Impact of the conference on future developments
Silja Anu Taru, Estonia

(director of a school for visually impaired children)

Plenary session 4, Thursday 13 July 2000, 14.00 - 15.30

It was for me the first time to participate in such a high-level conference. Therefore, it was quite a challenge for me to talk here and to talk in English.

Conference days here have been full of information, ideas, meetings colleagues, many great contacts have been set up. It is my impression that there have been great changes in the countries of Eastern Europe during past 5 years. There is no doubt that the chairperson of ICEVI has contributed a lot to the integration of Eastern European countries into joint activities. This is to recall the report by Maria Venhuizen concerning the twinning contacts that she presented two days ago. By today I have 10 more promising contacts which I enjoy greatly.

We introduced our school on a poster. Next time I will try to make the step further and present something what we can do well.

I like the idea to have a contact person by ICEVI Newsletter from each country. It helps us to feel ourselves more included. Tomorrow we all will travel back home. It is a relief that we must not wait for five years to meet and to hear about the activities of others again as we can read about it in Newsletter.

Now about the ideas I got from the presentations:

• The work with parents is really important. Information technology is developing and I dream about website for parents and e-mail interaction with parents in Estonia.
• Children with multiple disabilities, especially those who have more than two impairments, need much more attention they are receiving in contemporary Estonia.
• Teamwork has to be developed in our school.

As a chairperson of Estonian Blind Sport Association, I would like to emphasize the importance of the physical development of visually impaired children. Visually impaired children should not only read and write well, they also should move, run and swim well. It is a great feeling for children as well for teachers to see them on the highest step of the pedestal and to hear the national anthem performed.

I would like to finish with a stanza from Solveig Sjostedt's poem. This stanza is for all of us.

� we must never be

alone

and tired

and nothing to do.

Address:
Tartu Emajoe School
Pk 232, 51002 Tartu, Estonia
E-mail: kool@tek.tartu.ee

Back to the: [ Table of contents ][ 5th European Conference Page ][ Home Page ]