Str. Cuza Vodă nr. 56 Focşani – Vrancea county

Tel./fax: 0237626769

E-mail: csielenadoamna@yahoo.com

Web: www.cseielenadoamna.ro

The history of The school center for inclusive education “Elena Doamna” Focsani is confused with the very history of the special education in Romania, which has its origins in the great generosity of some personalities from the nineteenth century, which founded settlements for the protection of orphaned or abandoned children.

The initiative to establish such an asylum belongs to General Carol Davila. Carol Davila, as general inspector of the Romanian Health Service, made a draft law in 1860 for the establishment of a Directorate for Public Assistance for Orphan Children, which also provides for care and education of deaf-mute children, mentally disabled children and of the blind of birth.

In 1861 Elena Cuza made a visit to Davila’s Cotroceni asylum and was impressed with what she had seen, and addressed a letter to the President of the Council of Ministers, after which it is being built an own home destined to the orphans growth. In 1863, according to Mrs. Elena’s wish, 39 girls were brought from the “Gregorian” Institute in Iași and along with them a number of deaf-mute children. Thus, in the “Elena Doamna” Asylum, the first college of deaf-mute boys is set up in a separate section. This is the nucleus from which the first special state school for education of hearing-impaired children in our country will gradually develop. Since 1887, special education has passed to the state.

In the autumn of 1895 the boys’ classes were moved to Focșani where the edifice for the Deaf-mute Orphanage was built. The school became mixed in 1960 by the transfer to Focșani of girls from the Special School of Girls in Braila. By setting up the kindergarten for children with hearing impairments, in 1963, the school manages to encompass the entire education cycle at that time.

Since 1983 the school has been operating in the current complex. As a result of the development of the educational system, in 1999 the first high school class was established, with the profile of natural sciences, and in 2004 the post-secondary school with the medical optics profile was established.

The school now has all levels of education: kindergarten, elementary school, and gymnasium, theoretical, vocational and post-secondary high school, being the only school in the country with all levels of education. In 2006, the Special Deaf School turned into The school center for inclusive education “Elena Doamna” Focsani, with more than 300 pupils today.

“Elena Doamna” Focsani School for Inclusive Education provides services in the following fields:

– Special and specialized education for children with sensory hearing impairments;
– Special and specialized education of children with learning difficulties, development /adaptation, language disorders, behavioural/ socio-behavioural disorders;
– Special and specialized education of children with autistic spectrum disorders.

For:

1. Pre-school education
2. Primary education
3. Gymnasium education
4. High School Education – Theoretical Branch – Specialization: Natural Sciences – Daily Education, grades IX-XII
5. Professional Education – Textile and Leather Industry – Qualification – Textile Manufacturers – Daily Education, grades IX-XII
6. Post-secondary education – daily education – duration 3 semesters, medical optics profile, specialization – optician, qualification level 5.

These services aim at forming and developing basic skills, attitudes and qualification as prerequisites for good socio-professional integration, taking into account the individual potential of the beneficiaries. Quality assessment and quality assurance is an integral part of the institutional development action aimed at growing the development of our school unit in the sense of increasing the quality of educational services, therapeutic rehabilitation and professionalism offered in a continuous adaptation to quality standards, needs and expectations of the beneficiaries and the local community.