Education For All B Special Education 1

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Education For All (B)Special Education (1)

• Ministry of Education and Science
• 2004

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Every person shall have a place on this planet
and be entitled to education that is appropriate
to his/ her abilities in an education institution
that is most appropriate to him/ her
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International documents on special education (1)

• UN Declaration On The Rights of Disabled People
  (1975)
  
• UN Convention On the Rights of Child (1989)
• The World Declaration on Education For All
  (1990)
  
• The Standard Rules for the Equalisation of
  Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities
  (1993)
  

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International documents on special education (2)

• The Salamanca statement and framework for action
  (1994)
  
• The Madrid Declaration (1997)
• Key Principles for special Needs Education from
  European Agency for Development in Special Needs
  Education (2003)
  
• The Declaration of Malaga (2003)

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Main approach in special education

• Special education shall provide opportunities and
  conditions for learners with special needs, in
  accordance with their health condition, aptitude
  and level of development, to receive education in
  any education institution, and at the same time
  shall provide psychological and medical help to
  the learner and prepare him/her for work and
  integration into society.

Article 49, Law On General Education
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Areas of activity of special education (1)

• in Latvia, both types of special education
  provision have always been equal
  
• operation of special education institutions
• special support to children in general mainstream
  education institutions
  

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Areas of activity of special education (2)

• the possibility to receive education in the most
  appropriate education institution is provided for
  each child with special needs by ensuring
  
• the help of qualified specialists
• acquisition of knowledge
• development of life skills and work skills
• practical orientation in education
• preparation for work and integration into
  society
  
• special correction and rehabilitation

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Number of students and special education
institutions
5670
Data source MoES Statistics Department
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Network of general special education institutions
(1)

• programmes of special education may be provided
  by state, municipal and private general special
  education institutions or general education
  institutions
• in the school year of 2002/03 there were 63
  general special education institutions founded by
  the state and municipalities, out of them
  
• in Riga 12
• in the regions and towns of Latvia 51

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Network of general special education institutions
(2)

• it is being encouraged
• to establish special education classes in general
  education institutions that are close to the
  place of residence of children
  
• to integrate learners with special needs in
  general mainstream education institutions (in
  they have the required equipment and provision)
  
• technical adaptation of education institutions to
  the needs of children with serious movement
  impairments
  

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Network of general special education institutions
in 2004
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Objectives of special education development
centres (1)

• provision of methodological and pedagogical
  support to teachers of general education
  institutions, which implement licensed programmes
  of special education in general education
  institutions

Regulation No.221 of April 29, 2003 Criteria And
Procedure For Conferring The Status Of Special
Education Development Centre to An Institution Of
Special Education issued by the Cabinet Of
Ministers
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Objectives of special education development
centres (2)

• provision of opportunities for learners with
  special needs to receive consultative and
  methodological support in their learning and
  correction of developmental impairments
• provision of consultations for the parents of
  children with special needs at pre-school and
  school age
  

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Special education institutions development
centres in Latvia in 2004
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Education provision for children with medium and
serious mental retardation
Data source MoES GED
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National and municipal Pedagogical and Medical
Commissions

• in each region and town of republican
  significance there is a municipal Pedagogical and
  Medical Commission, whose activity is coordinated
  by the National Pedagogical and Medical
  Commission managed by the Ministry of Education
  and Science

Regulations No.480 of November 20, 2001 On The
Responsibilities of National Pedagogic And
Medical Commission and Municipal Pedagogical and
Medical Commissions" issued by the Cabinet of
Ministers
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Main tasks of National and Municipal Pedagogical
and Medical Commissions

• to advise parents the programme of education that
  is appropriate to learners age, aptitude, health
  condition and level of development
  
• to facilitate the integration of students with
  mental or physical impairments, speech problems,
  psychic development impairments and learning
  difficulties, psychic- neurological or somatic
  health problems, as well as students with
  impaired vision and blind students, students with
  impaired hearing and deaf students in general
  education institutions
• to coordinate the provision of special education
  services
  

Regulations No.480 of November 20, 2001 On The
Responsibilities of National Pedagogic And
Medical Commission and Municipal Pedagogical and
Medical Commissions" issued by the Cabinet of
Ministers
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State guarantees for special education (1)

• The state guarantees and ensures
• the acquisition of general education appropriate
  to the health condition and type of developmental
  impairment of the student with special needs
  
• the possibility that children with special needs
  can start studying in the programmes of special
  education following a statement from National
  Pedagogical and Medical Commission

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State guarantees for special education (2)

• The state guarantees and ensures
• the financing from national budget for the
  education of all children with special needs,
  setting a funding procedure for the institutions
  of special education
• the financing of teacher salaries and maintenance
  costs of special education institutions from
  national budget
  
• gradual integration of students with special
  needs into general mainstream education
  institutions
  

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Target groups of the programmes of general
special basic education
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Target groups of the institutions of general
special education
Data from MoES
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State contribution for providing the quality and
accessibility of general special education (1)

• in the result of introducing the principle of
  education programmes, 27 different model
  programmes of general special basic education and
  general special secondary education have been
  devised

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State contribution for providing the quality and
accessibility of general special education (2)

• a regular state funding has been determined for
  publishing textbooks in Brile (relief) printing
  (in 2001 Ls 26940, in 2002 Ls 25610, in 2003
  Ls 21000) and with enlarged fonts (in 2002 Ls
  8874, in 2003 Ls 9970)
• a regular state funding has been determined for
  publishing textbooks for the students of general
  special education institutions (in 2001 partial
  state funding of Ls 22264, in 2002 Ls 30619, in
  2003 Ls 8396)

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Financing for special education (including
special boarding schools and special pre-school
education institutions)
Data from MoES
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Programmes of special education (1)

• is one of the special types of general education
  programmes
  
• shall be implemented in accordance with the type
  of learners impairment, their aptitude and
  health condition, which shall be statemented by
  the National Pedagogical and Medical Commission
• learners with impaired audition, vision, and
  blind learners can acquire general primary
  education in 10 school years, and general
  secondary education in 3 school years

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Programmes of special education (2)

• for learners with mental impairment the envisaged
  length of education programmes is 9 years, but it
  may last up to 12 years, if the possibility to
  acquire vocational education and training is
  provided
• for learners with impaired psychic development
  and learning difficulties or with serious speech
  impairment the acquisition of general basic
  education takes 10 school years

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Programmes of general special education licensed
in 2002 and 2003
Data source MoES General Education Licensing
Commission, 2003
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Supplementary provision offered by general
special education institutions (1)

• Medical treatment, rehabilitation
• therapeutic physical education
• remedial gymnastics in a swimming pool
• physical therapy
• individual classes of remedial gymnastics
• choreographic therapy
• massages
• therapeutic swimming
• correctional classes
• intensive reading classes
• speech therapy, speech rhythmic
• rhythmic classes etc.

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Supplementary provision offered by general
special education institutions (2)

• Clubs and optional classes in
• tourism
• sports
• chess
• checkers
• wood and metal processing
• art of words

• music and singing
• computers
• fine arts
• visual arts
• technical creativity
• beekeeping
• ball dancing etc.

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Supplementary provision offered by general
special education institutions (3)

• Vocational training
• house keeper
• assistant builder
• assistant for carpenters work
• assistant joiner
• agricultural labourer
• assistant cook
• assistant gardener

• assistant repairman
• forest labourer
• assistant machinist
• assistant carpenter
• wallpaper gluer
• assistant building supervisor
• care provider etc.

963 children with special needs are learning a
vocation (with the respective vocational
qualification) in special education institutions

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International cooperation projects (1)

• With the aim to facilitate the integration of
  children with special needs into general and
  vocational mainstream education institutions and
  to improve the work of special education
  institutions, Latvia has participated in several
  international cooperation projects

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International cooperation projects (2)

• Teacher training in Latvia 2000 2004
  (cooperation partners Norway, Iceland, Latvia)
  
• Facilitating the inclusive transition of
  students with Special Educational needs from
  special schools to vocational schools
  (cooperation partners Norway, Iceland, Latvia)

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International cooperation projects (3)

• The provision of services needs for children
  with Special Educations needs in the city and
  district of Rezekne (cooperation partners
  Norway, Iceland, Latvia)
• Action for Latvia (cooperation partners
  Austria, Latvia)
  

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International cooperation projects (4)

• in conjunction with Norway and Iceland experience
  models are being developed
  
• Establishment of special assistance networks
  and provision of special needs close to the
  childs place of residence

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International cooperation projects (5)

• in 2004, in cooperation with Norway and Iceland,
  it has been envisaged to commence a new project
  The Development of Children Pedagogical
  Psychological Assessment and the competence of
  PMC
• Aims of the project
• to upgrade the activities of Pedagogical and
  Medical Commissions and expertise of their
  specialists
  
• to facilitate the integration of children with
  special needs into general and vocational
  mainstream education institutions and to provide
  that all children can access education at the
  place of their residence or close to it

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Priorities set in international cooperation
projects (1)

• to identify the development possibilities and
  tendencies of special education in Latvia
  
• to facilitate the commenced cooperation among
  general and special education institutions and
  teacher training higher education institutions of
  Latvia and Scandinavian countries
• to establish a mutual cooperation network of
  project participants and education institutions
  

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Priorities set in international cooperation
projects (2)

• to raise the awareness of project participants
  about modern tendencies in pedagogy in the world,
  international experience in educating children
  with special needs
• to foster the development of inclusive education
  in Latvia

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Development tendencies of special education (1)

• In order to facilitate that all students with
  special needs can access education at the place
  of their residence or close to it, the main
  future tasks are the following
• establishment of national and regional support
  system for special education
  
• extended functions of special education
  institutions, providing methodological and
  practical support to teachers and to the parents
  of children with special needs, who have been
  integrated in general mainstream education
  institutions

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Development tendencies of special education (2)

• facilitating the establishment of special
  education classes in general mainstream education
  institutions
  
• continuation of the gradual and partial
  conversion of special education institution into
  integrative schools
  
• activities promoting the establishment of
  psychologically, socially (transport network) and
  technically suitable environment
  

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Issues to be solved for including the children
with special needs in general mainstream
education institutions (1)

• psychological readiness of the teaching staff,
  students and their parents in general mainstream
  education institutions to welcome children with
  special needs
• technical suitability of general mainstream
  education institutions for children with special
  needs
  
• professional readiness of teachers to work with
  children with special needs
  

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Issues to be solved for including the children
with special needs in general mainstream
education institutions (2)

• financial provision for the implementation of
  rehabilitation activities required for children
  with special needs
  
• provision of transport services for children with
  special needs
  
• acquiring a vocation or profession within the
  system of vocational education and training