Interview 3/3: Wiltrud Thies about Inclusive Education in Germany, the projects Sophie-Scholl-School & Sophie-Scholl-Inklusiv
Thu, 29/11/2012
Since 2004, Wiltrud Thies has been the Head of School at the award-winning Sophie-Scholl-School in Gießen (Germany), an inclusive primary and secondary school with over 400 pupils, among them about 105 children with all types of handicaps.
incluD-ed invited Ms Thies to speak about inclusive education in Germany, about the Sophie-Scholl-School and also the project Sophie-Scholl-Inklusiv, which was created to share the school concept as well as ideas and experiences related to inclusive educational practices.
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incluD-ed: Can you describe the project Sophie-Scholl-Inklusiv in a few sentences?
Wiltrud Thies: The project Sophie-Scholl-Inklusiv is an initiative of the Lebenshilfe Gießen and the Federal Association of Lebenshilfe, supported by “Aktion Mensch”. The aim is to prepare and pass on the experience of the inclusive Sophie-Scholl-School for those interested (education authorities, schools, administrations, teachers, parents ...). Furthermore, inclusive school development initiatives are supported, and teacher training for building skills in inclusive education are promoted. An experienced, poly-dynamic team provides advisory services for all the questions that arise in the transition of a school, whether public or private ownership, to an inclusive school, or also in the foundation of a new inclusive school. The consulting and training offered is modular. Lectures in Germany and abroad complete our services.
incluD-ed: How many existing education authorities and/or founders of new school initiatives have already been engaged in the project Sophie-Scholl-Inklusiv? How did they find out about your services?
Wiltrud Thies: Currently, we provide advice to several initiatives that are at different stages of development. A monthly seminar in Gießen is often fully booked. Besides teachers, there are politicians and public administration officers that participate.
We receive inquiries for consulting, further education and training, or for support in school development initiatives through these seminars. Inquiries also come from single and multi-day event offers onsite in Gießen, or from institutions responsible for basic or continuing training.
One school development initiative is at an advanced stage and has submitted an application for approval to the Ministry of Culture. Besides the Sophie-Scholl-Schools in Gießen and Bad Nauheim, next summer a new Sophie-Scholl-School in Hanau will open, sponsored by the "Behindertenwerk Main-Kinzig". Other start-up initiatives are currently dealing with content issues and ask us for advice. Existing schools are looking for ways to develop inclusive education. Recently, a group of elementary and special education teachers from Belgium visited us, seeking collaboration in the development of inclusion.
If you are interested, you can find further information on our services on our home page (www.sophie-scholl-inklusiv.de), on the website of the Federal Association of Lebenshilfe (www.lebenshilfe.de) as well as in various print media.
incluD-ed: Which obstacles in implementation do participants of the seminar mention most frequently? (Scepticism by education authorities / parents, lack of financial and practical support ...)
Wiltrud Thies: The first obstacles are the conditions that must be met before the establishment of state-approved private schools. Here, knowledge is taken for granted when detailed information is required about the curriculum, business plan and school concept. Depending on the state, subventions are withheld in the early years so a financial barrier arises, which for many seems at first sight insurmountable. However, there are many ways to overcome these financial and formal barriers.
In existing schools, scepticism of education authorities, parents and colleagues have to be taken into account. Their doubts must be taken seriously, but it is helpful to present examples that are active and functioning well. In this case, the Sophie-Scholl-School can act as rolemodel and support initiatives for inclusive development.
incluD-ed: How many schools have introduced inclusive practices thanks to the project, or are in the process of becoming inclusive schools?
Wiltrud Thies: Numerically, I don’t have an overview of this, but the project services are well received and regularly requested. The training courses we offer are conceived in a way that participants go back to their schools or kindergartens with clear ideas for their own development. We would like to offer even more school development counselling: we are pleased when school authorities, parents and initiatives are on their way!
incluD-ed: On your website you talk about training activities abroad. In which countries have you already had the opportunity to present your school concept? What were the reactions?
Wiltrud Thies: I have held lectures and given trainings in Denmark, Belgium, Holland, Austria, and Russia, amongst other places. Most of them were contributions to international congresses, which received good feedback, or onsite training for school development efforts. In Moscow, on behalf of Inclusion Europe, I carried out a week-long training on the theme of inclusive schools for parents. It was very exciting and very productive. Parents of disabled children, who often are not educated in schools at all, came from all parts of Russia and got to know the concept of an inclusive school. Thanks to the interpreters, the discussion was very intense. Later, some of these parents had the opportunity to visit the Sophie-Scholl-School in Gießen as part of a separate project with Inclusion Europe. Likewise, a lecture in Belgium in 2010 resulted in several group visits from Belgian teachers.
incluD-ed: To what extentcould your concept be adopted by other European partners?
Wiltrud Thies: Each country, and sometimes - as here in Germany – each state, has its own rules and conditions regarding inclusive school development.
A role model such as the Sophie-Scholl-School has enormous national and international appeal and shows that inclusive education works, and how it works, and that there are - when properly understood and carried out – only winners in inclusive schools, no losers. The concept (as a quality concept and not as an austerity plan!) is always transferable. The framework just needs to be adapted to the different local conditions. With our consulting project Sophie-Scholl-Inklusiv we can provide expert assistance.
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The team around the Sophie-Scholl-School and the project Sophie-Scholl-Inklusiv offers school consultation, advice and lectures. Furthermore, onsite visits to the inclusive school initiatives and audits at Sophie-Scholl-School in Gießen are organised.
Soon, the projects Sophie-Scholl-School and Sophie-Scholl-Inklusiv will be published on the incluD-ed website as good practices.
Wiltrud Thies will be delighted to answer any questions regarding the projects Sophie-Scholl-School and Sophie-Scholl-Inklusiv. Ms Thies joined the incluD-ed virtual community as an expert in inclusive education. Along with her work related to the Sophie-Scholl-School, Thies has conducted several inclusive training activities in Germany and abroad. Previously, she worked as a researcher for the university teacher training programme at the University Magdeburg-Stendal and the Justus Liebig University Gießen (1998 - 2004). As part of her research activities, she accompanied the reform school in Kassel, Germany. Furthermore, she worked as pedagogical assistant in the programmes "Practical Learning and School" and "Healthy School" supported by the Robert Bosch Foundation.
In 2010, Wiltrud Thies was appointed to the renowned expert group "Inclusive Education" of the German Commission for UNESCO.
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Sophie-Scholl-Schule Gießen / Sophie-Scholl-inklusiv
Grünberger Straße 222
35394 Gießen
Germany
Phone: +49 160 7059008