TEACHERS' SUPPORT IN EARLY SCHOOL EDUCATION - DIAGNOSIS OF SELECTED PROBLEMS

In primary schools in Poland, the number of pupils with behavioral and educational difficulties increases. The basis for working with children with special school needs is proper diagnosis, competences as well as knowledge about specific work methods. While conducting the research among teachers of early school education, authors verified the hypothesis that teachers lack sufficient support from their own environment as well as from educational institutions. They also looked at the academic preparation of teachers in the field of acquiring competences to work with a child with the SPE. The research used the analysis of teacher's study programs and conducted surveys in various cities and villages of Poland. The research shows that academic education programs preparing teachers for performing the profession do not offer specialist preparation in a sufficiently large scope. Teachers do not have adequate preparation to deal with these problems. In addition, the school reform introduced in 2017 by the Polish government, transfers excessive responsibility in this respect to schools. From the psychological and pedagogical counseling the assessment of child's functioning was transferred to the school grounds. In order to develop themselves, teachers must undertake profesional training that requires considerable financial and time expenditure.