Creation of a service model competence centre for children with special educational needs in Viljandi county

Project facts

Project promoter:
Viljandi city government(EE)
Project Number:
EE-LOCALDEV-0044
Status:
Completed
Initial project cost:
€203,640
Final project cost:
€186,087
Other Project Partners
Mulgi municipal government(EE)
Põhja-Sakala municipal government(EE)
Viljandi municipal government(EE)

Description

Project objective is to increase the capacity of Viljandi County municipalities to provide support services to disadvantaged children and young people, which would prevent them from dropping out of education early and promote inclusion in education. The direct goal is to develop a holistic system of support services for students with special education needs in the county.

The project activities will result in developing a service model for the provision of integrated support services for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities across Viljandi county. The service model includes the fields of education, social work and health care in an integrated manner in Mulgi, Põhja-Sakala and Viljandi municipalities as well as Viljandi city. In addition, specialists will be trained within the project with whose help the service model can be implemented after its development.

As a basis for the implementation of the service model is planned to be create a competence centre that will bring together specialists to provide support services and a school for students with special educational needs as a central place of study in Viljandi.

Summary of project results

Project objective was to increase the capacity of Viljandi County municipalities to provide support services to disadvantaged children and young people, which would prevent them from dropping out of education early and promote inclusion in education. The direct goal is to develop a holistic system of support services for students with special education needs in the county.

A service model for the provision of integrated support services for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities was developed. The service model serves as a base for improving the access and quality of support services in the fields of education, social work and health care in Mulgi, Põhja-Sakala and Viljandi municipalities as well as Viljandi city.

In addition, altogether 364 different specialists (teachers, support specialists, heads of educational institutions as well as educational experts in municipalities) across the county were trained within the project with whose help the service model can be implemented after its development.

Cross-county support specialists'' working groups were formed - speech therapists, special educators in schools, special educators in kindergartens, social pedagogues, psychologists, study coordinators for children with special educational needs. 

The model lays down the foundation for developing the access and quality of educational support services in Mulgi, Põhja-Sakala and Viljandi municipalities as well as Viljandi city.


The council of heads of educational institutions and municipal leaders deals with mainstreaming the services within the county. 

Cross-county support specialists'' working groups also improve the quality of services through exchange of know-how across the county and enable take on cross-border development activities within the county. 

Information on the projects funded by the EEA and Norway Grants is provided by the Programme and Fund Operators in the Beneficiary States, who are responsible for the completeness and accuracy of this information.