Crashed on the first day
An incident in kindergarten occurred last Friday. According to Evelina (surname known to the editors), her son is attending a group of five-year-olds, and that day he had a newcomer, a child a few years younger with special needs.
“My child was injured – doctors found bruising of the eyeball and periocular area and a corneal ulcer. The director says he brought that child out of a group of little ones because he thought he wouldn’t hit the bigger ones.
He picked it up on Friday, and on the very first day everything happened. No one warned anyone, the director took it and did it at his own discretion. Consulted with parents, did not warn that such a child will be in the group. That’s the most outrageous, especially for me, when my child was being transported to the admission ward. “The child would have needed a few millimeters of glasses,” Evelina said.
15min photo by Evelina / Data on the child’s injury
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15min photo by Evelina / Data on the child’s injury
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She said if parents had been notified in advance of changes in their group, they might have had the opportunity to talk to their children.
“I had to ask my parents, warn me what that child is like so that we and our children can be prepared so that they don’t go to that child, he is a little different and so on. I am not against those children, I do not know what awaits me in my life. I just want more help for them.
Now all the children in our group are five years old, they are getting ready to be ready next year. The educator barely guesses, there are 20 children in the group, and now all the attention needs to be paid to that child, ”said Evelina.
She also claims that all the years her son attends kindergarten, he repeats to him every morning – “listen to the educators, learn, play, hang out with the children, eat and not be beaten”. But if she taught to give back, then there would be no consequences for the other child as well, the woman considered.
Addressed the municipality
The mother did not hide when she heard the employees’ remarks that it is impossible to lose sight of the child – because as soon as she turns around, there is a fight.
After the incident in the kindergarten, Evelina went to Vilkaviškis district municipality and talked to the education specialists working there about the need for an additional employee to help and supervise the child. She says she has received a response that such a temporary worker could be hired.
“It simply came to our notice then. I would just like that child to be given extra help. The director said the children are being integrated. But if so, why not in his age group? And why isn’t he an educator?
I hope that temporary assistant will show up. I would just like that child to be given extra help.
Me and the Education Department have been told that a child needs to grow up in their age group with their peers. And here he moves to his elders and says that he has moved because he thought that he would not be beaten or aggressive in the group of elders, ”the woman said emotionally.
Specialists are lacking but sought after
Alma Finagėjevienė, Head of the Education, Culture and Sports Department of Vilkaviškis District Municipality 15min said he was aware of the incident and the unit’s specialists were going to go to the office to explain the situation.
The institution applied to the municipality with a request to establish the position of an assistant educator and it is planned to do so from the New Year, A.Finagėjevienė assured.
However, she admitted that, as in the whole of Lithuania, there is a lack of specialists in Vilkaviškis who can help these children.
“We are constantly asking for more staff in the council meetings, because we see that the situation is sad and we really need them. There is also a lack of support professionals, special educators, and speech therapists and assistants.
It is really benevolent in our municipality that we try to respond to the situation here and now, ”said the head of the department.
Valdo Kopūstas / 15min photo / Vilkaviškis
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According to the head of the department, educators and teaching assistants are not currently subject to any qualification requirements, secondary education is sufficient, which also makes it difficult to select suitable employees, as the salaries paid to them are extremely modest.
It is intended to change this, then it would be more demanding of assistants, but the salary coefficients would also change, so perhaps the teachers of the closed schools could take up these positions.
Still missing
The Ministry of Education, Science and Sport (MESM) agrees that there is still a shortage of educational support specialists, teacher assistants in schools and kindergartens, but says the ministry is doing its best to change the situation.
“As of September 1 of this year, an average of 22 percent. the salaries of education support specialists of schools and pedagogical psychological services have been increased, for which an additional 8 mln. euros.
Although it is the duty of municipalities to take care of the necessary specialists to provide educational assistance in educational institutions, the Ministry, taking into account the need for additional positions submitted by municipalities at the end of 2020, has allocated funds in the state budget.
In the spring of this year, 4.67 million was allocated to municipalities. to create an additional 285 teaching assistants. Another 1 million In addition, EUR 1 million will be allocated to municipalities for the establishment of new posts for social and special pedagogues and psychologists from 1 September. Municipalities contribute to the establishment and maintenance of new posts at their own expense, ”comments the situation.
From September 1 this year. an average of 22 percent. the salaries of these specialists have been increased, with an additional 8 mln. euros.
2021 1369 speech therapists, 756 special pedagogues, 756 psychologists, 1192 social pedagogues, 2314 teaching assistants work in schools and kindergartens.
Vilnius is also missing
Problems exist not only in small municipalities but also in the capital. Because the decision to create a post alone is not enough, sometimes there is simply no one to hold that position.
“Vilnius City Municipality has approved norms according to which certain positions are assigned to institutions. For example, in kindergartens, a social pedagogue and a psychologist are appointed according to the number of children attending the institution. Most pre-schools are attended by up to 300 children and are assigned 0.5 social pedagogue and psychologist positions each.
The number of special educators, speech therapists and teaching assistants in institutions depends on the number of children with special educational needs, and therefore varies greatly from one pre-school to another. One special pedagogue works with no more than 24 children, and a speech therapist no more than 30 children with special educational needs, ”explains Vilnius City Municipality.
Sigismund Gedvila / 15min photo / Vilnius city municipality
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Teacher assistants help teachers working in pre-school and pre-school education groups with children with high and very high special educational needs.
“Assistants are calculated as follows: very high special needs – 0.5 posts; high special needs – 0.25 posts. 122 children with severe special educational needs are educated in 122 pre-school education institutions. They are assisted by 9.5 assistant posts.
417 children with high special educational needs also attend integrated groups in pre-school education. They are assisted by 104.25 position assistants. 65.75 social pedagogues, 65.75 psychologists, 80.75 speech therapists and 285 speech therapists have been established to work with children in pre-school education institutions, ”says the municipality of the capital.
Assistants are calculated as follows: very high special needs – 0.5 posts; high special needs – 0.25 posts.
However, the problem remains: “Although posts are being filled, it is not always possible to find people who would like to work, so it happens that not all posts are occupied.”
Promises training and change
According to the Ministry, a number of different measures are provided for in the Action Plan for Preparatory Implementation for Inclusive Education until 2024 prepared by the MESM together with the social partners:
“It is planned not only to adapt the environment of kindergartens and schools to suit children with various educational needs, or to employ more educational support specialists, but also to introduce a consultation system in municipalities and nationally, to improve the qualifications of teachers and educational support staff.
Both stationary and mobile specialist counseling teams will be available in municipalities to ensure that school leaders, teachers and school support professionals can receive specialist advice quickly in more complex cases. If the school does not have the required specialist, it will be possible to order specialists to come to the school. “
Practical training on inclusive education and principles of universal design is provided for school administration staff and teachers. It is also promised to develop sets of methodological material according to separate groups of students with special educational needs: visual, auditory, developmental, behavioral, emotional and intellectual disabilities.
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