Hopalsti Olshco

1. Hopalsti Olshco  Tanja Becan Ljubljana, April 10, 2010

2. 2 June 2,2009 The song you have just heard was very popular in Slovenia when in the hospital school we were looking for boxes and preparing to relocate. After we successfully completed the 2008-2009 school year, all departments were officially relocated to the new pediatric clinic on June 27, 2009. We waited 15 years for a new children's hospital.

3. 3 Small historical book of hope The foundation stone for the new hospital was laid in 1994.In the original plans the hospital school occupied the entire floor. After many plans’revisions to the new clinic, the hospital school was relocated from floor to floor, and eventually was reduced in square footage (1000-430-114 m2). In 2002, following the recommendation of experts from Australia, including Dr.John de Campo, the hospital school completely disappeared from the floor plans: ‘No specific recommendations regarding the school are made other than  to observe that with decreasing length of stay, the need for a school may be replaced by occupational therapy. It should also be noted that the majority of admissions are not of school age, and 80% of admissions will include a non-school day in an average three day admission.’  After the intervention of an ombudsman for human rights, the hospital school was once again added to the plans for the new clinic. On June 27, 2009, the hospital school was relocated to the new clinic.However, up to this day, the laboratory had not managed to move into the clinic.

4. 4 Hospital School Rooms at Bohoriceva street 20 At the wards, including the  Ward of Children's Surgery, Neurology, Nephrology, Endocrinology and Cardiology, Allergology, and Oncology), there are smaller classrooms. School activities can also be conducted on the wards' glazed terraces. At the Ward of Children’s Psychiatry, one big classroom is used for schoolwork; we also have the use of one of two glazed terraces, and one cabinet, in addition to the partial use of  two more cabinets, for a total of five rooms.  In the tract where the cabinets of doctors are, is also the room for the headteacher  of a hospital school and teachers' room, which is primarily used for teachers of different subjects. This is actually two rooms. Classes are often held in the patients' rooms. Not  one millimeter of all these thirteen rooms really belongs to the hospital school (or to Elementary school Ledina or to the Ministry for School and Sport). We are only users of these premises.

5. 5 Where does Hospital school also work In the old Dermatological Clinic,  although at one time the children's dermatologic ward should be included in the new clinic, it ultimately did not want to move;  there is not a special room for the hospital school at the ward; On the children's ward of the Orthopedic Clinic, where we some time ago lost space for school activities. On the Children’s ward of the Clinic for Infections, where we operate only when we are called upon by the medical staff (there is no special room for school work). At the University Rehabilitation Institute Soca (with a new children's section for hospital and school facilities). At the adolescent section of the Psychiatric Clinic, where with the help of the Rotary Club, the classroom was arranged.

6. 6 What we have now, but we did not have before? Smaller classrooms at the Endocrinology, Allergology, and Neurology wards. More space for the schoolwork at the Department of Child Psychiatry. Teachers’ room. Headteacher’s  room. What we do not have now, but had before? Bigger classrooms in Nefrology ward (now is smaller); Common large classroom for all high school level pupils from the whole clinic. Teachers' staff room was a large classroom that was used as the meeting room. The existing teachers' room is for all 24 hospital school teachers and is   too small.

7. 7 Hopalsti Olshco after June 2009 The average hospital stay is shortening. Outpatient treatment is increasing. Patients with long-term (chronic) diseases are absent more frequently from their school, but  the length of hospitalization is shorter. During this shortened time of hospitalization, the pupils are sicker. Their education needs must be  responded more quickly and in a more targeted fashion. Pupils should remain in their rooms at their wards, so teaching is becoming more individual and  the work of teachers increasingly dispersed; Work of the entire team of hospital teachers  is becoming increasingly dispersed. Work on the wards is becoming more specific.

8. 8 Changes - the risks Because of the dispersion of the teachers’ work in the hospital school and growing attachment to the different wards, the team can decompose and lose membership within the hospital school. This does not mean only the end of the hospital school, but also the end of professional care of the long-term sick children and adolescents in the school system.

9. 9 Because of the increasing membership of hospital teachers  to the hospital wards, hospital school can be decomposed as a learning community (Becaj). Because of the increasing membership of hospital teachers to their wards, the professional autonomy of the hospital teacher may be lost. Because of the increasing individual teaching,  the hospital teacher may slowly impoverish his  or her methodical and educational excellence.

10. 10 5. Given the increasing school absenteeism in a time when students are not sick in the hospital, the continuity of educational work may be broken up, but this puts a question about the achievement of one of the fundamental objectives of the hospital school. 6. Because of the involvement of long-term sick children in ordinary schools (10 - 15%), it is difficult to help them in hospital school because only some of them are hospitalized; this questions the meaningfulness of the existence of a hospital school. 7. Because of the short hospitalisations the need for hospital school might be dried up in general.

11. 11 How to overcome the risks? It’s necessary to follow The vision of our hospital school. Our aim of educational work with sick pupils. The implementation of hospital teaching skills. (Otto Mourik).

12. 12 The objectives of the educational work with sick pupil To prevent interruption of schoolwork and allow its continuity. To help pupils with learning problems in building effective learning techniques and strategies. To identify learning strengths and weaknesses (learning and defectology diagnostics). To assist in integrating to normal school work in a normal school (students' home school) or seek another form of education, if necessary. Within the  sick pupil, strengthen and preserve their life perspective to help him or her finding new ways. To prevent feelings of loneliness, loss, fear, and anxiety within the sick, diseased, and hospitalized pupil. Give sense and meaning to the hospitalized pupil’s day. .

13. 13 Vision of our hospital school  Establish a center of experts in the public network of educational institutions, who know how to teach sick children and adolescents. who are able to provide the continuous training for long-term sick children and adolescents. who are able to advise to those who are involved in teaching long-term sick children and adolescents; who are able to advise in the integration of long-term sick children and adolescents back to their home institutions. who explore and build new cognitions of acquired knowledge. 

14. 14 From Hopalsti Olshco back to Hospital School Commitment: to hospital teacher competence, to the aims of educational work with sick pupils, to achieving the vision of the hospital school, overcome the risks and traps that were encountered upon relocating to a new clinic.

15. 15 From Hospital School to Professional Center of Hospital School It is a realization of the vision of our hospital school. The application of our commitment.       In order to realize our dreams.

16. 16 In 1951, it began with the school work of the first teacher, Mrs Breda Juvancic at the initiative of Prof. Dr. Marij Avcin  in the children's hospital. In 1958, the Republic Secretariat for Education installed Mrs Breda Juvancic officially as a regular teacher and the first hospital school class was attached to the Elementary School Ledina. In 1959, at the initiative of Prof. Dr. Brecelj and Dr.Zarnik, teaching began at the Orthopedic Clinic with Mrs. Marija Novak. The second hospital school class is attached to the Elementary School Ledina. In 1967, at the initiative of Prof. Dr. Kornhauser ,the school started on the children's surgery ward. In 1972, the Elementary School Ledina officially established the Hospital school wards in the Medical Center with headteacher, Mr. Marjan Matko.

17. 17 In 1974, at the initiative of prof. dr. Kornhauser in Ljubljana, the first conference of the educational work in hospitals in Slovenia is organized. In 1977, ten copies of the first school newspaper “ Sick pupil writes” are issued. In 1988, at the initiative of prof. dr. Kornhauser first congress of hospital teachers from all over Europe is organized in Ljubljana: it’s the start for preparations to establish the European association of hospital teachers “HOPE”. In 1988, under the auspices of Slovene Institute for Education (Mr. Franci Kolenec) “Instructions for the educational work with hospitalized preschool and school children” are issued. In 1992, prof. Anita Trnavcevic, the headteacher of Ljubljana hospital school, becomes the first representative of Slovenia in the HOPE.

18. 18 In 1993, the first Hospital Olympic Games were organized. In 1994, the foundation stone for the new pediatric clinic was laid. In 1995, all hospital teachers of Slovenia met in their first study group. In 1995, individual teaching aid for secondary school pupils started. In 1998, we were involved in preparing “Law for the children with special needs”; we insisted that long-term sick children should be included in this legislation. In 1999, our school website was designed. In 2000, Prof. Tanja Becan, the  headteacher of Ljubljana  hospital school, was elected to the supreme body of HOPE, Board of Hope, at the 4th HOPE Congress in Barcelona.

19. 19 In 2002, the hospital school was removed from the plans of a new pediatric clinic. In 2004, we initiated the Comenius project “Sport in the hospital”. In 2006, our hospital games became the International Olympic Games (Ljubljana-Brussels-Nancy). In 2007, we initiated the reading for “Robinson reading badge.” In 2009, five pupils from the Rehabilitation center-Soca attended the Olympic Games in Brussels for the first time. In 2009, we moved to the new clinic. In 2010, we have begun to prepare for the Professional  Center of Hospital School.