3rd Workshop on Training of Teachers of the Visually Impaired in Europe,
Warsaw, Poland, 3 - 6 April 2002
by mrs Marianna Buultjens
Scotland has a population of 5 million. Although it is a part of the UK, it has always had its own, separate education system, and since 1999 its own Parliament. There have been services supporting integration in Scotland since 1978.Each of the 32 local councils in Scotland now provide services which vary depending on the size of the council and the number of children. Early Intervention is usually covered by the TVIs employed in the service. Some councils have units/resource centres for VI in primary and/or secondary schools. Teachers in these centres often have a peripatetic case load as well.
There are two special schools for VI and one secondary special school for pupils with Physical Disability of whom a third of the students have VI. The majority of children and young people with VI without additional or multiple disabilities attend mainstream schools.
One of the first pieces of legislation passed by our new Scottish Parliament was: 'Standards in Scotland's Schools etc Act' (2000). This said that mainstreaming should be the first choice of placement for all children unless there were specific circumstances which made this inappropriate. This Act strongly supports the concept and process of 'inclusion'. It has, however, been recognised by the Parliament that much work still remains to be done in training and supporting mainstream staff and increasing resources.
Only fully registered teachers with at least 2 years' experience are accepted for training which is part-time at Masters' Level. The Diploma is achieved in 2-4 years, with a further two years for the Master of Education award. There are generic 'core' studies which can be taken at a local University, but the VI specialist modules are available only at the University of Edinburgh.
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