The education system must be at the heart of the child, his needs and interests

In order to study the adaptation of children with special needs in general educational institutions, the municipality of Rezekne and the City Council of Rezekne have been involved in the project “exchange of experience in Latvia, Norway, Swedish parents and teachers' support system with children with special needs” from 1 July 2017 to March 2018. During the project, the exchange of experience of social workers and social teachers to Norway and Sweden was organised.
In January of that year, the project participants went to Stockholm (Sweden) and visited Nyboda primary school where children with special needs are also successful. As the head of the Rēzekne city administration “social service” Gunārs Arbidans, the Swedish education system focuses on the child and how he feels in the relevant school and programme rather than the standards to be learned or the results of examinations.
Similar positive findings were also achieved during the Norwegian visit last November. In November 2017, the municipalities and social workers of the municipality of Rezekne and the city council of Rezekne city council went to the city of Arendal in Norway. Visit was visited during the visit Asdal centre for children with special needs, as well as Birkelund primary school and Sam Eide vocational secondary school in which children can continue learning through their own capacity-adjusted programmes. The psychologist of the municipality of Rezekne, Natalia Melne, had one of the benefits of the visit to meet Norwegian specialists who are working on a daily basis with children who have been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders, as well as with the parents of these children. Project participants had the opportunity to participate in the activities and see how THE TEACCH autism training treatment (Handicapped Children - English) is used, as well as a child aggression prevention training IN English.
As recognised by the special pedagogy Ilona Bruskovska, compared to Latvia, Norway has more experience with special children. This allows early diagnosis of health problems and, in collaboration with parents and all institutions involved (education, social and medical), can be successfully addressed by providing support for future development of children.
The head of the social service, Sylvia Strankale, acknowledged that he was surprised by the support of Norwegian authorities and banks, offering young people with special needs and the opportunity to borrow credit for the placement or construction of their apartments. Mr Georg Ignatyev, Director of the Maltese Special Inboarding School, noted the financial aspect which makes it easier for the Scandinavian countries to work with special children: “number of pedagogical and qualified care staff per child” Asdal there are about two people in the centre, which allows more attention to be paid to the development and improvement of the mental and physical condition of the child. Also in other places of implementation of special education, irrespective of the size of the group, there shall be no less than two employees at the same time.
Inta Rimšāne,
project coordinator in the municipality of Rezekne
Autores photo

For reference:
The project is financed BY THE EU programme “Nordic and Baltic State Mobility Programme for State Administration” co-financed by the municipality of Rezekne and the City Council of Rezekne.