In the framework of the CEDEFOP study visits program, N.E.P.E.S. has organized a study visit about the efficiency of various service structures of psychologists in education in Belgium, Luxemburg and Germany together with the PMS-Centres of the German speaking Community of Belgium, where Belgian school psychologists mainly work, and with support of the Belgian Federation of Psychologists.

11 experts in education from Poland, the Czech Republic, Turkey, Germany and Belgium took part in this visit. The study group visited services of psychologists in 1 school psychological service SPOS in a Luxemburg school (Lycée Technique du Centre) and the European School in Luxemburg as well as the national service CPOS, 3 PMS Centres, 2 schools (Robert Schuman Institut and Bischöfliche Schule St. Vith )
and 3 organisations linked to the PMS Centres in Belgium ( Sozialpsychologisches Zentrum, Jugendhilfedienst, Zentrum für Förderpädagogik) as well as 1 school psychological service in Trier/Germany.

 

 

 

The study visit ended in a European Conference in Eupen/Belgium titled “ BEDELUX- School Psychology Services on the spot” with the presence of the Minister of Education, Training and Employment of the German speaking Community in Belgium, Mr. O.Paasch.  Minister O. Paasch valued the work of school psychologists in Belgium and explained the huge reform project in the German Speaking Community of Belgium, which aims at the integration of the existing PMS centres with other services for young people and their families across the sectors education, social affairs and health.
Prof. Dr. Dollase (Germany), Prof. Dr. Hilde Colpin (Flemish Belgium) and A. Thill-Rollinger (Director CPOS Luxemburg) presented the situation of school psychology in their particular country. Mrs. Kant-Schaps, Convenor of N.E.P.E.S., summarized common issues of school psychology across all EU Member States. G. Radermacher, Director of the free PMS Centres in the German Speaking Community of Belgium, summarized the results of the 5 day study visit. Please find attached all presentations during this visit.

This study visit allowed to a certain extent to compare different structures of services in education employing psychologists and also to identify important criteria for successful work of psychologists in education (PE), as:

-    Regular presence of  PEs in schools,
-    Early assessment and the diagnostic process,
-    Pluridisciplinary teamwork outside of schools

-    Indepence of PE’s services as the base for objective counseling  
-    Free service of PEs as a pre-condition for equity in the educational/health system

-    A balanced work of PEs between an individual and systemic approach, which              requests an adequate number of staff;
-    The importance of the PE’s work in the context of school and professional                 career guidance
-    The need to develop a culture of analysing and evaluating phenomena linked to

     
students and schools in order to be able to contribute to political decisions in

     
education and health sectors.