Universities should include intheirpostgraduateprogrammesspecialeducationteachingpracticefortheir“studentteachers”.

•TARGEToftheMinistryofEducation:Promotethe“studentteacher” in-school practice in special education (eitherinmainstreamclasses,either inspecialunitsor inspecialschools).

•TARGET: The teachers be adequately supported in theirefforts to host “student teachers” who are interested inteachingchildrenwithspecialneeds.

Case Study: Student-teacher Placement in a Special Education School Context – Developing Knowledge, Skills and Attitudes for Inclusive Practice Contd




• The basic principle of Finnish education is that all people must have equal access to high-quality education. The same opportunities for education shouldbe available to all citizens,regardlessoffamilybackgroundorplaceofresidence.Accordingto the new curriculum, education is developed according totheprinciplesof inclusion,withschoolsencouragedto includeall types of students in mainstream classes. There are cases,however, where special education is delivered in dedicatedschoolsorclasses;thedecisiononhowtodeliverthisismadebytheindividualcityormunicipality.

• All trainee teachers are introduced to the concept of inclusive education. Again, however, individual universities will choosehowthisisdelivered,withsomeembeddingspecificmodulesonspecialneedseducation into teachingor relatedprogrammes.In some cases, trainee teachers can undertake a specialisedprogramme(eitherafulldegreeprogrammeoraone-yeartop-upprogrammeforthosealreadyqualifiedasamainstreamteacher),allowing them to teach in a specialised primary or secondaryschoolforspecialneedspupils.Inallcases,traineeteachersareexpectedtospendsometimeintheclassroom(mainstreamorspecialneeds)eitherteachingorobservingteachingdelivery.


• This was an interesting model to observe. However, as aprimaryschool,workinginmainstreameducation,thereareno plans for us to introduce teacher placements in specialneedsschools.

Recommendations

•WhilstnotsomethingthatiseasytoalignwiththedeliveryofmainstreamorspecialneedseducationinFinland,werecognisethebenefitsthatsuchplacementsmightprovide.

•Weconsiderthattheoptionofexperiencingstudentteachingin‘morethanone’specialneedsschoolmightalsobebeneficial.





• InLatviatobecomeateacheryouneedtoenterauniversityandcompleteafullfour-yearorthree-yearcourseofstudies.Someofthesecourseshavepracticeteachingcomponents.Aswellastheirtheoreticalstudiesthestudentswhochoosefour-yearstudyprogrammesneedtocompleteapracticalpartbyworkingasateacherinmainstreamschools.

• Thepracticalstudiesinmainstreamschoolconsistofthreeparts–observing,teachingandstateexam.Usuallypracticalstudiesstartfromthesecondyearandcontinueuntilgraduation.

• If the student teacherwishes to study Special Education theyhavetochoosethisprogrammeatthebeginningoftheircourse.There is no opportunity within the course provision for suchstudentteacherstoundertakepracticalplacementsinschools.Ifastudentwishestoexperiencetheworkofspecialschoolsortheworkinschoolunitshe/shehastoarrangethisindependently.

• TheUniversityofLatviaoffersonlyonerouteforthosestudentswhowishtolearnmoreaboutSpecialEducation–theBachelor’sProgrammeinSpecialeducationandtheMaster’sprogrammeinSpecialEducation.AftergraduationstudentswhoworkasateacherinschoolshaveapossibilitytotakeadditionalcoursesinSpecialEducationfinancedbytheMinistryofEducation.ThesecoursesallowgeneraleducationteacherstogetaqualificationasaSpecialEducationteacherandtoworkinSpecialEducation.


• Itisveryimportantforusasasecondaryandprimaryschooltosupportstudentteachersinbecomingfamiliarwiththepracticalworkdoneinmainstreamschools.Everyteacherinschoolmustknowhowtoworkwithgeneralandspecialneedsstudentsatthesametime.

Recommendations

•TARGETtheUniversities:Universitiesshouldincludeintheirpostgraduateprogrammesspecialeducationteachingpracticefortheirstudentteachers.

•TARGETtheMinistryofEducation:Promotethestudentteacherbyprovidingin-schoolpracticeinspecialeducationandmainstreamschools.

•TARGETtheTeacher:Teachersmustbeadequatelysupportedintheireffortstohoststudentteacherswhoareinterestedinteachingchildrenwithspecialneeds.





• Since1/9/2007twotypesofpre-serviceteachertrainingsystems(Integrated and Specific) have been in place. Both types ofprogrammes lead to a single professional title: The Teacher’sDiploma. The practical component has been considerablyexpandedinbothprogrammes:

Integrated Teacher Training These are professionally oriented Bachelor’s programmes

(PBAs) offered by university colleges that lead to a Bachelor’sDegree in Education, respectively in pre-school, primaryand secondary education. These courses integrate subjectmatter and pedagogical-didactical components throughoutthe programme. The university colleges award the degree inquestiontograduatesandawardtheteacher’sdiploma.

The programme comprises 180 credits (one credit represents25to30hoursofstudyload,afullacademicyearcomprises60credits). Thepractical educational activities component formspart of this and comprises 45 credits. The university collegesorganise this practical component as pre-service training incollaborationwith theschools,centresor institutions. For thesecondary education programme, the student chooses twosubjects.

SpecificTeacherTrainingCourses(SLO) Theseteachertrainingcoursesatauniversitycollege,university

or adult education centre, are undertaken in addition to, orfollowing subject knowledge initial training and/or vocationalexperience (former “aggregates” and “GPB” courses). Thistrainingcanbeofferedas:

•A built-in programme, i.e. as an option package within asubject-specificprogramme(amaximumof30creditswithinaMaster’sprogrammeof120creditsand15withinaBachelor’sprogramme);

•Contiguousprogrammetoaprogrammewithsubjectmatter; •Separate training for peoplewhowant to enter the teaching

professiononthebasisofprofessionalexperience.

Students in a professionally oriented Bachelor’s programme(PBA) and in a Master’s programme can take the specificprogrammeseitherduringoraftertheirsubjectmattertraining.However, the Teacher’s Diploma cannot be awarded until the basic diploma has been obtained. Holders of a secondaryeducationdiplomacanalsobeadmittedtothespecificteachertraining programmes. The programmeprovides a credit loadof60credits,ofwhich30areforthepracticalcomponent.Thetheoreticalandpracticalprogrammecomponentsalternateandinteractinthisprogrammeconcept.

Thepracticalcomponentcanberealizedinthreeways: • Viaaworkplacementduringthetraining,the

so-called‘pre-servicetraining’;

• Throughateacher’sjob,theso-called‘in-servicetraining’,i.e.theLIOjob,teacher-in-training-job;

• Byacombinationofboth.

Pre-servicetraining: In pre-service training, the trainee completes the practical

component of a teacher training programme in a school,institution or centre without having a statutory relationshipwith it. The pre-service intern is not considered an employee and thereforedoesnot receiveanemploymentcontract. The organisation of this is done in a cooperative arrangementbetween a member of staff in the work placement school,institutionorcentreandtheworkplacementsupervisoroftheteachertrainingonthebasisofanagreementon,amongotherthings:

• Thedivisionofresponsibilitiesbetweenschool,centreandinstitution,studentandteachertraining;

• The role of the school, centre and institution inevaluatingthestudent/courseparticipant;

• Theperiodoftheschoolyearinwhichthepre-servicetrainingtakesplace;

• Theintern’stasks.




In-service training, theteacher-in-trainingjob(LIOjob): With in-service training, the trainee fulfils the practical

component of a teacher training course as a temporary staffmember at a secondary school, a part-time arts educationinstitution,anadulteducationcentreoranurseryandprimaryeducation centre. In exceptional cases, students who followthe SLO may, after or during a Physical Education Master’sprogramme,beemployedasLIOPhysicalEducationteachersinnurseryandprimaryeducation.

Impact of Project Learning in our Institution

• New student teachers can undertake some of their practicaltrainingatTongelsbosSpecialSchool.

• NegotiationsareunderwaybetweenTongelsbosSpecialSchoolandtwomainstreamschoolstointroduceSpecialEducationalUnits in these mainstream schools. This inclusive way oforganisingeducationisalsomadepossiblethankstotheuseofco-teachingstrategies.

• As we learnt in Dublin, student teachers’ use of video forprofessional self-reflection /development seems tobea veryvaluablestrategybeforeandafterastudentteacherplacementexperienceinschools.Weareexploringwaysofintroducingthisduringstudentteacherplacementinourschool.

Recommendations•Atthemomenttherearenorulesforuniversitycollegesinvolvedinteachereducationaboutplacementandpre-servicetraining(i.e.thereisnostatutoryrelationshipinplacebetweentheuniversityandtheschoolchosenforstudentplacement).Werecommendthatsuchagreementsbeputinplace.

•Makeworkplacementwithspecialneedschildrenorclassesacompulsoryelementofteachertraining.Werecognisethebenefitsthatsuchplacementsmightprovide,andweconsiderthattheoptionofundertakingteachingpracticeinmorethanonetypeofspecialschoolmightalsobeverybeneficial.Whenwedonotmakesuchanarrangementarequirement,studentsmaynottryit.

Case Study: Student-teacher Placement in a Special Education School Context – Developing Knowledge, Skills and Attitudes for Inclusive Practice Contd.


EiTTTContext: Belgium (UCLL)


• During their threeyears incollege,student teachershavea lotofplacementsinschools.Theypracticeindifferentschoolsandexperiencebeingateacher indifferentcontexts. Attheendoftheirprogramme, theyhave thechance tochoosewhere theywanttohavetheirlastexperienceinpractice.Thefirstyeartheirplacementisshort,withanemphasisonobservationandtakingovershortlessons/timesduringtheday.Thefartherstudentsareintheirtraining,themoreplacementtimetheyhaveinordertograduallytakeoverthetaskoftheteacherwithinaschool.

• A teacher’s degree can be obtained in three years.Afterthreeyearsstudentscangetstartedasagraduateteacher.However,alotofstudentsspendanextrayearofstudy,eitherimmediatelyfollowingtheirinitialtrainingorwhentheyalreadyareatwork.Inthisextrayearstudentscombinetwodaysofinternshipinschoolswithtwodaysoflessonsinourinstitutioneveryweek.Inputfromthetrainingconstantlyvarieswithpracticalexperience.

Impact of Project Learning in our Institution • We strengthen the link between initial teacher education

(primary education) and the Advanced B.A.: we let studentsof the Advanced B.A. introduce students of initial teachereducationtospecialneedschools(2018-2019).AllthestudentsoftheAdvancedB.A.completethereinternshipinspecialneedsschools and are being supervised by a teacher of the specialneedsschool.WeinvitethementorsofourstudentsinUCLLtoexplaineverythingabouttheinternship.Aspartofthisprocess,thestudentsoftheAdvancedB.A.willtakeoverthespecialneedsclass,togetherwithastudentof initialteachereducation.Withthisexperience,theywilldeepentheirunderstandingofspecialneedsschools.

• Afterwesawwhatimpactofavideo-reflectiononinitialteachereducation students in Ireland, we started to integrate video-reflections for students in the AdvancedB.A., and particularlyduring but during their internship in special needs schools. Inthis academic year (2018-2019)we started to usemore video-materialproducedbystudentstoprocesseverythingthattheyhavelearned.

Recommendations•ItisrecommendedthatUCLL’sTeacherEducationDepartmentmakesplacementwithspecialneedschildrenorclassesobligatory.Werecognisethebenefitsthatsuchplacementsmightprovideandweconsiderthattheoptionofexperiencingteachingin‘morethanone’specialneedsschoolmightalsobebeneficial.Thereisastrongpossibilitythatifwedonotmakeitcompulsory,studentswillnottryit.

•ItisrecommendedthattheMinistryofEducationthinksaboutamorestraightforwardwayoforganisingspecialneedclassesinregulareducation.Howcanweorganizeoureducationalprovisionsothatmorechildrencanparticipateinoureducationsystem?Howmightweemploytheideaofaclassfromaspecialneedsschoollocatedandorganisedinregulareducation?TherearealreadysomepilotprojectsinBelgiumexploringthisidea.

•ItisrecommendedthattheMinistryofEducationconsiderstheprovisionofsupportforlearninginmainstreamclasses.Moresupportsandresourcesareneededinclassesforallchildren.WithaviewtoInclusiveEducation,itshouldbeeasiertosourcetheseresourcesandsupports.


Inclusion Through Education – Students from Refugee/Migrant/Socio-economically Disadvantaged Backgrounds


EiTTT

Case Study: Inclusion through Education – Students from Refugee / Migrant / Socio-economically Disadvantaged Backgrounds

Policy and Practice in Ireland• Sincethe1980stherehasbeenconsiderablegovernmentsupport

provided to schools in communities in Ireland designated as‘disadvantaged’.Theseschoolshavebeenaccordedlowerpupil/ teacher ratios than the national norm as well as additionalfundingtoenabletheirundertakingofarangeofprojects.

• Nonetheless, learning outcomes of pupils in these schoolsremainconsiderablybelowthose inotherschoolswithalmost50% of students in the most ‘disadvantaged’ school settingstransitioning to second-level schoolwithoutbasic literacyandnumeracyskills.

• Themostrecentlypublishedpolicyinthisregardisthe‘DEISPlan2017’.DEISrefersto‘DeliveringEqualityofOpportunityinSchools’(DepartmentofEducationandSkills,2017).Anambitiousrangeoftargetshasbeenoutlinedinthisplanwithaviewto‘harnessingeducation tobreakdownbarriersand stem thecycleof inter-generationaldisadvantagebyequippinglearnerstoparticipate,succeed and contribute effectively to society in a changingworld’. Thesetargetsaddressstudents’literacyandnumeracyperformance, their retention levels in the school system, theirwellbeing,theirprogressiontofurtherandhighereducationandtoteachereducation,parental engagement and community links.

Impact of Project Learning in our Institution• As a consequenceof our learning from theEiTTTproject, the

‘EducationalDisadvantage’componentofMIEstudentteachers’InclusiveEducationcoursehasbeenre-structured.Thecourseisnowfocusedasfollows:

• ThepreparationofstudentteachersintermsofunderstandingtheimportanceofpupilWellbeing/Social-emotionalDevelopmentandintroducingthemtospecificteaching/learningresources(e.g.‘TheFriendsProgrammes’;‘TheIncredibleYearsProgrammes’)thatwillsupporttheirconceptualandskilldevelopmentinthisregard. (These particular programmes incorporate parent,teacherandpupildevelopment).

• The preparation of student teachers as practitioners whowillhavetheknowledge,attitudesandskillsnecessaryforeffectiveengagement with parents and the wider school communitywith a view ultimately to the enhancement of pupils’ schoolparticipationandoutcomes.

• Introducing student teachers to a range of practical LiteracyandNumeracyprogrammes(e.g.FirstSteps;ReadingRecovery,Maths Recovery; Ready, Set, Go Maths) that are employed in‘DEIS’ schools in Ireland, and concomitantly exploring howthese programmes can be incorporated with the satisfactorysocial-emotionaldevelopmentofpupilsandtheengagementofparentsintheirchildren’slearning,ashighlightedabove.

Recommendations

•Arising from our learning during the project, it isrecommended that two targets of Ireland’s ‘DEIS Plan2017’ be given particular attention in teacher educationprogrammesandbyteachersinschoolsindesignatedareasofeducationaldisadvantage:

•TARGET:‘StudentWellbeing’:‘ExtendtheIncredibleYearsTeacherProgrammeandtheFriendsProgrammein ‘DEIS’primaryschoolstoreachsignificantlymorepupilsby2019’(DEISPlan,p.7).

•TARGET:‘Improvethelevelofparentalengagementintheirschoolcommunitiesthroughbetterschoolplanning...[and]...improvelinkagesthathelpstudentsengageincommunityactivities’(DEISPlan,p.8).

•The realisationof these targetsmaynecessitate increasedfunding and the provision of appropriate continuingprofessionaldevelopmentforpractisingteachers.

•Itwillalsorequiresomere-focusingofmanyinitialteachereducationprogrammes.






• Education is without doubt the best way to help migrantsintegrateintothesociety.EducationformigrantsinFinlandaimsatprovidingthenewcomerswithskillsandcompetencestoactasequalmembersintheFinnishsociety.Preparatoryeducationisabridgetomainstreameducation.Preparatoryeducationhasitsownnationalcurriculum.Thiseducationgiveslanguageandotherskillsnecessaryformovingontomainstreameducation.Theeducationtakesintoconsiderationthefactthatpupilsaredifferentintermsofage,learningcapabilitiesandbackground.

• In Cyprus all Day School programme is provided after theobligatorylessons.Itisfundedbythegovernment.Onlylunchispaidbythefamilies.AllDaySchoolisopenforallstudents.ThemainreasonsforattendingAllDaySchoolarethelongworkinghoursoftheparents,thestudents’needforextrasupportandsupport for students from multicultural families (help withhomework). In comparison, Finnish pupils have short schooldays.Teachingtime inbasiceducation isamongthe lowest intheworld.Forexample the firstgradershave19 lessons/weekandthesixthgradershave25lessons/week.InFinlandstudentsfrom the first and secondgradehave thepossibility toattendafternoonschool.However,thisisnotusuallyorganizedbytheschool.Afternoonschoolcanbeorganizedbythemunicipality,theyouthdepartment,thechurchorbytheprivatesector.


• Whenthefourthgradestudentsendtheirsemester,theirclassesaremixed. Theywill start the 5th grade inmixed classeswithnew classmates. This sometimes causes confusion and evensorrowamong the students.Basedonour learning inCyprus,inourschoolwewillhelpthestudentscopewiththeirfeelingsbymakingdiscussionpossibleandbygivingnecessarytimetocopewiththenewsituation.Theuseofdifferentmethodsandmaterials for teaching emotional skills is emphasized on allgrades.

Recommendations

•ThesuccessoftheAnthoupolisPrimarySchoolisbasedon recognizing the social and emotional needs of thestudents.Theapproachtoteaching isone inwhichtheemotional well-being of students is elementary ratherthan the academic achievements. It is seen that theacademicachievementsfollowwhenthebasicconditionsaresufficientlycovered.WerecommendthattheMinistryofEducationtakenoteofthesefacts.

•Being a teachermeansmuchmore than just academicand didactic knowledge. In order to be a good teacherone must also possess skills in being a colleague andinteracting with parents and cooperating with thepartnersaroundtheschool.Theteachersmustprovideawarm,caringatmosphereandasafe,respectfullearningenvironmentinschoolwithaviewtothewell-beingofthechildrenaboveallelse.WerecommendthattheMinistryofEducationtakenoteofthesefacts.





• Every citizen of the Republic of Latvia, holders of non-citizenpassportsissuedbytheRepublicofLatvia,citizensofEuropeanUnion, European Economic Area countries and Switzerland,permanent residents of the European Community holding aresidence permit for Latvia, stateless persons who possessa travelling document issued by the Republic of Latvia, third-country nationals or stateless persons who possess a validresidence permit for the Republic of Latvia, persons havingrefugee or alternative status and persons who have receivedtemporaryprotectionwithin theRepublicofLatviahaveequalrightstoeducationinLatvia.

• We have socio-economically disadvantaged students in ourschools.Theschoolshavesocialteacherswhohelpteachersandthesestudents.

• TheStateEducationQualityService implementstheEuropeanSocialFundproject“SupportfortheReductionofEarlyChildhoodLeaving” – ‘PuMPuRS’ to reduce the number of children andyoungpeopledroppingoutofschoolandnotcompletingtheirstudies.Theprojectpromotestheestablishmentofasystemofsustainablecooperationbetweenmunicipality,school,teachersandparentsinordertoidentifyinatimelymannerchildrenandyoungpeopleat riskofdroppingoutof trainingandprovidingthem with personalized support.Teachers are provided withtheopportunitytoprofessionalizeandstrengthentheirskillsforworkingwith young people, andmethodological toolswill bedeveloped.

Targetgroup:studentswithsocio-economicallydisadvantagedbackground/migrants.Thestudentreceivesupportinordertoreducetherisksofschooldrop-out.

Supportsprovided:

• Consultations (pedagogue,psychologist, socialpedagogue,assistant teacher, special education teacher, surdeon,assistant,ergotherapist);

Compensationfor:

• publictransporttickets;

• accommodation;

• catering;

• individualteachingaids;

• forindividualuseitems;

• specialtransport.

Impact of Project Learning in our School• Ourschoolhastakenpartinthegovernmentproject“Pumpurs”

sinceOctober2018.

• Weprovidein-schoolsupportthataimstofacilitatetheinclusionof students from refugee or migrant backgrounds and othersocio-economicallydisadvantagedbackgrounds.

Recommendations •InLatviathelevelofparentalengagementwithschoolsshouldbeimproved.Thegovernmentshouldinvestmoreinshoolplanningforthise.g.viasupportingschoolsinliaisingwiththeirParents’Associations.Inthiswayparentscanhelpschoolstoovercomedifficultiesexperiencedbychildrenandteachers.

•Itisveryimportanttorecognizethesocialandemotionalneedsofthestudents.Thegovernmentandtheschoolsshouldpaymoreatteniontothestudents’wellbeing.TheSchoolstaffshouldhavethetraining,support,flexibilityandresourcestoencourageandrespondtotheneedsofallstudents.

•TeacherEducatorsmustensurethatstudentteachersunderstandthateachactivityemployedbytheteacherintheclassroomshouldbemeaningful.Teachersshouldengagestudentsinactive,constructive,cooperativeways.Greatinstructionalintensity,differentiatedinstructionandvisualmaterialsareveryimportantconsiderationsforstudentteachers.





• WehaveagreatnumberofrefugeescomingintoBelgiumatthemoment.AccordingtotheFlemishAgencyforEducationServices,thenumberofOkanstudentsdoubledfrom1,592to3,120intheyearsbetween2007and2012.TheAntwerpprovince receivedthemoststudents:1,250 inthe2011-12schoolyear,or40%ofthetotalnumberthatyear. OKANstandsfor ‘onthaalklasvooranderstaligenieuwkomers’,translated:‘Receptioneducationfornon-Dutchspeakingnewcomers’.

• ThegovernmentisdoingavaluablejobinremindingeverybodythatinWW2theBelgiansthemselvesweretherefugeesandinmuchgreaternumbersthantherefugeesnowadays.

• Non-DutchspeakingpupilswhoonlyrecentlyarrivedinBelgiumcanqualifyforextrasupportthroughreceptioneducation.Here,theywilllearnDutchandgetanopportunitytopractisetheirnewlanguage,withanemphasisonthepracticaluseofthelanguage.

• OKANinelementaryandsecondaryeducation Bothelementaryandsecondaryschoolshostreceptionclasses

fornon-Dutchspeakingnewcomers.SchoolscanapplyforextraOKANteachingperiodsassoonasacertainnumberofnon-Dutchspeakingnewcomersareregisteredattheschool.SchoolsarefreetodecidehowtheyorganisetheirOKANoffer(inaseparateclass,extrasupportintheclassitselforacombinationofboth).Infull-timesecondaryeducation,non-DutchspeakingnewcomersareimmersedintheDutchlanguageonafull-timebasisbeforetheymoveontoregulareducation.Inpart-timesecondaryeducation(LearningandWorking),non-Dutchspeakingnewcomerscanavailofreceptioneducation.Here,theemphasiswilllieonanenhancedtransitiontolabour-marketparticipation.TheseclassesfocusonDutch-languageskills,integrationandindependence.

• There is no extra training for the teachers who work withtherefugees.


• KdGisorganisinganInformationDayforteachersandstudentsabouttheintegrationofrefugees.Thiswillbeheldonthe22ndofNovember2019.Weareplanningtodothiseveryyearfromnowon.

• A new Continuing Professional Development (CPD) course forteachersonTraumaCounsellinghasbeenintroducedatKareldeGrote(KdG)University.Teacherslearnhowtoworkwithchildrenwhohavebeenthroughatraumaticexperience.

• StudentsatTongelsbosSpecial School can take freemeals atschoolifnecessary.Theseareprovidedforallchildren,includingrefugeechildren,whomaybeinneedofhealthyfood.

Recommendations

•TheBelgiangovernmentshouldmakepeopleawareoftheneedsrefugeesmayhaveforemotionalsupportsandaboutwaysofprovidingfortheirwellbeing.Thereisageneralneedtounderstandwhypeopleleavetheircountriesandwhattheyaregoingthroughwhentheydoso.

•Wehavearesponsibilitytoensurethatrefugeesareabletoaccessrelevantinformation.Thereisalotofinformationontheinternetbutveryoftenpeoplearenotawareofwheretofindit.

•Allschoolchildrenshouldbeprovidedwithafreeschoollunchorlunchatareducedpricesothattheyareensuredofatleastonegoodmealaday.



EiTTT


• TheGOK-decreewasinstitutedinFlandersinJune2002.Thishasresultedinextratimeandresourcesforschoolswithaviewtoensuringthateverychildhasequaleducationalopportunities.

TheGOK-decreeintegratedsupportenabledschoolstodevelopa care-wide operation for all children and young people, andforunderprivilegedchildrenandyoungpeople inparticular. Itensuredtherightofenrolmentinaschooloftheirchoiceforeverychildoryoungperson.

Legalprotectionisalsoincluded.LocalConsultationPlatforms(LOPs)havebeenestablished.Theseoverseetheimplementationof the equal educational opportunities policy locally, andoverseeaPupilRightsCommitteethatmonitorstherightsofthepupils. This means that Flanders wants to mix children with different backgrounds in schools.

• In primary educationthereisnopredeterminedlistofschoolswith reception education. The reception classes are formedon the basis of non-native children who enrol in one school.Reception education consists of a number of hours of extrasupervisionforthenon-nativespeakerchildren.

• In mainstream primary educationtherehasbeennoseparateintegratedsupportofferedsince1September2012,buttheSESteaching periods (allocated on the basis of the pupil’s socio-economicstatus)areanintegralpartoftheframework.Tograspthesocio-economicstatusofthepupils,thefollowingindicatorsareused:

• homelanguageofthepupil

• receivingaschoolallowance

• thehighestlevelofeducationofthemother

• In special primary educationthesupplementaryframeworkisdeterminedonthebasisoftwoindicators:

• Educationallevelofthemother;

• Homelanguageofthepupil;thissecondindicatorcanonlyplayaroleifthepupilinquestionmeetsthefirstindicator.

TheDepartmentofEducationcalculatestheextraresourcestobeallocatedtothevariousschools.

• In the Flemish schools there is the possibility of organising aReceptionclassfornon-nativenewcomers. Someschoolssetup a reception class for non-Dutch speaking newcomers.Schools have additional counselors in Primary Education,additionalhours for teachers inSecondaryEducationandoneextraallowancepernon-Dutchspeakingnewcomer.

• The educational field in Flanders is surely changing towards more inclusive education, the M-degree* is a great step in this process. Wewanttoprepareourfutureteachersforthisnewreality.


• Wearedevelopinganewcurriculum(2018/19)andweplantoputincreasedfocusonmakingourstudentsawareoftheimportanceofencouragingandenablingparentalinvolvementinschools.Weseethisasanimportantelementintheroleofateacher.

• We plan to make inclusion experiences more explicit for ourstudents. We want our students to understand and be able to respond todiversity.Wehavehaddiscussiongroups inourfacultytobegintoimbedabroaderdefinitionofdiversitywithinourprogrammes.


*M-degree On12March2014theFlemishParliamentapprovedaparliamentaryactonmeasuresforpupilswithspecificneeds.Theaimofthenewlegislationistomakeeducationmoreinclusiveandconsistsofmeasuresthatenablemorestudentswithspecialeducationalneedstoregisterandremaininregulareducation.Itdelineatesmoreclearlytheadmissionrequirementstothedifferentstrandsofspecialeducation.Theactalsocontainsmeasures,whichallowpupilswithspecificeducationalneedstoparticipatefully,effectivelyandonequaltermsinregularschoolsandclassrooms.TherightofpupilstoreasonableadaptationsbytheschooltotheirspecialeducationalneedswillbeguaranteedinaccordancewiththeUNConventionoftheRightsofPersonswithDisabilities.Theprovisionsoftheparliamentaryactwillbegraduallyimplementedfromschoolyear2015-2016onwards.Thelasttwoyearstherewasmoreattentionforinclusiveeducationandco-teaching.InSeptember2017thenewdegreewasimplementedintheFlemisheducation.



EiTTT

*M-degree On12March2014theFlemishParliamentapprovedaparliamentaryactonmeasuresforpupilswithspecificneeds.Theaimofthenewlegislationistomakeeducationmoreinclusiveandconsistsofmeasuresthatenablemorestudentswithspecialeducationalneedstoregisterandremaininregulareducation.Itdelineatesmoreclearlytheadmissionrequirementstothedifferentstrandsofspecialeducation.Theactalsocontainsmeasures,whichallowpupilswithspecificeducationalneedstoparticipatefully,effectivelyandonequaltermsinregularschoolsandclassrooms.TherightofpupilstoreasonableadaptationsbytheschooltotheirspecialeducationalneedswillbeguaranteedinaccordancewiththeUNConventionoftheRightsofPersonswithDisabilities.

Theprovisionsoftheparliamentaryactwillbegraduallyimplementedfromschoolyear2015-2016onwards.Thelasttwoyearstherewasmoreattentionforinclusiveeducationandco-teaching.InSeptember2017thenewdegreewasimplementedintheFlemisheducation.

• Withtheexperiencesthatwehad inCyprus,about the impactofexperiencinganothercountry/vision,westartedtodiscussintheAdvancedB.A.aboutchancesforourstaffandstudentstovisitandexperienceeducationinothercountries.Thefirstpilotshavestartedforstudentstogoabroad.Othercontactshavebeenmadetodiscoverpossibilitiesforstudentsandstafftogoabroadandexperienceeducationforchildrenwithspecialneedsinothercountries.

Recommendations•ItisrecommendedthatUCLL’sTeacherEducationCollegespaysspecificattentioninteachereducationtoabroad range of diversity ratherthanfocusingonpupilswithdisabilities.Weshouldalsofocusontheopportunitiesthatthisdiversitybringsinclassesratherthanonpossibleproblems.

•ItisrecommendedthatTeacherEducationCollegesinUCLLinvestmorein‘parentsinvolvementinschools’asanimportantpartnerforyourschoolandthecurriculum.Wewillstartwiththisinthenewcurriculum.Inthepostgraduateprogrammesthissubjectalsogetsalotofattention.Weshouldstrengthenthisaspectinoureducationprogramme.


Case Study: Inclusion through Education – Students from Refugee / Migrant / Socio-economically Disadvantaged Backgrounds Contd.

Cross-Disciplinary Support for Inclusive Education


EiTTT

Case Study: Cross-Disciplinary Support for Inclusive Education

Policy and Practice in Ireland• With a view to linking schools and their communities for the

enhancementofboth,and inparticular to supportingparentalinvolvement and partnership with schools with a view toenhancing the educational experience of children, the ‘Home,School, Community Liaison Scheme’ was launched in Irelandin1990. Theschemehasseenselectedteachers inschools indesignated areas of educational disadvantage, re-trained as‘coordinators’witharemittoworksolelywithparentsandlocalcommunityorganisationstothisend.Theongoingsuccessofthisschemehasgarneredinternationalattention.

• Support from a scheme known as the School CompletionProgramme(SCP)isalsoavailabletomanyschoolsindesignatedareasofeducationaldisadvantage.TheSCPaimstohelpstudentsindesignatedareasofeducationaldisadvantagestayinschooltoschoolleavingageandcompletionoffinal‘LeavingCertificate’.ItisasupportstrandwithintheChildandFamilyAgencyundertheGovernment’sDepartmentofChildrenandYouthAffairs.Itformspartof theDepartmentofEducationandSkills social inclusionstrategy Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools (DEIS)tohelpchildrenandyoungpeoplewhoareatriskoforwhoareexperiencing educational disadvantage. Students taking partin SCP are provided with a variety of supports within school(learningsupportetc.)andoutside school (throughotherarea-based interventions, community youth provision, social workservicesetc.)designedtomakeschoolamorepositiveexperienceforstudents.SincetheinceptionofSCPin2002therehasbeenanimprovementinattendancelevelsatprimarylevelandintheretentionofstudentstoschoolleavingage.

• TheNationalEducationalPsychologicalService(NEPS)providespsychological services in public and private primary and post-primary schools and in related educational centres. NEPS is aserviceoftheDepartmentofEducationandSkills(DES)andaimstosupportthepersonal,socialandeducationaldevelopmentofallchildrenthroughtheapplicationofpsychologicaltheoryandpractice in education. It has particular regard for childrenwithspecialeducationalneeds.ThepsychologistsemployedbyNEPSworkdirectlywithanumberofschoolsandtheirworkincludes:Engaginginindividualcaseworkwithchildrenandyoungpeople;Providing a consultation service for teachers and parents;Participating in school-based projects relevant to educationalpsychology;Promotingmentalhealthinschools.

• Notwithstandingthesupportprovisionoutlinedabove,concernshavepersistedabouttheadequacyoffundingavailabletosomeoftheseservices.

• InMay 2018 the Government launched a new project to bringspecialisedtherapistsintoschoolsandpre-schools.Thepurposeof this pilot project is to test a model of tailored therapeutic

supportsthatallowsforearly interventionintermsofprovidingspeech and language and occupational therapy within‘educationalsettings’–amodelthatcouldcomplementexistingexternallysourcedsupports.19speechandlanguagetherapistsand 12 Occupational Therapists were to be recruited by theHealthServicesExecutive(HSE)toworkwiththe150schoolsandpre-schoolsinvolved.

Impact of Project Learning in our Institution• In December 2018 following consultation from the Department

ofEducationandSkills (DES), the teachereducation team inMIErespondedasinvitedtoareviewbytheDESofits‘StrategyStatement2019–2021’onEducationinIreland.ArisingfromourlearningduringtheprojectweekinLatvia,theInclusiveEducationDepartmentinMIEmadearecommendationalongthefollowinglines:

Recommendations•In Ireland as elsewhere, teacher ‘resistance’ to the idealsof inclusionmaybeaccounted for inpartby thesignificantchallenges experienced in seeking to respond in particular,to the social-emotional needs of pupils in our now muchmore complex mainstream classroom settings. Teachereducatorsaimtoaddressthesechangesbyprovidingaboveall for the development of ‘caring’ practitioners, capable of taking an holistic approach to pupils’ development andlearning needs and prepared to engage competently withfamiliesand thewidercommunity inmeeting thoseneeds.However,teachereffectivenessinthisrespectwillultimatelybe contingent upon services and supports being providedto schools fromother relevantnational agencies. Asmanyteachers struggle to reconcile their provision of necessarysupport to pupils who have considerable emotionalchallenges, with their requirement (EPSEN Act, 2004) tobe inclusive of all pupils, it is suggested that satisfactory‘educational’ provision for theneedsof such ‘at risk’ pupilsis beyond the capacity of teachers / the education systemalone. It is apparent that a far more integrated response is called for. Recent welcome developments have seengreaterlinkagesbetweeneducationalandtherapysupportsin schools. It is recommended that suchprovision shouldbecomethenormintothefuture.Withaviewtotrulyinclusiveeducationalprovision foran inclusivesociety,eachschool/practitioner in Irelandshouldbe inaposition to liaisewith,and receive support from an on-site or readily accessibleteam of professional personnel (e.g. psychologists, socialworkers, speech and language therapists, etc.) drawn fromtheDepartmentofEducationandSkills,TheChildandFamilyAgency(‘Tusla’),TheHSEandothersuchnationalbodies.




Policy and Practice in Cyprus• DuringtheBritishColonialismthefirstexemplaryinallofEurope

ReformSchoolwascreatedinLapithos.Itwasdestroyedin1974duringtheTurkishinvasion.SincethenthereisnosuchschoolinCyprus.

• Special Schools were formed before and after the CyprusIndependencein1960.

•Schoolfortheblind(1929) •Schoolforthedeaf(1953) •NicosiaSpecialSchool.In1973SpecialClasseswereformed

withindifferentPrimarySchoolsinNicosia.Progressivelytheseclassesturnedinto“Childrenwithintegrationandadaptationdifficulties”,underonecommonadministrator.ThiswastheoriginoftwospecialschoolsinNicosia:

•NicosiaSpecialSchool

•SpecialSchoolEvaggelismos

• From then on Special Schools were created in all othercitiesofCyprus.

•ApostolosLoucasSpecialSchool(Limassol)

•RedCrossSpecialRecoverySchool(Limassol)

•AyiosSpyridonasSpecialSchool(Larnaca)

•ApostolosVarnavasSpecialSchool(Ammochostos)

•TheoskepastiSpecialSchool(Paphos)

Nowadays these schools continue their function but there isno correlation or association between these schools and themainstreamschools.ThustheconceptofInclusionofthechildrenattending these schools, in mainstream schools does not exist,except in rareanduniquecases,whereonechildcouldattendaspecialschoolfortwodaysandamainstreamschoolforthreedays.

Inclusion does exist in different forms, in various mainstreamschoolsmostlyinthePrimarylevel.Inveryrarecasesthisinclusionexistsinthesecondarylevel.

Thetypesofinclusionare:

1. Special education units where children of different disabilities(maximum six children) attend. Some of these children,dependingon theirdisabilities,attendmainstreamclasses likeMusic,Art,PhysicalEducation,MathsandGreekLanguage.AfterfinishingthePrimaryLevel,veryfewofthesechildrenhavetheopportunitytojoinaspecialunitinHighschool.Mostofthemaremainstreamed.Thesemainstreamchildreninsomelessonsarereleasedfromattendingsomesubjects.TheyaregivensupportondifferentsubjectsmainlyonGreekLanguageandMaths.Theyare also given someextrabenefits (suchas extra time, useofcalculatorinexams).

2.Hyperactivechildrenwithmovementand/ormentaldisabilitiesoremotionalproblems,areprovidedwithanescortand/orspeechlanguageandspecialeducationservices.

3.Mainstreamchildrenintheprimarylevel,accordingtotheirneedsattendlessonswithaspeechtherapistand/oraspecialteacher.

4. Childrenwithspecialneedsofprimaryandsecondaryeducationwho, due to health reasons, cannot attend the regular schoolprogram for a prolonged period of time, are provided home-schooling.

5. For children to whom Greek is not their native language, it isprovided individualorgroupteachingduringschooltime(onceortwiceaweek).AGreekLanguageProgramisalsoavailableintheafternoonforchildrenandadults.Teacherswhoteachinthisprogramareobligedtoattendseminarsonceortwiceayear.

Nowadays,becauseoftheInclusioninourclassrooms,coteachingtakesplacebetweenamainstreamteacherandaspecialteacheroraspeechteacher.



Case Study: Cross-Disciplinary Support for Inclusive Education Contd.



Impact of Project Learning in our School• Children with different types of special needs or disabilities

alsoattendtheAnthoupolisPrimarySchool.Thesedisabilitiesinclude:

i. ADD/ADHD

ii. Dyslexia

iii. Motormovement

iv. Behavior/emotional

v. Deaf

vi. Differentsyndromes

vii. Autismspectrum

• Wedonothavea“SupportTeam”asitexistsinLatvia.However,we have a special education teacher and a speech therapistwhosesessionsareindividualorgroup.Thatmeansthateachchildhasan individual schedule forhis/herneeds.Nowadaysthereisanincreaseofthecaseloadofthesespecialistsandasaresult,notenoughtimeisgiventothesechildren.EducationalPsychologistvisitstheschooltwotofivetimesayeartoevaluatekidsfortheireducationalneedsandalsoincasesofemergency.On rare occasions a socialworkermight visit the school: e.g.childabuse,violenceinthefamily.

• Teachersandspecialiststrytofindtimetocooperateinordertocreatecommongoalsandlessonplansforeachchild.SuchtimeisnotprovidedbytheMinistryofEducation.

• Furthermore, co-teaching between teachers and specialiststakesplaceinourschool.

Recommendations

•Acompletesupportteamincludingallspecialistsisamustineveryschool,soitcanhelpthechildren,teachersandparentseffectively. A support team should include nurse/doctor,clinicalpsychologists,physiotherapists,socialpedagogues,special education teachers, speech therapists. The size ofthe support team is dependedon the schools populationandneeds.

•TheMinistryofEducationshouldprovidetheteachersandspecialistsoftheschooltimeforcooperationandthesettingofgoalsforeachchildinthespecialeducationprogram.

•A teacher freeof teachingeachday,sothathe/shecanberesponsibleforhelpingkidswithbehaviorproblems.

•SpecialequipmentandmaterialisneededforeveryspecialtybytheMinistryofEducation.

•Additionaltimeforeverychildmustbegivenbythespecialists.Thusmorespecialistsarerequiredfortheschool.





• SupportforstudentsplaysthekeyroleintheprincipleofFinnisheducation to provide equal opportunities for learning andgrowth.Studentshavetherightforadequatesupportinlearningandstudying.Thisentailsremovingbarrierstolearning(physical,attitudinalorpedagogical),early interventionandsupportandwelfare.Earlyinterventionisveryimportantandefficient.

• Studentwelfareservicesincludehealthservices,socialservices,psychological services and consultation/aid from the multi-professional team. Students on all steps of support (general,intensified, special) benefit from the student welfare services.These services are voluntary for students. Every school inNurmijärvihasa support team.This teamhasmeetingswhennecessary,butatleasttwiceduringtheschoolterm.Theprincipalcan summon the needed assemblage to attend the supportteam,forinstancethespecialneedsteacher,theschool’ssocialworker,thenurse,thepsychologist,theclassroomteacher,otherteachers, themunicipalities socialworker, thedoctor, parents,thepoliceand/ortheprincipal.

• LukkariPrimarySchool’ssupportteamhasweeklymeetings. The school social worker meetsstudentsinprivate.Togetherwiththespecialneedsteachertheyinstructsmallgroupsforstudentswiththeneedtostrengthentheirsocialskills.Sheco-operateswith other support teammembers and contactsmunicipalitysocialserviceswhenneeded.Sheworksinourschoolforafewdays/week.The nurse follows thestudent’shealth,growthanddevelopment.Onceadayshehasanopen-hourwhenstudentscanvisitherwithouta reservedtime.Sheworks inourschoolfor few days/week. The psychologist supports the student’slearning,welfareaswellassocialandmentalabilities.Shemeetsstudents inprivateorobserves themduring lessons.Shealsomakessometestsforstudents,butnowadayslessthanbefore.Sheworksinourschoolforafewdays/week.The special needs teacher’smainpriorityistopreventlearningdisabilities,butalsotorehabilitateoccurredproblemsinlearning.Sheconcentrateson teaching reading, writing, mathematics and some speechtraining.Sheworksinourschoolfivedays/week.


• Ourschool’ssupportteamwillgivelessonsinclassesduringthis term. They will focus on different skills such as socialability,teamwork,communication.Therefore,morestudentswillbenefit fromtheirsupportandsupportteamwillgettoknowstudentsandtheirneeds.

Recommendations

•Itwouldbeimportantthateverysupportteammemberwouldworkonlyinoneschoolsothattheywouldbemoreavailableduringtheschooldays.Extraresourceswouldbeneededforthat.

•Alsoifallsupportteammembersworkedundertheprincipal,theywouldbelongmorefullytotheschoolcommunityandbeapartofschoollife.

•Manypupilsneedaspeechtherapistbecauseofphonologicalorvocabularychallenges.Havingaspecialpersonforthoseproblemswouldbehelpfulandaspecialneedsteachercouldconcentrateonotherlearningproblems.

•A‘CrisisService’alsosoundslikeaverygoodsystem.Everysupportteammemberwouldhaveher/hisowndaywhenshe/heisavailabletovisitaclasspromptlywhenneeded.Itwouldbegoodiftheschoolsocialworkercouldalsomeetpupilsoutsideofthelessons.Inthatwaypupilsdon tmissanylessonsandthereismoretimeformeetingstudentseachday.





• InBelgium’sEducationsystemwehavemainstreamandspecialneedsschools.RecentlytherehasbeenalotofchangeduetotheMDecree.Inclusiveeducationisnowthepreferredoption.Thegoalistomovemoreschoolpupilstomainstreameducationandthustoreferfewerpupilstoschoolsforspecialeducation.

• Thereforetheideaofhavingin-schoolsupportteamswasrecentlyintroducedinmainstreamschools.This is justthesecondyearthatsupport teamsare in theschools,andtheuniversitiesarestillsettingupprogrammestotrainpersonnelfortheseteams.Specialschoolscontinuetosupportmainstreamschoolsthatareworkingwithchildrenwithvariousspecialneeds.

• Care in mainstream education is aimed at all pupils whoneed extra attention because of developmental and learningdisadvantages, social-emotional problems or socio-economicstatus.Inaddition,therearealsopupilswithadisabilitywhocanreceiveextrasupportinmainstreameducation.

• Mainstreameducation: Schoolsdevelop theircarepolicyon thebasisofacontinuum

ofcare: Inthebroad basic care phase,theschoolprovidesastronglearningenvironmentforallpupils,payingattentiontotheneedsofeachpupil.Inthephase of increased care,theschoolprovides extra care for thosewho require care in the form ofremedial,differentiating,compensatoryordispensingmeasures.Inthephase of care expansion,theCentreforPupilGuidancestarts the process of action-oriented diagnostics (AOD) for apupil,inordertodetermineeducationalandsupportneeds.Theschoolcontinuesthemeasuresofbasiccareandincreasedcareduring theAOD trajectory.Theoutcomeof theAOD trajectorymaybetocontinueorextendtheinitialmeasuresormayresultina“substantiatedreport”forthelearneridentifyingeducationalandsupportneeds,includingspecialeducationsupportsfortheschoolformainstreameducation.

• If themeasures taken in thephaseof careexpansionand the supportprovidedbyspecialeducationalneedseducationarenotsufficientforapupiltobeabletofollowthecommoncurriculumin the school for ordinary education, an individually adaptedcurriculummaybeintroduced.TheCentreforPupilGuidancewillthendrawupa‘reportforaccesstospecialeducationalneedseducation or an individually adapted curriculum in ordinaryeducation’.

• Indevelopingaqualitycarepolicyforallpupils,theschoolusesits regular resources and the resources it receives within theframeworkofthecareandequalopportunitiespolicy.Theschoolcanalsobesupportedbypedagogicalsupport(schoolsupport)andtheCentreforPupilGuidance(e.g.withintheframeworkofconsultativepupilguidance).Inphases2and3ofthecontinuumof care, for the guidance of pupils with amotivated report, aschoolforordinaryeducationcanrequestsupportfromspecialeducationalneedseducation(see12.1.2.1Supportmodel).

• SpecificSupportMeasures Forpupilswithasubstantiatedreport,anordinaryschoolmay

requestsupportfromaspecialneedsschool(CircularNO/2017/02,Dutchonly).Theschool forordinaryeducationdeterminesthesupportneedsinconsultationwiththeparentsandtheCentrefor Pupil Guidance and then formulates its support request.Support can be used in a team-oriented, teacher-oriented orpupil-orientedway.Theschoolgrant is there forpupils inpre-school,primaryandsecondaryeducation.Allsupportquestionsaboutpupilsbasedonasubstantiatedreportmustbeincluded.

• Forpupilswithhearingimpairment,supportisorganisedthroughbilateralcooperationbetweenthemainstreamandthespecialeducationalneedsschools.



Case Study: Cross-Disciplinary Support for Inclusive Education Contd.

• For typesofbasicprovision (e.g. speechor languagedisorder)supportisorganisedthroughthesupportnetworktowhichtheschoolisconnectedforordinaryeducation.Supportnetworksarenetworksinwhichschoolsforordinaryandspecialeducationalneeds education unite to organise support. To organise the support, fundsareallocatedtoschools forspecialeducationalneedseducation,appointingsupportstafftosupportordinaryschools.

• SpecialTeachingLearningSupportMaterials/Resources Special educational needs resources may be made available

topupils,studentsortraineeswithavisual,hearingorphysicaldisabilitywhoare inpre-school,primary, secondary,higheroradulteducation.Thistargetgroupdoesnotincludepeoplewithlearning disabilities. Resources include technical equipment,paperordigitalconversionsoradjustmentstoteachingmaterials,sign language interpreters and copies of notes from fellowstudents.TheSpecialTeaching-LearningResourcesUnitoftheAgencyforEducationalServices(AgODi) financesthesespecialteaching-learningresources.

• Pupils in mainstream and special nursery and secondaryeducation with dyslexia or dyspraxia or other pupils with asubstantiated report who benefit from the use of readingsoftware, are eligible for free reading software. Pupils who donothaveasubstantiatedreportbutneedreadingsoftwarecanobtainan“AdibibCertificate”viatheCentreforPupilGuidance,whichgivesthemfreeaccesstothesoftware.

• Pupils/studentsinmainstreamnurseryandprimary,secondaryand higher education and students in adult education witha hearing disability also have access to interpreting support.(CircularNO/2009/02andVWO/2009/01,Dutchonly).


• OurspecialschoolTongelsboshasnowallocatedfifteenofourteacherstovisitmainstreamschoolsinordertoorganisesupportteamsintheseschools.

• At Tongelsboswe provide information tomainstream schoolsabouthowtoorganisethesupportteamsandthereasonswhytheyarenecessary.

Recommendations•Wefeelitisnecessarytointegratetheworkofspecialandmainstreamschools.

•Schoolsshouldhavemoreflexibilityinchoosingwhotheywishtorecruitinmainstreameducationforsupportingtheirpupils:teachers,remedialteachers,paramedics...

•WerecommendprovisionbytheMinistryofEducationofmoreopportunitiesfortheongoingprofessionaldevelopmentofall(mainstreamandspecialeducation)teachers.


EiTTT



• InBelgium’seducationsystemwehavemainstreamandspecialneedschools.Therehasbeenalotofchangeinschoolstructuresin recent years as a consequenceof theM-Decree1 . Inclusiveeducationisnowthepreferredoption.Thegoalistoeducatefarmorepupilsinmainstreamschoolsandtoreferfewerpupilstoschoolsforspecialeducation.

• Pupilswithspecialeducationalneedshavetherighttoapplytoenrolinregular(mainstream)schools.Allschoolsarerequiredtobuilda ‘Continuum of Care’andcheckwiththeteacherorteachers,theparentsandtheCLB(CenterforStudentGuidance)astothereasonableadjustmentsapupilwithspecialeducationalneedsmayrequireinordertobeabletofollowthecurriculum.

• The M-Decree also advises that there be peer support by teachers and paramedical personnel from special education schools for staff in mainstream primary or secondary schools. Peer support is only possible when themainstreamschool has already tried a variety ofmeasures to include the pupilandthissupportisinsufficientforpupillearning(thepupilneedsmoreadjustmentsandsupportthantheschoolcanoffer).Withsupportfrompeerpersonnelfromspecialschools,thepupilcanstayandlearninmainstreamschoolratherthanhavingtomovetoaspecialeducationsetting.Theprovisionofsuchspecialsupport inmainstreamschools isanewwayofthinkingabouteducationalprovisioninBelgium.

Impact of Project Learning in our Institution • Wewillfocusonthetheme‘professionalizeyourself’asateacher

or paramedic in the Advanced Bachelor in Special Educationprogramme. We already encourage our students in this way,but with the experience and observations in Latvia, we willstrengthenthisemphasis.Inthosecoursesinwhich‘teacher

professionalization’isatopic,wewillfocusontheimportanceofstudentsdiscussing thiswith their supervisors,andencouragethemtoseeksufficientfundingsupportsandtimefromcollegeauthorities/theMinistryofEducationtoundertakethisnecessarydevelopment.

Recommendations•ItisrecommendedthattheMinistryofEducationcreatemorepossibilitiestoprofessionaliseteachersandstaffofschools.Teachersandstaffof(specialneeds)schoolshavetoknowrecentdevelopmentsaboutinclusiveeducationandhowtocreateapowerfullearningenvironmentforallthechildrenintheirclasses.Forthattohappenitisimportantthatteachers/staffgetsthechangceetofollowslectures,dointernships,learnfromeachother,…aboutnewinsightsineducation.

•ItisrecommendedthattheMinistryofEducationshouldconsidervariouswaystointegratespecialneedclassesinmainstreamschools.Teachersandparamedicsfrombothschoolscanworktogetherandlearnfromeachother.

•InlightoftheMDecreeandthefocusonInclusiveEducation,itisrecommendedthattheMinistryofEducationshouldconsiderhowtocreatemorespace/hoursfortheemploymentofspecialistsinmainstreamschools(remedialteachers,paramedics,...)withaviewtobettersupportingallpupilsintheseschools.


1On12March2014theFlemishParliamentapprovedaparliamentaryactonmeasuresforpupilswithspecificneeds.Theaimofthenewlegislationistomakeeducationmoreinclusiveandconsistsofmeasuresthatenablemorestudentswithspecialeducationalneedstoregisterandremaininregulareducation.Itdelineatesmoreclearlytheadmissionrequirementstothedifferentstrandsofspecialeducation.Theactalsocontainsmeasures,whichallowpupilswithspecificeducationalneedstoparticipatefully,effectivelyandonequaltermsinregularschoolsandclassrooms.TherightofpupilstoreasonableadaptationsbytheschooltotheirspecialeducationalneedswillbeguaranteedinaccordancewiththeUNConventionoftheRightsofPersonswithDisabilities.

Documents

EiTTT · 2019. 5. 18. · EiTTT was coordinated by Marino Institute of Education, Ireland, with partner organisations in Belgium (University Colleges Leuven-Limburg & Karel de Grote