I am delighted in your interest in special educator. I have been clinical psychiatrist but was requested to participate in the training of special educator in the Japanese national university.
I continued for about 20 years. so I will write my own experience and the present situation of Japanese special educator and my investigation regarding other counties training method, reading the documents of French and Germany. But I have been very busy as a clinician, so I am afraid of misunderstanding. In those cases, correct me if I’m wrong.
Germany children with severe ID is taken part by medical staff as uneducable. But training special teacher course is completely separated from the course of general education. Their basic science is medicine, so first year, anatomy, physiology, pathology like medical school student, second year pedagogy, psychology begin. Third year, neuropsychology, and as disorder autistic spectrum disorder intensively (I think it is not so fixed curriculum). And this diplomas efficacy does not be limited in the school. They can work in the early preschool treatment and educational center, or facility for adulthood
In France, special teacher training in university is like Germany completely separated from teacher training of general education. The center of curriculum is developmental psychology and psychiatry). There are no special school in France. From 3 years old to 20 years old ID stay in Institute Médico-éducatif(IME) with special educator, psychiatrist, psychologist. Like USA 14, at years old they are distinguished who return to society and continue to stay this facility by assessment of the intellectual and social ability. Special educators continue to adulthood.
In comparison to that, Japanese special educator must get a teacher diploma of general education. And diploma is used only school. So they do not have specific knowledge that are necessary for special education. Compared with Europe Japanese special educators level is extremely low. And also work about transition from school to social welfare facilities are impossible by the special educator.
I do not mention about American system, because new question about history of USA special education. I am looking forward to that discussion.
Yokohama Research Institute for Disability and Industory