Representatives of the Department of Education and Science, Lviv Regional State Administration, have recently visited Lviv Polytechnic National University to see the so-called veteran space, which the University is arranging together with patrons and sponsors. During the visit, they also discussed potential ways for the project to work with the Department of Education to improve work with entrants with special educational needs.
According to the Lviv Polytechnic Center for Communication, the idea of creating Veteran Services arose a few years ago, when University teachers underwent their internships at the Frederick Community College, Maryland, USA. It is the first educational institution in the world to create such a service.
– Our faculty saw such a Center in the United States. In addition, we have been collaborating with Nuremberg, where we were shown how they work with the blind. The no limits philosophy for Ukraine is very topical. Therefore, what we saw in the world universities, we have been implementing here, said Doctor of Technical Sciences Roman Korzh, Vice-Rector for Education and Social Development, Lviv Polytechnic National University.
Veteran Services occupies its own premises in the 1st academic building, where the opportunities for quality work with people with disabilities were created. This space will also be used for study as well. The University is also a participant in the project «Norway – Ukraine», which is based on professional retraining, social and psychological adaptation, as well as assistance in employment and business organization.
Currently, the University management is preparing academic staff to work with students with special educational needs. Teachers are happy to participate in various trainings and seminars that will help them better organize the study process.
– The quality of education, no doubt, depends on educators, so the need to improve the skills of teachers is especially relevant. I think that in the fall we should include in the Education Development Program of Lviv region for next year a project within which special education specialists will train teachers to work with students with special educational needs. It is not only about the employees from Polytechnic, but also from other universities, said the Director of the Department of Education and Science, LRSA, Oleh Paska.
As part of the project, they intend to first train academic staff from the Departments of Social Work, who will later train others.
The Veteran Services is a unique project that has aroused interest at the state level: in cooperation with the Ministry of Veterans Affairs, they will develop the possibility of creating a nationwide program of adaptation and socialization of military servicemen.
– I want everyone who enters Polytechnic to know that they will be accepted, regardless of their features, they will be provided all the conditions and help throughout their study process. Then such a person will be confident that he/she will get a profession and be able to earn a living, summed up Roman Korzh.
The Veteran Service will operate from September, and it will work not only for military servicemen, but also for their children, who already more than a thousand.
