Country Report - Netherlands

3rd Workshop on Training of Teachers of the Visually Impaired in Europe,
Warsaw, Poland, 3 - 6 April 2002

by mr Stef Pennings, Projectmanager Itinerant Teachers
Sensis, the Netherlands

1.

The New Special education Act -introduced in 1998 - passed the Houses of Parliament in February 2002. All schools for special education are clustered into Regional Expertise Centres (REC's) . The REC for V.I. pupils is named cluster 1; deaf and hearingimpairment cluster 2 up to cluster 4. The most important change is, that parents take an important role in what way the extra needs for their child are organised; they manage the additional facilitation. An independing commission of experts decide if a child is eligible for special education/ special needs. For other children with special needs (cluster 2 - 4) this new legislation is due to start in August 2002. The special schools (REC's) for V.I. maintain their "own legislation" until August 2005. Experiences with the new legislation will likely decide how the V.I. cluster will participate in 2005.

2. Provisions with respect to staff

Mainstream schools receive an amount of extra money for each pupil with extra needs. With this money they can appoint a support teacher for several hours a week to assist the classroomteacher of the mainstream school. Additional the mainstream schools receive support of an itinerant teacher.

Provisions with respect to equipment:

To attend a mainstream school most V.I. pupils need special equipment: e.g. a notebook with enlarging programs, advanced braillelines, t.v. magnifying. Based on a report of specialists these needs are financed by the (National) Health Insurance (Exceptional Medical Expenses Act), the Ministry of Social Affairs and/or Education, Culture and Science..

Provisions with respect to text-books in Braille/ large print:

The Federation of Dutch Libraries for the Blind (FNB) provides all V.I. pupils in the Netherlands with their studybooks (methods) in Braille, largeprint, diskettes, cd-rom. This Federation is State-aided.

Provisions with respect to lessons in O&M, ADL, Social skills:

Experts from the regional centres provide information and support on social services, interior design of the home, leisure activities, specially adapted computers, financial arrangements, sports, talking books, O&M. For the integrated pupils these rehabilitation workers work in close connection with the itinerant teacher. Each student's personal education plan remains the basic focal point.

3.

The Itinerant teacher is based in the Special School or in one of the Regional Centres. Sensis is one of the three organisations in the Netherlands which provides care, education and services to partially sigthed and blind people. There is an ongoing discussion to bring the support as close as possible to the pupil. The consequence of this aim can lead to a disconnection of the offices of the itinerant teachers and the schools for special education.

4.

No legislation to qualification of (itinerant) teachers in special education has been effected.

The special training for itinerant teachers consists of:

• a part time training course(two years); the teacher is already working in the special school;
• (inservice) training sessions (30 to 40 hours) on a special subject;
• specific training for itinerant teachers (e.g. low vision, computerequipment and -programs).

Until now the itinerant teachers are based at the special schools (see 3 above).

The ratio of pupils supported by one itinerant teacher is about 25 (including two or three blind pupils) to 30. There is a difference in the ratio in giving support on primary or secondary schools.

Task of the itinerant teacher at the mainstream schools:

• Primary school: supports the children, the support-teacher, the classroomteacher, the staff. Being mediator between child/school and other specialized workers. The i.t. is working with the child in/outside the classroom for special educational sessions; he consults the classroomteacher (attitude) and makes observations in the classroom.
• Secondary school: supports the student, informs his classmates and (coordinator) teaching staff. Is the mediator between student/school and other professional workers. The indirect support is mainly given by counselling conversations between student, (coordinator)teacher and itinerant teacher. Of course the parents are free to participate in these conversations.
• The i.t. invites the parents to come to the mainstream school and take part in the counselling conversations. In primary education parents are more often taken part in. It is sometimes desirable to meet the parents at home. The i.t. informs the parents about all provisions of the Expertise Centre and offers his ears for all their needs. When needed Sensis can provide in support of social workers (specialism in V.I.).

5.

Sensis Expertise Centre provides in special training and inservice courses for their workers in the field of education, assessment and rehabilitation. Sensis also stimulates their workers to follow further training in specific areas and to participate in national and international networks.

6.

See answer 1.

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