In May, Stephan Prändl, National Chairman of the German Association for Special Education visited Pskov, accompanied by an in-service training team of teachers, to reach an agreement on comprehensive approaches to cooperations with [Russian] educational institutions.
The initiative was first started by the twinned schools of Pestalozzischule Erkelenz, focussing on special educational needs (SEN), and Special School No 1 in Pskov. Both schools have been working together in order to develop further their respective regional educational system.
About a year ago the recent conceptual alignment to the course of “occupational integration” was both expanded and adjusted to focus on the aspect of “inclusion”.

In this context the region of Pskov was appointed a model region, in which concepts were tested in how inclusive learning could succeed in the Russian educational system.
After three years the results of this trial run are meant to be transferred to the entire Russian Federation.
During the trial period the team of Pestalozzischule ran the in-service training of both teachers and head teachers of all schools in the Pskov region.

In November 2011, in line with the initiative, the governor of the Pskov regional authority and the head of the institute of in-service training for teachers requested for an extension of the partnership and further assistance within the first and second phase of the SEN teachers’ training scheme.
This request was fulfilled with the recent series of seminars and events lasting three days from 13^th to 18^th May 2012.
On school scale Marianne Schardt teamed up with Andreas Hens and Uwe Brönstrup to carry out technical and methodical training schemes for teachers as well as particular qualifications for head teachers “on the road to an inclusive school”.

National Chairman Stephan Prändl joined the teachers’ team and took the opportunity to make first contacts with members of further educational institutions in the region.
Thus he held intensive talks with Sergej Alexandrowitsch Nikolajew, vice chairman of the supreme school administration authority, and informed [him] about the conceptual approach and the experiences made in the development towards inclusive education.

This was followed by a talk to Sofija Nikolajewna Selegenenko, head of the institute of in-service training for teachers in the Pskov region. Again, there was a first appraisal and the agreement on further cooperation of both schools, which amongst other things could comprise methods of in-service training and forms of impartation of adult didactics.

At Pskov University the Chairman lectured 90 students and members of the academic staff on “Inclusion – Levels reached in the Federal Republic of Germany”.

Subsequently the Dean of Faculty invited for further talks with the SEN faculty staff. They came to an agreement on sustainable and close cooperation with the university for the next couple of years. Details and framework will be specified in the months to come. The Association for Special Education will communicate and arrange such contacts between German universities, the University of Pskov and the University of Moscow, which is also interested. Already the vds-slogan “Inclusion needs professionalism” has been adopted by the University of Pskov and other associated institutions.
Marianne Schardt

Translation: Ruth Stang