Special Education to Undergo Changes in September

The Ministry of Education is ready to delve even deeper into the chapter of Special Education in its effort to implement actions and policies that truly reflect inclusive and unified education in practice.

As “Ph” is informed, from the new school year these issues will take center stage for the responsible Ministry of Education, which has developed a specific plan. Already, some points that have been included in the plans have been recently implemented, according to a responsible source from the Ministry of Education.

It concerns the following three important chapters:

>>Preparation of differentiated educational material

>>Preparation for the needs of school assistants and companions for the new school year

>>Teacher training

As we have been informed about the first point, since last March, the preparation of educational material has been completed. This material has been differentiated and adapted to meet the needs of students according to the difficulties they face. The differentiated material has been developed through collaboration with Greece, and as we were informed, clear guidelines and instructions for teaching are now provided in a scientific manner.

Regarding the issue of school assistants and companions, information indicates that the Ministry already has a clear understanding of the needs for the new school year. This matter has been a significant concern every year, as the school year begins and children in need of companionship stay at home for days without immediate assistance. What’s different in the process this year is the early collection of clear needs (it’s noted that the number is expected to increase as needs continuously arise, even after the start of the school year). The intention of the Ministry of Education is to record these needs to the fullest extent possible so that they can be addressed promptly to the Ministry of Finance for the necessary budget allocation.

It’s worth noting that the issue of companions concerns the Ministry not only in terms of the number of students they will serve for the school year 2024-2025 but also in their employment status. That’s why there is consultation aimed at improving their contracts. It’s recalled that this issue has concerned the Parliamentary Education Committee several times in recent years, in an effort to find solutions to the labor issues that exist with this group of employees.

Regarding the third point, teacher training is expected to be intensified from the new school year so that educators can fully utilize the differentiated educational material that has been prepared.

Furthermore, a key pillar in the upgrading and modernization efforts in this field is the process of reviewing applications for providing accommodations and companions to students. According to our information, the Ministry is taking steps and actions to expedite the procedures in the relevant Committees that examine each case.