EEEEK CHIOS
http://eeeek.chi.sch.gr
Chios island is located close to the Minor Asia coast in the Northeast Aegean Sea. It is the fifth largest Greek island (904 square kilometers) with a coastline of 213 kilometers and a population of 54.000.
The Regional Unit of Chios includes the islands of Chios, Psara, Antipsara and Oinousses. Administratively, it is divided into three municipalities: Chios, Psara and Oinousses.
Our school "School of Special Vocational Education and Training" (EEEEK ) is situated 3kl from the city center of the island. It’s a brand new type of school in secondary education. There are 67 EEEEK in Greece. Attendance lasts up to 6 years (depended on the individual needs of the students). It currently has 35 students, aged from 13 to 22. These are children with different diagnosis (mental retardation, autism, down syndrome, learning difficulties, some of them have additional motor or learning difficulties). Before coming to our school, students were enrolled in special schools or in special untis attached to mainstream schools. All of them live with their families. They come to school by taxi, which picks them up from their home in the morning and takes them back in the afternoon.
There are 20 members of staff in our school. These include the headteacher, teachers of different specialties, a social worker, a psychologist, an occupational therapist and two assistants. Some members of the staff have studied special education and/or have expertise working with people with special needs.
Courses aim at:
- helping students acquire some skills in basic education lessons (e.g. maths, Greek language, information technology).
- helping them gain some expertise and training in areas such as agriculture, arts (theatre, painting, music), tourist sector as assistants or waiters, warehousemen, assistants of cooks, cleaners or in any other relevant supplementary work.
- helping them develop their social, every day life skills, as well as professional skills.
Our school focuses on vocational education. There are 3 vocational training fields (in tourist occupation, in producing agricultural products and in art training). , During his/her second year eaCh pupil chooses a specialization.
According to the philosophy of this school, pupils should be prepared properly in order to find a job and live independently. There is a Greek Organization of Employment which helps young people to find a job. This organization (OAED) organizes specialized programs of employment for individuals with special needs. The social worker of our school and this Organization work together in order to find appropriate jobs for the pupils after their graduation.
Our school "School of Special Vocational Education and Training" (EEEEK ) is situated 3kl from the city center of the island. It’s a brand new type of school in secondary education. There are 67 EEEEK in Greece. Attendance lasts up to 6 years (depended on the individual needs of the students). It currently has 35 students, aged from 13 to 22. These are children with different diagnosis (mental retardation, autism, down syndrome, learning difficulties, some of them have additional motor or learning difficulties). Before coming to our school, students were enrolled in special schools or in special untis attached to mainstream schools. All of them live with their families. They come to school by taxi, which picks them up from their home in the morning and takes them back in the afternoon.
There are 20 members of staff in our school. These include the headteacher, teachers of different specialties, a social worker, a psychologist, an occupational therapist and two assistants. Some members of the staff have studied special education and/or have expertise working with people with special needs.
Courses aim at:
- helping students acquire some skills in basic education lessons (e.g. maths, Greek language, information technology).
- helping them gain some expertise and training in areas such as agriculture, arts (theatre, painting, music), tourist sector as assistants or waiters, warehousemen, assistants of cooks, cleaners or in any other relevant supplementary work.
- helping them develop their social, every day life skills, as well as professional skills.
Our school focuses on vocational education. There are 3 vocational training fields (in tourist occupation, in producing agricultural products and in art training). , During his/her second year eaCh pupil chooses a specialization.
According to the philosophy of this school, pupils should be prepared properly in order to find a job and live independently. There is a Greek Organization of Employment which helps young people to find a job. This organization (OAED) organizes specialized programs of employment for individuals with special needs. The social worker of our school and this Organization work together in order to find appropriate jobs for the pupils after their graduation.
The occupational therapist helps them to become independent, learn how to prepare meals, keep their environment clean, go to the super market, to the post office, bank. Students may also go on excursions, which are often related to the workshops (ex. Visiting a hotel or a greenhouse). In these cases, students move by bus or car.
There is small canteen in school, where small teams of pupils prepare snacks (sandwiches, cheese pies etc). They sell these meals, fruits and juices during the break time. This is a good way to learn how to use money, how to collaborate, etc
Finally, we have various programs running in our school, which are related to the environmental education, personal hygiene, mental health, diet, sexual health. These programs run throughout the whole year and at the end of the school year they are presented to other schools.
We visit other schools and we participate in joint activities. We also visit the city center where we go for a coffee, for shopping or we visit the public services. Social inclusion is one of the most important aims of our school.
Our main aim is to help our children function and survive in the community.
Υοu can visit our website in: http://eeeek.chi.sch.gr/