Prevocational and vocational education of intellectually disabled students

1. MY WORK IS MY FUTURE

2. The current system of regional
schools in Turkey are:
1-Nursery (from 3years to 72 months olds)
2-Primary school (66,67,68 months can enroll upon
parents’ request)
Primary school lasts 4 years.
3-Secondary school (Lasts 4 years)
4-High school (lasts 4 years)
After entering an exam at the end of secondary school,
students enroll in a high school according to their
score.

3.  Types of high schools;
 Anatolian high school (foreign language intensive high
schools)
 Religious high school
 Art school (after passing an aptitude test)
 Vocational high schools
5-university
 After compulsory education (4+4+4) students enter
the university entrance exam and placed in the result
of their score.

4. Classification of schools by founder
and age
1-State schools
2-Private schools
3-Foundation schools
 Nursery (3-6 years)
 Primary (6-10/7-11- depends on parents’ demand)
 Secondary Schools (11-15/10-14)
 High Schools (14-18/15-19)
 Universities (From 18 years)

5. Compulsory education
 Nursery school–not compulsory
 Primary school– lasts 4 years
 Secondary school-lasts 4 years
 High school-lasts 4 years
Exceptional cases
In case of students with severe disability or health
problems(in a need of nursing) their education is
provided by peripatetic teachers at student’s house.

6. Educational programme
The programme and the curricula of educational system is
regulated by Ministery of Education of Turkey
1-Pre-school education (for those between 36-72 months)
 The basic aim of preschool education is to support the
child’s motor, social and emotional, language and cognitive
skills development.
 Besides the program aims to provide children with rich
learning experiences and support self-care skills and
prepare them to basic education.

7. Who can work at NURSERIES?
 Graduates of early childhood education programmes
of Universities
 Graduates of early childhood vocational school of
higher education (2 years)
 Graduates of Girls’ vocational high school

8. 2-Primary schools (6-10/7-11 years)
 Lasts 4 years.
 Foreign language teaching, science,religion, visual arts
and music classes are taught by branch teachers.
 Other classes are taught by the classroom teacher.
 Students start to take exams on the 4th year.
 Besides state schools, students can go to private
colleges

9. 3-Secondary school
 Lasts 4 years.
 Besides classical schools, students can go to religious
secondary schools and private colleges.
Types of High schools
According to demand,success and aptitude there are several
types of high schools;
-General high school
-Anatolian high school
-Anatolian high schools with prep classes (lasts 5 years)
-Sports/arts/science/vocational/religious/health/teacher…
high schools

10. needs or learning difficulties and
school types
 The fundamental policy is to educate children with
disabilities in a way that allows them to interact with other
children as much as possible, to support their integration
in society. This applies to children with visual, hearing or
physical impairment as well as children with behavioral,
social or learning difficulties. If the disability allows, a child
attends regular school classes.
 However, depending on the level of their disability,
education may take place in special classes.
 The Ministry of Education is responsible for providing
children with special needs with education.

11. Special educational needs:
assessment and diagnosis
 State educational support is provided to children with special education
services. Application is made to the Counseling and Research Center in the
district of residence; a hospital-issued disability health report is required.
 Using various tests, the Counseling and Research Center evaluates the physical
ability, personal development characteristics and the academic competences of
the child and provides recommendations on education. It also gives the family
guidance and counseling on the care and treatment of a child with special
needs.
- Documents required to apply for special education:
- Counseling and Research Center’s report
 Special Education Board’s report
 Written application by the parents to the school administration
 Personal development report of the child (for secondary vocational education
primary school diploma)
 Child's health report from the hospital

12.  The children with special educational needs must be educated
with their peers in the least restrictive environment
 According to the decision and evaluation of Counseling service
the child can be educated in;
-special schools
-special classes at mainstream schools
-inclusive classes of mainstream schools (individual integration)
 Students with mild disability are educated at mainstream
schools from nursery to secondary.
 In accordance with the Counseling Services report, disabled
students can get extra classes from special rehabilitation centers:
 8 hours individual
 4 hours group classes (the duration depends on the report)

13. INCLUSIVE EDUCATION
 There are 3 types of inclusive education
1-Full time inclusive education (at mainstream schools)
2-Part time inclusive education (who is enrolled in a special
education class but joins to the mainstream education
classes with other students which s/he can manage)
 3-Reversal inclusive education (students WITHOUT
DISABILITY on their request can enroll in the classes
arranged at special schools. The classroom size should be:
 Preschool: up to 14 students/ including 5 disabled
 Primary/Secondary/High school: up to 20 students/
including 5 disabled

14. Children with moderate and/or
severe disabilities
 Those who cannot get inclusive education at mainstream
schools (because of the level of disability) or on
parents’/student’s request can attend to special education
schools. These schools are 3 staged; the first and second
stages last 4+4 years. The third stage schools are called
Special Education Pre/Vocational Training
Schools/Centers and last 4 years (ages between 16-23).
 The students over 23 can go to Public Education/Training
Centers without an age limit.
 For children with autism besides inclusive classes at
mainstream schools there are also Autistic Children
Education Centers (ages 6-15) and Special Education
Vocational Training Centers (ages 16-23)

15. Pre-vocational and Vocational
education
 Students with mild mental disability:
At primary school these students are educated at mainstream schools with the
curriculum determined by the Ministery of Education. Based upon this
curriculum Individual Education Plan is prepared by the teacher. On students’
request they can be exempt from foreign language teaching classes.
For secondary school they can attend to either inclusive classes of high schools or
Special Education Pre-vocational/Vocational Training Centres (SEVTC).
Who can apply to/enroll in SEVTC? : On the Counseling and Research Service’s
decision;
- Inclusive education students who graduated from mainstream schools’ primary
department
- Other Vocational High schools’ students

16. Academic education and pre/vocational work skills at SEVTC for mild
disables:
 Turkish lesson 9th year 4x45/10th,11th,12th 2x45 min lessons a week/9th
year
 Vocational education and professional ethics :9th year 12x45 /10th,
11th,12th years 14X45 min lessons a week (Horticulture /Office services
management/print works/food and beverage services/Ceramics and
glass works/furniture and decoration/handcrafts work skills
workshopps)9th year
 Maths /Social sciences/ visual arts/music/physical exercises classes:
2x45 min a week/9th,10th,11th,12th year
 Religion class 1x45 min a week/9th,10th,11th,12th year
 Counseling class (by the classroom teacher) 1x45 min a week /
9th,10th,11th,12th year
 Optional course (music/visual arts/physical exercises) 2x45 min a
week/ 9th,10th,11th,12th year

17.  After working /practicing at different workshopps in
the 9th grade, according to students’ abilities and
request, school’s Monitoring and Evaluation board
decides to which workshopp the students are going to
be placed. Each year they practice at different
workshopps to specialize in and find out the best field
appealing to them.

18.  From 10th to 12th grade with the Monitoring and
Evaluation Board’s decision, students are placed at
public or private sectors for apprenticeship. They get
1/3 of minimum wage. Those who are placed at work
attend school for cultural and vocational classes once a
week and for practice at workplace 4 days a week. The
students are monitored by the coordinator teachers
from school.In case the student cannot adapt to the
work a new placement is done. If the student still has
adaptation problems can return back to full time
school education.

19.  All the students attending schools with
mild/moderate and severe disabilities get a report card
at the end of each term. After 4 years compulsory
secondary education they get a graduation certificate.
This certificate cannot be used while entering
university entrance exam or for higher education.

20. Students with moderate and
severe disability and autism
 Content and time dedicated to subject pre-vocational work skills at
primary
-Social adaptive skills:1st/2nd/3rd/4th/5th/6th/7th78th years 3x45 min a
week
-Social studies class: 1st/2nd/3rd/4th years3x45 ,5 th/6th/7th/8th years
2x45 min a week
-Language and speech progress: 1st year 3x45 min /2nd 3rd
/4th/5th/6th/7th/8th years 2x45 min a week
-Reading and writing:2nd and 3rd years 2x45, 4th /5th/6th year 3x45,
7th/8th years 4x45 min a week
-Maths: 1st/2nd/3rd/4th/5th/6th/7th/8th years 3x45 min a week
-Physical Education: 1st/2nd/3rd/4th years 3x45, 5th/6th/7th/8th years
2x45 min a week
-Visual arts: 1st/2nd/3rd/4th years 3x45, 5th/6th/7th/8th years 2x45 min a
week

21. -Music: 1st/2nd/3rd/4th/5th/6th/7th/8th years 2x45 min a
week
-Nourishment education: 1st/2nd/3rd/4th/5th/6th/7th/8th
years 5x60 min a week
-Religion and ethics:4th/5th/6th/7th/8th year 1x45 min a
week
-Traffic and first aid:2nd/3rd/4th/5th/6th years 1x45 min a
week
-Counseling class:1x45 min a week
1st/2nd/3rd/4th/5th/6th/7th/8th years
-Free activity:1st year 4x45 min,2nd and 3rd years 2x45 min a
week

22. subject pre-vocational work skills
at secondary
-Social adaptive skills:9th/10th/11th/12th years 2x45 min a week
-Language and speech progress: skills:9th/10th/11th/12th years 1x45 min a
week
-Reading and writing: 9th year 2x45, 10th/11th/12th years 1x45 min a week
-Maths:9th year 2x45, 10th/11th/12th years 1x45 min a week
-Physical education: 9th/10th/11th/12th years 1x45 min a week
-Visual arts: education:9th/10th/11th/12th years 1x45 min a week
-Nourishment education: education:9th/10th/11th/12th years 5x60 min a
week
-Religion and ethics: 9th/10th/11th/12th years 1x45 min a week
-Pre/vocational work skills:9th year 12x45 , 10th/11th/12th years 14X45 min
a week
-Optional course: 9th/10th/11th/12th years 2x45 min a week

23. Explanations about the
implementations of the subjects
 At the beginning of the school year for each student an
Individual Education Plan is prepared. IEPs are prepared
given the students’ abilities, needs and limitations.
 The Nourishment education class should be applied during
lunch.
 Given the students’ needs and performance levels Social
Adaptive Skills classes basically should help the students to
gain/improve self-care and pre-vocational skills.
 Pre/vocational workshopps should be opened/arranged
given the environmental factors and employment
possibilities besides economical, social and culturel
conditions
 All classes should be distributed evenly to the week

24. Possibilities of further education
for severe disabilities
 The students who finish their compulsory education
with severe disabilities can attend to Public
Training/Education centers. They serve as a Practical
school where the students according to their abilities
and needs can get further pre/vocational work skills
and basic life skills.

25. Public Training/Education Centers
(Practical Schools)
 Public Training centers(Practical schools) in Turkey were mainly founded
for adults which have been a part of lifelong learning. After the regulations
at compulsory school attendance duration the centers started to serve to
intellectually disables who are over 23.
 Public Training Centers provides education and training to perform simple
work activities for mentally handicapped or mentally handicapped in
combination with other disabilities and who doesn’t have a further
education or employment chance after graduating from pre/vocational
schools
 Training in practical school is done in modules. Every training module has
different duration. A student can attend to the same module at most 3
times. After completing a module the student gets a certificate and can
attend to any other module s/he wants. There is no time or age limit at
these centers. Students have 30 hours practice a week.

26. Content of pre-professional
education in Public Training
Centers
Vocational and practical subjects:
FAMILY EDUCATION
HANDICRAFTS AND SEWING
FOOD PREPARATION AND NUTRITION/COOKERY
HOUSEWORK AND HOUSEHOLD MAINTENANCE
HANDICRAFTS WORK
WEAVING
DECORATIF WOOD ORNAMENTATION
SERVİCE STAFF TRAINING PROGRAMME
MUSIC (CHORUS )
DANCE (TRADITIONAL/MODERN DANCES)
SILVER/JEWELLERY DESIGN
TILE-MAKING

27. EMPLOYMENT OF INTELLECTUALLY
DISABLES
 Students with mild intellectual disability who have good
academic skills can study the 12th grade at open/distant
high schools. After graduating from high school, they can
enter university entrance exams, apply for higher education
or enter the exam for disables to become government
officer (on condition of having %40 disability report).
 According to Article 30 of Labour Law; Private sector
businesses which have 50 and over employee have to
employ up to %3 of the workers from disables. The
businesses violating this law are imposed a fine for each
month they don’t employ a disabled.