The current issue of The Educator is “Human Resource
Development”. In recent times, many declarations related to disabilities
have made special mention about human resource development, curriculum,
etc. Here are some extracts on training, curriculum, etc.,
from different policy documents. |
| Reference to Training programmes
found in the Salamanca Framework for Action:
* Pre-service training
programmes should provide to all student teachers, primary and secondary
alike, positive orientation toward disability, thereby developing an understanding
of what can be achieved in schools with locally available support services.
The knowledge and skills required are mainly those of good teaching and
include assessing special needs, adapting curriculum content, utilizing
assistive technology, individualizing teaching procedures to suit a larger
range of abilities, etc. In teacher-training practice schools, specific
attention should be given to preparing all teachers to exercise their
autonomy and apply their skills in adapting curricula and instruction
to meet pupils needs as well as to collaborate with specialists and co-operate
with parents.
* The major challenge lies in
providing in-service training to all teachers, taking into account the
varied and often difficult conditions under which they serve. In-service
training should, wherever possible, be developed at school level by means
of interaction with trainers and supported by distance education and other
self instruction techniques.
* Specialized training in special
needs education leading to additional qualifications should normally be
integrated with or preceded by training and experience as a regular education
teacher in order to ensure complementarity and mobility.
* The training of special teachers
needs to be reconsidered with a view to enabling them to work in different
settings and to play a key role in special educational needs programmes.
A non-categorical approach encompassing all types of disabilities should
be developed as a common core, prior to further specialization in one
or more disability-specific areas.
* Universities have a major advisory
role to play in the process of developing special needs education, especially
as regards research, evaluation, preparation of teacher trainers, and
designing training programmes and materials. Networking among universities
and institutions of higher learning in developed and developing countries
should be promoted. Linking research and training in this way is of great
significance.
Reference to Training programmes found in the World Programme
of Action concerning Disabled Persons (UN Programme on Disability)
* Significant advances in teaching
techniques and important innovative developments have taken place in the
field of special education and much more can be achieved in the education
of disabled persons. But the progress is mostly limited to a few countries
or only a few urban
centres.
* Personnel should be trained
to work with the parents of disabled children.
Reference to Training programmes found in the Standard
Rules on the Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities
* States are responsible for
ensuring the adequate training of personnel, at all levels, involved in
the planning and provision of programmes and services concerning persons
with disabilities.
* States should ensure
that all authorities providing services in the disability field give adequate
training to their personnel.
* In the training of professionals
in the disability field, as well as in the provision of information on
disability in general training programmes, the principle of full participation
and equality should be appropriately reflected.
* States should develop training
programmes in consultation with organizations of persons with disabilities,
and persons with disabilities should be involved as teachers, instructors
or advisers in staff training programmes.
* The training of community workers
is of great strategic importance, particularly in developing countries.
It should involve persons with disabilities and include the development
of appropriate values, competence and technologies as well as skills which
can be practised by persons with disabilities, their parents, families
and members of the community.
The extracts above illustrate the
importance that the international community places on human resource development
as a key element in the move to enable persons with disability to participate
fully in society. They provide ample justification for those seeking to
improve the access of children with visual impairment to teachers with
training in this area.
ICEVI confirms its commitment to promoting
quality services for children with a visual impairment through a range
of capacity building programmes to update the skills of teachers, parents,
and other professionals.
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