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COMPLETE NATIONAL OVERVIEW
Legal System
Introduction
The special education services in Cyprus, in common with those of many other countries, developed out of private and charitable initiatives. In 1929 a school for the blind was opened, followed in 1953 by one for the deaf.
Following the independence of Cyprus in 1960, the first provision for learning disabled children was established with the introduction of a special class at a local elementary school. During the 1960’s and 1970’s special schools for the learning disabled were founded in all regions of Cyprus.
With the 1979 Special Education Law, the responsibility of providing special education schools for children between the ages of 5 and 18 years was taken by the State. This Law established regional multidisciplinary committees to review the cases of individual children referred for special education and recommended the most suitable educational placement for each child.
During the 1980’s, there was a trend toward the integration of children with special needs into mainstream schools. By the new millennium a balance began to emerge between mainstream placement and special schools. However, the practice of integration in Cyprus had no legislative foundation until the establishment of the Law for the Training and Education of Children with Special Needs 113(1)/1999.
The inclusion of children with special needs into mainstream education is a matter of major policy for the Ministry of Education and Culture that is in line with current international conventions and philosophical thought. The adoption of this policy has been accompanied by a change in the perceptions, beliefs and attitudes of society towards children with special needs whether they are in the education system or the community at large.
The Special Education Law 113(I)1999
The policy is expressed within the Special Education Law 113(I) of 1999, the Regulations for the Early Detection of Children with Special Needs 185(1)/2001 and the Regulations for the Training and Education of Children with Special Needs 186(1)/2001. These last two regulate the implementation of the new law as from September 2001.
The Law for the Education and Training of Children with Special Needs 113(1)/1999 is the legislative framework which regulates the detection of children with special educational needs; their assessment and the development of an individualized educational programme; their placement in the most appropriate educational setting with provision of both teachers and educational resources to meet their needs; and for the ongoing evaluation of the child’s progress.
According to the above mentioned Law, a child is considered to have special educational needs if he/she has a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of children of a similar age or if a disability prevents or impedes him/her from using the standard educational facilities and resources available in mainstream schools.
Through the core articles of the law, the state undertakes the early detection of children with special needs from the age of three. It will conduct a full multidisciplinary team assessment and will also undertake to provide all the necessary measures in terms of curriculum adaptation, technical and staffing support for the effective education of the children within a mainstream setting.
Special educational services are provided free of charge by the State to those children in need of them between the ages of 3 and 18 years, (extension of education up to 21 years can be provided where it is deemed necessary).
Children with special needs are educated in public schools, which are equipped with the suitable infrastructure, according to the Law for special education. The majority of children with special educational needs are educated within the mainstream classroom.
Special educational provision may also be given in special units at mainstream schools. These children are assigned to a mainstream class with whom they will attend integrated lessons and participate in celebratory or festive events.
Children with severe difficulties are educated in special schools, which are equipped with the appropriate staff (psychologists, speech therapists, doctors, physiotherapists and other specialists as well as auxiliary staff) in order to support and provide essential means to achieve their mission.
If children with special needs, due to health or other problems, cannot attend school for a long period of time, education may be provided to them in places other than the public or special school.
The key elements of the law are:
1. The defining for each individual child of what special education is for him/her, the process for its implementation and the place where it should take place (mainstream school, special unit or special school).
2. The establishment of Committees for Special Education (Central Committee, District Committees, Board for Special Education and Training).
3. The development of a mechanism for recognizing children with special needs.
4. The reduction of the total number of students within a class where a child or children with special needs is/are placed.
5. The development and implementation of assessment procedures for every child with special needs.
6. The recruitment of coordinating officers to coordinate and oversee the implementation of the special educational program recommended for each child.
7. The differential assessment of the educational progress of children with special needs according to their individual differences.
8. The right of parents to appeal against the decision of the Committee for Special Education.
9. The provision of placements for those children in need of special education, in mainstream classrooms, special units within mainstream schools or in public schools for special education according to their individually assessed needs.
10. The legal framework for the functioning of private schools for special education.
11. The establishment of a coordinating special education services committee (Caretaker Committee).
Special educational provision can be made in any of the state school education levels. Hence pre school institutions, elementary schools, gymnasium (lower high schools), lyceum (upper high school) and technical schools) must provide adaptations and facilities for children with special needs. As the compulsory age for mainstream education is up to 15 years the lyceum schools currently only provide adaptations for access to the standard curriculum, e.g. for pupils with mobility problems, sensory disabilities etc.
Where a special educator is part of the child’s education, they must cooperate and interact with the classroom teacher of the child in the development and delivery of an individualized education programme for the child.
Unless there exist exceptional circumstances these services should be provided within a class of the child’s local school that should be provided with all necessary adaptations and resources. Where full school attendance in a mainstream classroom is not appropriate for the child’s needs special tuition in a resource room for a specified period of the day may be prescribed or the attendance at a special unit within a mainstream school. Special units provide more intensive special education to a small number of pupils (usually up to 6 children) in a classroom whilst maintaining contact and integration with a specific reference class of the school. Where none of these adaptations are suitable to the needs of the child attendance at a special school may be specified.
Currently there are 6 regional special schools for children with severe learning difficulties, 1 school for children with emotional and behavioural difficulties, 1 school for children with visual impairments and 1 for children with hearing impairments. The last two schools provide services to children with visual or hearing impairments that are integrated into mainstream schools and also to adults requiring specialist assistance or guidance. Special educators are also provided to non-governmental institutions providing specialist services to distinct groups of children e.g. those with multiple or severe physically handicap. Services are also provided to children who are in hospital for a significant period of time or who, for medical or other reasons, must be educated at home.
Financing
Funding for special needs is mainly provided by the government. The State is obliged to equip special schools or mainstream schools where special education is provided, with all the required equipment and staff, according to the provisions of the Law. The number of the staff and the budgets for each school depend on the number of pupils and the provisions at the school.
If the District Committees, who evaluate children with special educational needs, decide the attendance of a child in a school for special education and training, which is not located in the area where the child lives, the State cares for the transportation of the child to and from school.
Children in special schools are transported to and from school free of charge.
The Education of Children with Special Needs Regulations 186(I)/2001, Part IX concerns the Building Specifications of Public and Private Schools. In the Regulations it is reported that all schools (public and private), in which children with special needs study, should fulfil the building specifications of the Regulations. The State is responsible for making school buildings accessible for pupils with special needs.
The Local Education Authorities are financed by the Government to pay for school assistants for pupils in special units or mainstream schools that need, according to the District Committees, this provision.
Special individual equipment for the child (wheel chairs, special seats, assistive technology) is also provided by the State, according to the child’s evaluation.
Identification of Special Needs
Through the core articles of the Law the State undertakes the early detection of children with special needs from the age of three.
Any person, especially any parent, director of a nursery or kindergarten or elementary school or secondary school or any other member of their education staff, doctor, psychologist, social worker, is responsible to acknowledge to the District Committee each case, came to his/her knowledge or notice of a child who may have special needs.
The District Committee, then, has the duty to efficiently evaluate the needs of any child considered to have special needs, wherever that child attends classes or stays and provides all the necessary measures in terms of curriculum adaptation, technical and staffing support for the effective education of the children within a mainstream setting.
This evaluation is conducted by a multidisciplinary team, including a child psychologist, an educational psychologist, a teacher of special education, a doctor, a speech therapist and any other specialist, as the case may need.
The parents of the child to be evaluated have the right to attend during the evaluation and to participate alone or with a specialist. After the evaluation, parents are informed of the decisions concerning their child, taken by the Committee, and have the right of appeal to a Central Committee for special education and training.
The District Committee decides that a child is in need of special education and training or facilities. It also decides whether special education and training shall be provided in mainstream classroom, in a special unit in mainstream schools or in a special school.
As from September 2004, the Ministry of Education of Cyprus has put into action the Mechanism for Identification and Support of Children with learning difficulties, emotional and other problems. This Mechanism facilitates in-school support for children and families before any official special education is carried out.
To ensure the appropriate staffing of the various services, the Ministry places a high priority on staff development through local training schemes and participation of staff in training programs abroad.
Every two years, or earlier if required, a re-evaluation takes place in order to assess the child’s progress, the educational program and further needs, if any.
Special Needs Education within the Education System
Mainstream School System
The State recognizes that all children have a right to an education appropriate to their needs. The State attempts to provide a legal framework where those with special educational requirements can receive, in the least restrictive environment, an education which meets their individual needs. It attempts to ensure through ongoing re-evaluation that the child’s educational program develops along with the child and that every effort for the least segregated educational setting is made.
Whilst the law is specifically for special educational needs, it has assisted in advancing the integration of special education into the mainstream of education. Whilst special education has its' own legal framework special and mainstream education are part of one school system with common administrative procedures.
Special educators who are either fully assigned to mainstream schools, run special units at mainstream schools or are peripatetic, are considered part of the teaching staff of the school in much the same way as the music, physical education or art teacher.
Children, to whom special education and training has been determined, attend ordinary schools, special units or special schools with appropriate infrastructure, adopted to their own needs and to their individual program, which is setup by the Special Education Coordinators (SENCOs), in cooperation with the teachers and parents of the child. The same officials supervise the child’s progress.
The majority of children with special needs attend mainstream schools and follow the normal curriculum, which may be adjusted to suit their particular needs. Where a special educator is part of the child’s education, they must cooperate and interact with the classroom teacher of the child in the development and delivery of an individualized education program for the child. During the development of the child's Individual Education Plan (I.E.P.) staff will make every effort to ensure that the child is fully involved in all school and class activities. The education team developing the I.E.P. will often determine what instructional methodology will be implemented for the child. Where a child requires individual assistance outside of his/her classroom, this is arranged so as not to restrict their access to all subjects of the curriculum.
With the introduction of the term “education and training” the 1999 law expands the concept of special education to include not only academic subjects but also areas of self-help skills, social skills, vocational training and anything that may assist the person in his/her holistic development.
Coordinators of special education (SENCOs or special needs advisers) offer guidance both in special schools as well as in mainstream schools. These advisers work under the guidance of the inspector of special education, offering advice and support to special teachers, cooperating with teachers and administrators in ordinary schools and with other professionals. After assessment and diagnosis is made, special needs advisers visit both special as well as ordinary schools and offer advice and suggestions to school staff, parents and children.
Children attending special units within mainstream schools have the same school day as the mainstream school and, depending upon their individual needs, may spend the majority of lessons along with their reference class. They are assigned to a mainstream class with whom they will attend integrated lessons and participate in celebratory or festive events. The amount of time spent within the special unit is analogous with the level of learning difficulty that the child presents. This will also determine the amount of differentiation that the child’s personalized curriculum will have from that of his/her peer group.
Within the secondary school system support is primarily in the form of additional language and numeric tuition. Where necessary, a child may be exempted from certain subjects. Children with special needs attending mainstream secondary schools will receive transition services designed for their age equivalent peers. This will normally consist of careers or further educational opportunities advice. Those with specific sensory disabilities will be given specialized assistance from the special schools.
The use of practical equipment and information technology is increasing continually in an effort to maximize learning. Hands on learning, visits and course trips are also an integral part of the tuition process.
Those attending technical schools are by definition in a vocational training environment.
Special School System
As the majority of children with special needs attend mainstream schools, those attending special schools present the greatest learning difficulties. Hence, the curriculum that children attending special schools follow contains a major element of self-help and independence skills, social and emotional skills development, recreational skills, communication skills and vocational training. Where a child can follow aspects of the mainstream curriculum this will be accommodated. Where a child presents a specific disability e.g. a visual, hearing or mobility impairment specific training and therapeutic interventions will be part of the curriculum. The prevailing philosophy is that the child should receive an education suited to his/her developmental needs.
All new special schools are obliged to be built within the bounds of a mainstream school and new and existing special schools must develop networks of contacts and joint activities with mainstream schools to minimize segregation. The schools for visual and hearing impaired children have a wide network of cooperation and support for children integrated into mainstream schools and most special schools have developed contacts and joint activities with local mainstream schools.
Special schools usually function with classes of no more than six children with much individual work.
Special schools for the learning disabled or those with emotional and behavioral problems also have pre-vocational and vocational training programs designed to assist the transition from school to work or from school to other vocational training authorities. Many special schools maintain close links with non-governmental agencies providing vocational training programs to facilitate transition.
Teacher Training
Basic Teacher Training
Mainstream teachers fall into 2 broad categories. Elementary school teachers follow a 4-year university based general teacher-training course and can then be employed as elementary school teachers.
Teachers of special education who can be employed to provide services to children within mainstream elementary schools, special units attached to mainstream schools or in special schools have specific job descriptions.
At present special education teachers are classified as specializing in:
• Teaching children with learning difficulties or emotional problems
• Teaching children with visual impairments
• Teaching children with hearing impairment
• Speech therapy
• Psychology
• Physiotherapy
• Special physical education
• Music therapy
• Occupational therapy
• Audiology
Special needs teachers may have a first degree as an elementary teacher and a post-graduate degree in special education or a first degree in special education. At present, there is a shortfall of teachers of children with learning difficulties or emotional problems and psychologists are temporarily employed in their place.
Preparatory service
Secondary school teachers must complete a university degree in a specific curriculum topic and, upon employment, must further complete a short seminar course on pedagogy.
In secondary education, regular subject teachers provide support for children with special needs. A programme of seminars regarding special education is being developed to assist them in this task.
In-Service Training
All teachers are encouraged to attend courses of professional development run by the Pedagogical Institute of Cyprus, many of which have particular reference to special education. Attendance at in service seminars is compulsory whilst attendance at local seminars is encouraged. The Ministry of Education and Culture will sponsor the attendance of teachers on courses abroad or give leave of absence to teachers wishing to sponsor themselves. Attendance at courses of continuing professional development is considered in the determining of a teachers performance during teacher evaluation.
Development of Integration/Inclusion
From the middle of the 19th century till the mid 20th century, Cyprus was a colony of Great Britain. Consequently, the educational system for special schools used in Britain was applied to that of Cyprus. The British educational legislation of 1870 suggested the establishment of special classes for handicapped and mentally retarded children, as well as for children with behavioral problems. A number of additional legislation acts were introduced since the beginning of the 20th century, but the most important one was the introduction, in 1944, of compulsory education for handicapped children and children with special needs, as well as for children who had spent a long time under treatment in hospitals.
However, it was only in 1970 when it was agreed that every single child is entitled of attending school. A number of special schools and institutions were then established to meet the new educational needs. As a result there was a split of children between mainstream and special schools.
The outcome of the most recent educational theories against any type of segregation of children, which advocated that every child has its special needs, was the Warnock Report in 1978. Amongst other things this report suggested the abolition of any type of segregation, the use of the term “children with special educational needs”, and their integration in mainstream schools.
The need to ‘tidy up matters’ in special education led to the introduction of the 47/1979 Special Education Law in Cyprus. The 47/1979 Special Education Law’s most important provision was that the government was taking full responsibility for the education of children with special needs, between the ages of 5 and 18. This Law gave the government the authority to spend public money on special schools. According to this Law the children with special needs were categorized as: moderately mentally handicapped, slow learners, emotionally disturbed and physically handicapped.
According to the 47/1979 Special Education Law the education of children with special needs was provided in special schools or in special classes in mainstream schools.
The third step was the integration movement; the Ministry of Education made a very serious attempt, during 1990’s, to align its policy with the modern educational trends, especially those referring to the inclusion of children with special needs, into normal schools. Therefore there was provision for children with severe needs, supported by extra educational help, offered by special staff working in ordinary schools. In other cases, children were placed in special units, attached to kindergartens and primary schools with part-time attendance in the ordinary class program.
The implementation and expansion of the inclusion concept that was rapidly applied was naturally creating a lot of problems of a technical, practical and social nature. The main problem was the inability of the normal schools to meet the various needs of all their pupils, by introducing multi-speed teaching methods and by securing quality education for all.
Great efforts were made towards this goal, but the problems that children were facing in education in mainstream schools were very complicated and varied and were related to lack of appropriate educational programs, means, supporting services, administrative arrangements, inability to apply individual educational programs and the over weighted curriculum. All these factors above caused great difficulties in meeting the special needs of children.
By the new millennium, a balance has emerged between mainstream placement and specialist schools. The educational placement based upon the unique needs and abilities of an individual child was formalised with the passing of the new special educational law in 1999.
The whole philosophical trend in Cyprus, which led to the implementation of the new Law of 1999, is that children with special needs have the right to training as any other child and should be provided with all the opportunities for an equivalent training, guidance and rehabilitation so as to improve their abilities to the maximum. The State is responsible for guarding the rights of children with special needs and is responsible to place those children in the united body of training.
The 113(I)/1999 Special Education Law gave a statutory basis for the provision of special education based upon the individual needs of the child. Among other provisions, the law introduced, as one of the main responsibilities of the State, to support the integration of children with special educational needs in the mainstream education by any means.
With the implementation of the 1999 law the education authorities aim to make special education an integral part of the education system whilst providing the maximum level of flexibility to best serve the individual needs of children with special needs. Whilst supporting actively the philosophy of integration and inclusion of children with special needs into mainstream education it recognises that not all the highly specialised needs of all these children can be met within the mainstream classroom. The development of the special units ensures that only the most demanding and specialised needs cases are referred to special schools.
An educational research enquiry was set up, by the Minister, to the University of Cyprus jointly with the Pedagogical Institute, in order to search and find out possible problems children with special needs are facing in their schools and also possible problems faced in the implementation of the Special Education Law in both Primary and Secondary Education and to make suggestions for improvement.
Quality Indicators for SNE
The prevailing philosophy is that the child should receive an education suited to his/her developmental needs.
Where a child presents a specific disability e.g. a visual, hearing or mobility disorder specific training and therapeutic interventions will be part of the curriculum.
The individual needs of the child determine the instructional method that will be applicable to him/her. For the majority of children adaptations or minor adjustments to the subject content will allow the usual class group instruction to be effective. Some children will function more effectively in small groups or with individual tuition for core subjects and will learn adequately in a class situation in other subjects. Specialists such as speech therapists tend to work on an individual basis.
Assessment
Children in elementary schools are graded for internal purposes only. Those with special needs will be graded as per their peers though their individual needs will be considered.
In the secondary school setting special needs children will be graded as per their peers unless they have a dispensation from the District Committee for Special Education and Training. The committee can also give instructions for adjustments to evaluation materials and procedures that are usually designed to facilitate specific needs of the child e.g. visual deficits etc. The underlying philosophy is that a disability should not impede the expression of skill and that a grade obtained by a child with special needs should be comparable to that of peer of equal ability without special needs. The secondary school authorities are currently looking into the evaluation procedures for those children with learning difficulties who are unable to follow the usual curriculum.
Children attending special schools for the visually and hearing impaired are evaluated using criteria developed for their particular disabilities. Children attending other special schools are evaluated according to their progress in learning without a specific evaluation procedure.
Promotion
Children, including those with special needs, attending elementary schools are promoted from one grade to the next as a matter of course. Under exceptional circumstances a child may repeat the pre school year if he/she is deemed to be in need of more time to mature for the needs of the first grade. Similarly under exceptional circumstances a child may be required to repeat one grade of elementary school.
At the gymnasium, promotion from one grade to the next is based upon exam results. At present pupils with special needs who cannot undergo the examining procedures, can be classed as “attendees” and be promoted without examinations. With the development of a comprehensive assessment procedure for children with special needs in secondary education the situation should become clearer.
Certification
Children graduating from the gymnasium or the lyceum receive a leaving certificate based upon overall performance and examination results. For those children with special needs who have adaptations to exams that do not lower the examination content or standard, the certificate is as per their peers. Where adaptations significantly adjust the content or standard of the examination this will be noted on the certificate (e.g. where spelling is not considered in the marking process). Where a child does not take exams, an informal leaving certificate is issued.
Transition from school to work
Children with special needs attending mainstream secondary schools will receive transition services designed for their age equivalent peers. This will normally consist of careers or further educational opportunities advice. Those with specific sensory disabilities will be given specialised assistance from the special schools. These schools have vocational training programmes for students attending full time those schools.
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