2024-10-06 18:37:33
Changes to the Preschool and School Education Act and the Inclusive Education Ordinance so that children with special needs can have assistive technology in class and have a full learning process at school.
For this, a group of experts from “Vazrazhdane” is working, which is organizing a seminar on the topic “Assistive technologies in school?” YES! Changes in the Ordinance on inclusive education” in the Art-salon of Radio Varna.
The event was organized by a team of specialists, municipal councilors and people’s representatives, who developed and implemented the idea of a change in the Inclusive Education Ordinance to improve the quality of education for students with special educational needs. Parents, teachers, directors, experts took part in it.
During the seminar, the changes in the regulation and their real possibilities, the technologies that can be used in the classes and their individualization for the specific needs of each child were presented.
Varna is a pilot municipality for the application of these technologies. In 7 Varna schools there are already 15 readers for children with dyslexia – 5 each at a different stage. According to the feedback, it is working well, more explanations are needed for the teachers, said Dr. Polina Stavreva, a special educator, part of the team working to implement the changes.
It also includes municipal councilors from “Vazrazhdane” in Varna Diyan Atanasov and Yulian Gubatov, MP Kosta Stoyanov, Polina Stavreva – art therapist Alexandra Cholakova and Dimitrichka Minkova from the “Give a Smile” association, who are involved in the development of software for children with special educational needs.
The biggest problems in education in general, according to Dr. Polina Stavreva, are the fullness of classes, the delegated budgets that lead to overcrowding of some schools and the closure of others, and the quality of education, which must focus on each child.
Three important changes are already a fact – children with dyslexia can use devices and software for communication in class, the second change – their description and the third – the necessary programs for these children will be implemented only with standardized methods and a model for the whole country.
The work of the experts will continue to change the law on preschool and school education, to drop the delegated budgets, to reduce the number of children in a group and class, and quality education for children with SEN.
The efforts go through the personal stories of some of the organizers whose children have special needs. Reading comprehension is a basic learning need, it must be worked on around the clock.
The introduction of readers for children with dyslexia, dysgraphia and dyscalculia is a great initiative that started in Varna. It was presented to a team from “Vazrazhdane” and the municipal councilors took an initiative, so the purchase of 15 devices was voted through the municipal council. Then we took an initiative to change the law on pre-school and school-educated students, which went through a committee and then the minister changed the regulation on inclusive education and these devices became mandatory, said “Vazrazhdane” MP Kosta Stoyanov.
Funds are currently set aside for 2024 for those who apply.
As of now, few teachers and principals are aware of the changes and that is why this workshop is being organized. The work continues, according to an analysis by experts, about 8% of the students in Bulgaria are affected, 50-60,000. It is necessary to examine the specific needs of each child in order to direct them to the appropriate device. This depends on the teachers and their initiative in the process, added Stoyanov.
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