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How we train the teachers

There are two main routes into training to be a special school teacher:

  1. Initial teacher training at a Teacher Training College to qualify as a teacher at General Special Needs Schools (Sonderschulen) and at Special Needs Schools for Severely Handicapped (6 semesters): The study courses at the Teacher Training Colleges include the traditional socio-pedagogic, didactic, practical courses as well as studies of "General special education", "Education of children with learning difficulties", "Education of mentally handicapped children", "Speech therapy" etc.

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  2. Interregional study courses for teachers at Special Needs Schools for children with sensory and physical handicaps: In-service training of specialist didactic, methodological and special education requirements for the following specialisations: Sonderschule for the deaf, Sonderschule for children who are hard of hearing, Sonderschule for physically handicapped children, Sonderschule for sight-impaired children, Sonderschule for the blind, therapeutic schools, special educational schools. The Pedagogic Institutes (Pädagogische Institute) are responsible for organising teacher training for these special schools for the handicapped, and further education and in-service teacher training for all types of special schools.

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  3. At the Teacher Training College Feldkirch there is a new programme starting in autumn 1998. The entry qualification is qualified teacher status for primary schools (which is a three-year programme). It takes one year and concentrates on additional information and skills-training in the area of special needs education.

 

- To fully qualify as a teacher for the Sonderschule students must have undergone training in two specialisations of the above-mentioned types of special schools.

- The teaching assignment for special school teachers teaching pupils with special educational needs at a Sonderschule or at the Volksschule by way of integration, is 23 weekly hours.

- Non-teaching staff: The school providers (local communities, provincial governments etc.) are required to employ additional non-teaching staff (e.g. auxiliary staff, nursing staff, therapists and other professionals) to guarantee the best possible provision of education that is geared to the needs of the handicapped.

This information was taken and adapted from: http://www.eurydice.org/Eurybase/files/ATEN/ATEN397.htm (1997)

Home Tasks General situation Paradigm change Models Legislation Identification Integrative education Special Schools Special Centres Training Facts and Figures References