Country Report - Sweden (2)

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

by mrs Kerstin Fellenius

There is a new teacher-training program for all kind of teachers in Sweden since 2001-07-01. All teachers will in their basic teacher training program get more knowledge about children and youth with special needs due to our political decision of "a school for all" in Sweden. Consequently there are only a few special schools left for children and youth with death/hearing impairments and for children with severe multiple impairments. There are opportunities for all teachers to create their own "teacher profile" after the generic courses by choosing the specializations they need or are most interested in. Our former special teacher training program for visually impaired must therefore be adapted to the ordinary teacher training program but also suit teachers already working in the field. We are still in the process of forming new courses of specialization. Before choosing any specialization in special education e.g. for visually impaired there is special demand of a compulsory course in generic special education of ten weeks studies. In this course the goal is to get knowledge of different perspectives on children with special needs on societal, organizational and individual levels. Most of the specialized courses are in modules of tens weeks full time studies, that means 10 credits in the Swedish university credit system. You could take part in full or half time courses during a term and partly in distance education using ICT.

The students are qualified for the specialized courses for visually impaired if they take part in the ordinary teacher training program or are graduated teachers or have been graduated from university studies for instance as a occupational therapist, physiotherapist, trained eye nurse, optometrist or similar.

Specialized courses planned about visual impairment in the nearest future are:

Autumn 2002

• Basic Course in Special Education, 10 credits, a half time and partly distance course
• Disability, Participation and Learning, 10 credits, a half time and partly distance course.
  This is a broad basic course to get an overview of the complex situation that is the reality of many visually impaired children and youth and other similar groups.
• To Teach a Child/ Youth with severe visual impairment in mainstream education, 10 credits, a quarter of full time course, in autumn 2002 and spring 2003, distance education in co-operation with the Swedish Institute of Special Needs Education.
  An important purpose in this course is the way of working in the classroom for inclusion in different subjects.

Spring 2003

• Visual impairments: causes and pedagogical consequences, 10 credits, a half time and partly distance course.
  This course contains ophthalmology, basic optics and some pedagogical adaptations for visually impaired.

Autumn 2003

• Communication and special education in visual impairment, 10 credits, a half time and partly distance course.
  This course will contain Braille and basic mobility skills.

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