Education For All (B) Special Education (1) Ministry of Education and Science 2004 Republic of Latvia Ministry of Education and Science.

Education For All (B)

Special Education (1)

Ministry of Education and Science

2004

Republic of Latvia

Ministry of Education and

Science

“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”

Republic of Latvia


Science

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)

Republic of Latvia


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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)

Republic of Latvia


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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

Republic of Latvia


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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

Republic of Latvia


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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

Republic of Latvia


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Number of students and special education institutions

Special education

School year

2003/04

School year

2002/03

School year

2001/02

School year

2000/01

School

year 1999/2000

Number of education institutions 63 63 63 63 63

Total number of students in grades 1-129822 10055 10169 10250 8475

Number of students with special needs in % out of the total number of students

3,14

3,09

3,01

2,97

2,44

Total number of students with mental impairments

5574

5860 5860 5829

Number of students with physical and mental impairments s integrated in general mainstream full time schools

1785

1663 1287 1223 1283

Republic of Latvia


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5670

Data source: MoES Statistics Department

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

Republic of Latvia


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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

Republic of Latvia


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Network of general special education institutions in 2004

Republic of Latvia


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Schools for children with mental impairments

Sanatorium-type boarding schools

Schools for children with other impairments

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

Republic of Latvia


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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

Strazdumuiza boarding school – development centre for children

with impaired vision

Valmiera boarding school – development centre for children

with impaired hearing

Pelci special boarding school – development

centre Koknese special boarding school – development

centre

Riga special basic school – development centre

Republic of Latvia


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Education provision for children with medium and serious mental retardation

2

75

116

128

135

183

15

448

563

667

703

862

1990/91

1997/98

1998/99

1999/2000

2000/2001

2002/2003

Classes Number of students

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Data source: MoES GED

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

Republic of Latvia


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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”

Main tasks of National and Municipal Pedagogical and Medical Commissions

– to advise parents the programme of education that is appropriate to learner’s 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

Republic of Latvia


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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”

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

Republic of Latvia


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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

Republic of Latvia


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Target groups of the programmes of general special basic education

Republic of Latvia


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Children

with impaired vision

Children

with impaired hearing

Children

with speech problems

Children

with impaired psychic development and

learning difficulties

CLASSIFICATION GROUPS IN SPECIAL

EDUCATION

Children

with impaired mental development

Children

with psychic – neurological health problems

Children

with impaired physical development

Children with somatic health

problems

Target groups of the institutions of general special education

Republic of Latvia


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Specialization

1993/

94

1994/

95

1995/

96

1996/

97

1999/2000

2003/

04Children with impaired hearing

2 2 2 2 2 2

Children with impaired vision 1 1 1 1 1 1

Children with speech problems

3 3 3 3 3 3

Children with impaired physical development

2 2 2 3 3 3

Children with impaired psychic development and learning difficulties

1 2 2 3 3 3

Children with impaired mental development

42 42 42 43 43 43

Children with psychic – neurological health problems

4 5 5 5 5 5

Children with somatic health problems 3 3 3 3 3 3

Total 58 60 60 63 63 63

Data from MoES

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

Republic of Latvia


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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)

Republic of Latvia


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Financing for special education (including special boarding schools and special pre-school education institutions)

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Data from MoES

School yearAmount of financing ( Ls)

Teacher salaries Other expenditure Total Financing per one student

1999/2000 7 766 482 9 742 928 17 509 410 2066,-

2000/01 9 263 281 9 922 016 19 185 297 1871,-

2001/02 10 947 981 10 310 228 21 258 209 2090,-

2002/03 12 495 718 11 285 860 23 781 578 2365,-

2003/04 13 698 066 11 879 742 25 577 808 2604,-

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

Republic of Latvia


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Programmes of general special education licensed in 2002 and 2003

Republic of Latvia


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Data source: MoES General Education Licensing Commission, 2003

96 98

3

47

22

1

0

20

40

60

80

100

Education institutions with the Latvianlanguage of instruction

Education institutions with thelangvuage of instruction of ethnic

minorities

Special pre-schools education programsGeneral special basic education programsGeneral special secondary education programs

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.

Republic of Latvia


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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.

Republic of Latvia


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Vocational training

• house keeper• assistant builder• assistant for carpenter’s 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.

Republic of Latvia


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

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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– “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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– “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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• in conjunction with Norway and Iceland experience models are being developed

“Establishment of special assistance networks and provision of special needs close to the child’s place of residence”

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• 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

Republic of Latvia


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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

Republic of Latvia


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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

Republic of 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

Republic of Latvia


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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

Republic of Latvia


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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

Republic of Latvia


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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

Republic of Latvia


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Education For All (B) Special Education (1) Ministry of Education and Science 2004 Republic of Latvia Ministry of Education and Science.

Documents

special needs education

special education classes

b special education

education preparation

science slide

society special correction

science schools

towns of latvia