The FIESTA (Facilitating Inclusive Education and Supporting the Transition Agenda) network aims to develop a multi-disciplinary learning approach for professionals in education, health & social services in order to facilitate the additional learning and support requirements of children with special needs during periods of transition. The network will facilitate children with special needs during the following periods of transition: (1) Transition of children with special needs to mainstream environments (2) Transition of children with special needs from pre-school to primary school and from primary school to secondary school
Kick Off Meeting - Edinburgh, Scotland
The FIESTA kick-off meeting took place in Edinburgh, Scotland on 24 and 25 January 2012 and was hosted by the Moray House School of Education in the University of Edinburgh. The meeting provided an opportunity to meet each other and build relationships within the consortium. The partners gave presentations on their specific work packages. There was a very useful and productive discussion on the upcoming research programme. Partner roles and internal management were also clarified and agreed. The second meeting of the consortium is scheduled for 29 November 2012 in Katerini, Greece and a conference is being organised there on the 30 November 2012. The conference will present the research activities of FIESTA to date, provide attendees with practical examples of transition models in existence and use a workshops and discussion groups to help inform the network’s outcomes.
Several virtual subgroup meetings will take place in the interim.
The adoption of a rights based approach to disability has in most countries come in some way to fruition mainly due to international and European developments. One could assume that with the adoption of policies that equity in the education system for pupils with disabilities with non-disabled pupils exists. However this is not the case. We see across Europe that pupils with disabilities resulted in lower levels of educational qualifications and workforce participation (relative to those without disabilities). This can result in social isolation and economic adversity.
This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.
