COMENIUS PROJECT
ANDORRA, SPAIN
OCTOBER 2012
1ST
1Ο ΕΙDIKO DIMOTIKO SHOLIO XANTHIS
SPECIAL EDUCATION PRIMARY SCHOOL
XANTHI
1
THE EDUCATION SYSTEM OF
GREECE
2
ACCORDING TO ARTICLE 16 OF THE
GREEK CONSTITUTION
EDUCATION IS THE FUNDAMENTAL MISSION OF THE
STATE
Primary education and Lower Secondary school
attendance constitute the ten-year compulsory
education in Greece extending from the age of 5 to the
age of 15 years.
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PURPOSE OF EDUCATION
DEVELOPMENT OF
- Moral, spiritual, professional and physical education
- National and religious consciousness
- Moulding of free, responsible citizens
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AIMS OF EDUCATIONAL PROCESS
DEVELOPMENT OF
- Learner’s personality
- Successful social inclusion
- Through the development of mental, emotional and
psychomotor skills and capabilities.
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SOME OF THE MAIN TENETS OF THE
EDUCATION POLICY
 To provide general free of charge education
 To ensure equal opportunities and learning capabilities for all
pupils
 To cultivate pupils’ skills and push forward their interests
 To boost cultural and linguistic identity in the context of a
multicultural society
 To sensitize in human rights issues
ETC
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ORGANISATION OF THE EDUCATION
SYSTEM
THREE LEVELS OF FORMAL EDUCATION
 PRIMARY EDUCATION (DAY AND ALL DAY)
 SECONDARY EDUCATION (DAY AND ALL DAY)
 TERTIARY (HIGHER) EDUCATION
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PRIMARY EDUCATION
 A) PRE-PRIMARY
TWO STAGES :
4-5 OPTIONAL
5-6 COMPULSORY EDUCATION
 B) PRIMARY EDUCATION
AGES 6 – 12
COMPULSORY EDUCATION
6 CLASSES ( GRADES 1-6)
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SECONDARY EDUCATION
 CYCLE 1 (GYMNASIO)
AGES 13-15
COMPULSORY EDUCATION
3 CLASSES (GRADES 1,2,3 )
General,
Music,
Ecclesiastical,
Athletic,
Special
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SECONDARY EDUCATION
 CYCLE 2 ( LYKEIO GENERAL EDUCATION)
Ages 15…
Not compulsory
three years
 LEADS TO:
University (AEI)
Technological Educational Institutions(TEI)
Vocational Training Institutes (IEK)
Labour Market
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SECONDARY EDUCATION
 CYCLE 2 (VOCATIONAL EDUCATION)
Three year course
Not compulsory
 LEADS TO:
Technological Educational Institutions(TEI)
Vocational Training Institutes (IEK)
Labour Market
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AEI
TEI
IEK
Secondary
Education
Secondary Education Cycle 2
15-18
Primary
Education
12-15
6-12
•Mainstream
•Musical
•Ecclesiastical
•Physical Education
•Special
Labour Market
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Greek Open University
Vocational Education
Secondary Education Cycle 1
(General, Music, Ecclesiastical, Athletic, Special)
Primary School
(mainstream, Allday, Special)
Compulsory
Education
Tertiary
Education
Post Grad Studies
Pre-primary school
5-6
……………………………………………………………….………………………………
Nursery school
12
4
SPECIAL EDUCATION
HISTORY IN SHORT
 Interest began early 20th century
- donations
- philanthropy
- church
 1906 - School for the Blind
 1924 - School for the Deaf
 1937 - Special school for the mentally handicapped
 1945 - Rehabilitation centre for the physically handicapped
 1953 - First pshycho-diagnostic centre
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State interest in Special Education
1969
- Special education department in the Ministry of Education
- Post- Graduate courses in Special Education
1972-1973
- 43 special education schools
1981
-1st law for special education and special vocational training
1985
- law stipulating the categories of special educational needs
- special education finds its place in the general educational system
- special education is also offered free of charge
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- 25 special classes (inclusion classes) in general schools.
POLICY OF SPECIAL EDUCATION
The new law 3699/2008 (based on law 2817/2000)
 Regulations covering general education apply to children and
young people with Special Educational Needs
 Based on priciples of “a school for all” and “equal opportunities”.
 Full inclusion of the pupil in the mainstream classroom is
considered as the best means for the development of
relationships.
 Teacher of the mainstream class evaluates and seeks
assistance in order to plan the initial Individual Education
Programme of the pupil.
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THE MAIN ELEMENTS OF THE LAW
 Compulsory Education for all children with special needs .
 Education is provided from 4-22 years old – emphasis on early
intervention.
 To support the substantial inclusion of people with special needs
in society by ‘securing equal opportunities’ for learning,
independent living and financial sufficiency.
 Emphasis on the functionality and capabilities of the pupil for
participation, and incriminates the educational environment
instead of the disability of the child.
 The scope of special education is towards full inclusion
according to international definitions for disability.
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 -mainstream school -----pupils with special needs
-schools of special education ------pupils with severe
special needs.
 Defines who the people are who need special education on
an individual basis and not on categories of disability,
though some categories are clearly stated.
 If individuals do not belong to any of the stated categories
but “need a special educational approach and care for
some period of time or during their school life”. This also
refers to pupils with special educational needs because of a
weak socio-economical situation.
 It refers to students with special abilities and talents as also
needing educational support.
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CATEGORIES OF SPECIAL EDUCATION
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










Mentally handicapped (mild, moderate, severe/ profound)
Sensory impairments (vision)
Sensory impairments (hearing)
Physical disabilities
Language and speech difficulties
Specific learning disabilities (dyslexia, dyscalculia etc)
ADHD
Compound cognitive, emotional and social difficulties
Autism and Autistic Spectrum disorders
Psychological disorders and multiple disabilities
Other(multicultural, bilingualism etc)
Exceptionally able
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CENTRES FOR DIFFERENTIAL
ASSESSMENT, DIAGNOSIS AND SUPPORT
OF SPECIAL EDUCATION NEEDS (KEΔΔΥ)
 Established in 2000
 Decentralised sevices of the Greek Ministry of Education
(dept. Special Education)
 58 centres
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STAFF
 Director
 Educators of all levels –preprimary, - primary
- secondary – Greek language
- Mathematics
 Psychologist
 Social worker
 Occupational Therapist
 Physiotherapist
 Neuropsychologist
 Speech Therapist
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WHY WERE THEY SET UP
TO OFFER:
 Differential assessment
 Diagnosis
 Support to students with special needs
TO
 Support
 Inform
 Sensitize teachers, parents, society
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RESPONSIBILITIES
 To determine whether a child has special educational needs
 To note the kind and degree of difficulty – set goals
 To ensure the enrolment and placement of students in the most
suitable school environment.
 To advise, support and inform all those involved in the
educational process.
 To establish the aids needed(pc, wheelchair)
 To advise for the kind of assessment (oral/written)
 To advise for the establishing, promotion, etc of all structures of
special education in schools.
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What is done at the ΚΕΔΔΥ
 If a child isn´t progressing in the general education
programme
 Parents phone to make an appointment
 Parents meet the social worker - give consent to continue
with assessment
 Educational assessment – what has been achieved
concerning behaviour, communication, cognitive level etc
 Pupil meets with school psychologist
 Information gathered from all who work with the child –
speech therapist, occupational therapist, physiotherapist,
parents etc
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INDIVIDUALISED EDUCATIONAL
PROGRAMMES
 Meeting of the staff of ΚΕΔΔΥ
 Gather information from all involved
 Determine whether student belongs to one of the special needs
categories
 Determine individualised educational aims and draw up IEP
 Advise of instructional strategies that can be used
 Call parent to advise (has right to refuse)
 Present IEP to school staff and offer support
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WHAT DO WE AIM AT
 Emphasis on EDUCATION
 Development of IDENTITY
 Improvement of SKILLS
 Enable and encourage:
-inclusion in general education system
-vocational training
-acceptance in society
-equal social development etc
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SPECIAL EDUCATION SUPPORT
 Attendance in the mainstream school - provide direct





support to schools and individual teachers (ΚΕΔΔΥ and
school advisors –general and special education)
Attendance in the mainstream school – support teacher
Attendance in mainstream class with individualised support
in the inclusion class
Special schools – usually in same grounds as mainstream
schools so as to facilitate inclusion practices
Education at home
Education at hospitals
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TEACHER QUALIFICATIONS
For pre-primary and primary schools
 University degree in special education
 Education degree with post graduate studies in special
education
 Education degree with short courses in special education
For secondary schools
 Education degree with post graduate studies in special
education
 Education degree with short courses in special education
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1ο EIDIKO DIMOTIKO SHOLIO XANTHIS
1ST SPECIAL EDUCATION SCHOOL OF XANTHI
 Founded in 1982.
 Initially functioned in two segments (Pre- school and Primary
School).
 It was part of a group of schools (a general Pre-school , two
general Primary Schools, Special Education School)
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Evolution through time…
1.
 Initially functioned independently.
 Interaction with the other schools was only the coexistence
in the same place.
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Evolution through time…
2.
 Gradual increase of student population
 Pre- school moved to other location
 Common breaks with the general schools
 Audience at events
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Evolution through time…
3.
 Take part in events integrating our separate actions.
 The School adopted an outward orientation.
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Evolution through time…
4.
 Emphasis on qualitative interaction
 Collaboration with general schools
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Evolution through time…
5.
 The school moved inside a general school.
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Today:
 26 students(7 to14 years old) in 6 classes. Only primary
school.
 6 Special Education teachers
 1 specialized Physical Education teacher for gymnastics
and psychomotor development
 1 Psychologist
 1 Special Education assistant
 1 Social Worker (part time)
 1 Speech Therapist (part time)
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Additional support
 Speech therapy
 Occupational therapy
 Physiotherapy
- After school hours
- Privately with partial state funding
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 Students who graduate, enter Secondary vocational school
(E.E.E.E.K.)
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THE CURRICULUM FOR THE SPECIAL
EDUCATION SCHOOLS
 Focuses on School Readiness: motivation and systematic
preparation to respond to the school requirements.
 Emphasis on 4 areas
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School
Readiness
Speaking
Listening
Ennunciation
Dialogue
Psychomotor
Emotional
organization
Mental
abilities
Orientation
Coordination
Laterality
rhythm
Self-confidence
Motivation
cooperation
Visual memory
Auditory memory
Working memory
Attention span
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Inclusion Curricula
Available for :
 Students on the autistic spectrum
 Students with mild and moderate mental retardation
 Students with severe mental retardation
 Blind students
 Deaf students
 Students with learning disabilities
 Gifted students
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Open and flexible
Proposes:
•Teaching material
•methodology
•Interdisciplinary
projects
•Adapting to
the needs and
the learning style
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Engage in the curriculum
of the general school
• We materialize projects about environment, health, culture,
as provided for the general schools.
• Participate in local events, theater, exhibitions, national day
celebrations, as all schools
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