|
In
this article I will describe a new kind of teacher training programme
in Peru which is based at the Special Educational Centre "San Francisco
de Asis" in Lima. The programme is called the "Plan of Educational
Extension".
The objective of the programme is
to support children and young people with visual impairment who live in
the provinces of the country by training local professionals to offer
education and rehabilitation. These professionals will support the children's
development and allow them to progress and become integrated within their
own social environment.
The training is offered in Lima and
in other provincial cities and is delivered by Peruvians with great experience
in the field of visual impairment supported by specialists from overseas
sent by ICEVI to provide additional academic input to the programme.
The "Plan of Extension" has the following features:
1. Teacher training
* The training lasts no less than 40 hours and
is addressed to professionals already involved in working with people
with visual impairment and to others with an interest in the topic
* Initial training is based around a set of general
core topics and continues with additional specific elements in areas such
as: Early Intervention, the Development of Teaching Materials, Low Vision
and Community- Based Rehabilitation, which the participants choose in
accordance with the needs of their local population.
* At the end of each course, booklets on the topics
covered are distributed to the participants.
* At the end of each course, a certificate of
participation is given to each professional who has complied with the
set conditions.
It is important to add that this year we
have planned a course for participants from the fields of both visual
and hearing impairment.
2. Observation
The teachers who are trained on the
courses are visited in their own areas and are observed to ensure that
they are applying the knowledge acquired in the courses successfully.
These follow-ups are as important as the training courses themselves and
they demand the same amount of time because the lecturers have to travel
around the country.
The observation is organised as follows:
* Annual visits lasting a week in each area. The
purpose of the visit is to encourage the teachers; to clarify any uncertainties
the teachers may have; to correct any mistakes in practice and to develop
and offer advice on aspects not dealt with in the training courses. The
visits also help the lecturers to assess both teacher's and studentís
needs and thus help us to identify ideas
for new training courses.
3. Internships
In order to be able to develop their
skills and obtain further specialised knowledge, some professionals apply
for internships at the centre. The placement at the centre can last for
three, five or ten days, depending on the needs of the applicants.
4. Distribution of material
In our country, as in some other Latin-American
countries, there is a lack of material for students with a visual impairment
(as indeed there is for their peers with normal vision), and therefore
we offer schools Braille guides, abacus, walking canes, magnifying glasses,
audible balls, geometry instruments, etc. This material is donated by
CBM in order to complement the work of the centre.
5. Coverage
This work is carried out in the Centre
and North of the country, and covers the coast, hills and jungle regions.
At the beginning, only those teachers who were already working with the
people with visual impairment were trained; at present, open courses are
offered in which teachers with different specialities and parents can
participate. In the year 2002 five sessions were held, training 271 professionals.
Conclusion
The Program of Educational Extension
makes the education and/or rehabilitation of people with visual impairment
possible in areas far from the capital. These people would otherwise have
had no access to personal and social development. The Program of Educational
Extension encourages and enables teachers to train students with blindness
and low vision.
|