The project “Life safety in emergency situations, health protection and care of growing generation” is carried in cooperation with Gomel Regional Office of the ministry of Emergency Situations  the staff, students of Gomel State University, teachers and students of Gomel secondary schools. The  main aims of the project are: 1. Formation and  development of personal culture in emergency situations, providing self-security, public security and state security. 2. Formation and development of professionally meaningful qualities of the people, working in the sphere of life safety, their competence and eggheadism. 3. Building necessary knowledge, abilities, skills and experience of personal activity in emergency situations.

     The project “Psychological assistance in children’ palliative” is carried by the department of social and pedagogical psychology together with Belarussian children hospice.  The program started in 2010 and since that time  the specialists helped more than 50 families with disabled children. Today more than 30 families are assisted by our volunteers-students.             

     The project “Psychological assistance of children at hospitals”  is carried by scientists, teachers and students of the faculty in cooperation with Italian volunteer organization «LEGAMBIENTE», Gomel regional hospital, Gomel centre of social assistance of families and children. Students use different psychological techniques: art-therapy, origami, doll-therapy, clown-therapy, musical therapy. The specialists of the faculty consult parents and  develop strategies of interaction with parents and children.

     The project “Pedagogical support of youngsters from alcoholic families” deals with developing necessary strategies of interaction with children from alcoholic families, building strategies of preventive measures, works closely with  teachers, children and parents.

      The project “Equal teaches equal”  has been working since October 2005. The aim of the project is the popularization of the ideas, connected with healthy way of life among students of Universities and high school students and training volunteers-students from the faculty.

Faculty of psychology and pedagogics in  TEMPUS

The local essentials of the partner countries in carrying out the pedagogical innovations in inclusive education.

Inclusive education was not much developed in the Republic of Belarus. During the last decade several important steps have been done. Today several types of educational establishments work in the area of inclusive education.

Secondary schools with mixed classrooms; special secondary schools or centers for rehabilitation of children with special needs;  establisments of extra-curriculum education of children and youths with mixed classrooms. But today there is no enough teaching materials of good quality for training professionals in the sphere of inclusive education.

F. Scorina Gomel State University has 2 bodies, which are responsible for carrying out the planned activities in the TEMPUS project: 1. The faculty of Psychology and Pedagogics. 2. The Institute of Advanced Training and Retraining. The above institutions train students and professionals in the sphere of education (including  teacher’s education and inclusive education). The University provides training of future psychologists and social pedagogues, teachers and defectologists that will be able to teach  children with special needs. The curriculum includes special  disciplines (as social pedagogics, correctional pedagogics, social service, special pedagogics and psychology). Several publications (articles, teacher’s aid, papers  on the topic were published by the staff).  Several members of the  staff conduct research in the sphere of inclusive education.

Mobility

1. Instructional and educational  visits  of administrative and teaching staff of our university to European centers, involved into inclusive education. 2. Mutual educational visits between CIS universities and EU universities. 3. Students’ visits to EU universities.

Roundtables in the partner countries

Stage 1. Roundtables involving administrative staff of countries-participants. Stage 2. Roundtables with the participation of teaching, academic staff and practitioners-professionals from countries- participants. Stage 3. Roundtables of experts.

Procedures and criteria for selection of pilot schools

Option 1. Selection pilot schools in the most “important” areas (which have the majority of children with special needs).

Option 2. Using “geographical” criteria (choosing from one to several schools in each city district).

Option 3. Holding special selective procedure – collecting competing projects from different schools and choosing several, most suited ones, basing  on the expertise conducted by regional educational authorities of the presented documents.

Option 4. Using already established schools, involved into inclusive education (according to the regional educational  authorities database).

Option 5. Selecting 3 “types” of educational establishments: a) secondary schools; b) special  secondary schools or centers for rehabilitation of children with special needs; c) establisments of extra-curriculum education of children and youths.

Procedures and criteria for the development and publication of curriculum and teaching materials 

1. The study of international, national, regional and local peculiarities in the work of educational professionals connected with children with special needs.
2. Collecting data.
3. Developing teaching materials by teachers and academic staff.
4. Probation of the developed materials in the selected pilot schools.
5. Evaluating the results obtained.
6. Selecting the best materials.

Agenda for the project activities

1. Study of the international, national, regional and local peculiarities in the work of educational professionals connected with children with special needs.
2. Meetings and visits according to the established plan.
3. On-line conferences.
4. Conferences, seminars and roundtables on the problem.
5. Work in chosen pilot establishments.
6. Developing teaching materials.
7. Establishing educational and research center for inclusive education (using provided by the project equipment and developed materials).
8. Consulting teachers and officials
9. Further developing subjects (disciplines) connected with inclusive education at the faculties of the university.
10. Publishing (populalisation) of the project in Mass Media