Presenting at Germany’s most important trade fair for education, didacta, is a fine tradition for the German Association for Special Education (vds). This year in Cologne, vds was represented by the established team of vds’ Cologne regional organisation at a stall in hall 6. One could not complain about a lack of admission. Most visitors to the fair came in search of information on “inclusion”. Many questions arose about continuance or abolition of Special Schools as well as enquiries on the “9. Schulrechtsänderungsgesetz NRW” (9th act on modification of school law in NRW).
Numerous colleagues from General Schools enquired about the additional qualification on special education recently introduced to NRW.
As always, those materials published by the federal board as well as the vds’ NRW state organisation were of great interest. Also policy documents and standards were well requested.
The vds-run Educational Academy’s broad range of advanced training programmes in SNE teaching, the special offers of attendance for members as well as the network provided by the association were so well received, that some visitors spontaneously signed on to the German Association for Special Education.
The next didacta trade fair will be “didacta 2014” held in Stuttgart March, 25th-29th 2014. The vds’ Baden-Württemberg regional organisation will run the vds stall there.
Marianne Schardt
Translation: Ruth Stang