Vol. 502 No. 6
318 Mr. O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Science the policy of his Department on the support of the method of conductive education as pioneered by the Peto Institute in Hungary; and the level of support provided for conductive education by his Department. [8828/99]
Conductive education is a system of education for children and adults with motor disorders. The system originated from the work of Andras Peto at the Peto Institute in Hungary in the 1940s. Under this system, the motor problems are regarded as learning difficulties to be overcome, rather than medical conditions to be treated. The aim of the method is for the individual to learn new ways to control movement and thus become independent. Treatment and edu cation is aimed at the whole personality rather than directed to the disability in isolation. The teacher (conductor) facilitates the learning process by helping the learners to solve their own problems and structure their own methods.
The success rate claimed for conductive education derives from statistics supplied by the Peto Institute, supported by some anecdotal evidence, rather than being backed up by independent research evidence. The institute deems many pupils unsuitable for conductive education. Hence any success rate claimed is of limited value. Attempts to transport conductive education outside of Hungary have proved difficult because of differences between countries in social, political and educational climates.
The results of several well controlled comparative studies have shown conductive education to be less effective than the traditional methods of teaching and therapy used in our special school system. There is at present not enough reliable evidence of the potential or achieved success of the conductive education method to justify diverting resources from our existing special education system to this highly specialised system.
