English Introduction

The Community was established in 1946 as one of the first after war institutions to help in the education and learning of children and teenagers with problems in the social integration in the age of 11 to 15.

Until 1990 the community worked in the castle of the noble family Lazarini. The building has been given back to the owners; from October 5 th, 1990 in the new house built for the purpose of Community, near to the above mentioned castle.

The Community has been established by the Government of the Republic Slovenia, which is financing and supervising it through the Ministery of Education, Science and Sport.

In the main Community there are four educational groups: three groups of boys and one group of girls. In the Community – home there is provided a whole day professional guidance and supply for 40 school–age children, who come to our place from the area of the complete State. Inside the Community there is the so called primary school: class 6 to 9.

Besides the regular lessons and education in the education groups children and teenagers can participate in numerous other activities. Next to the regular education and learning activities there are also topic’s days inside the particular projects. The work organization allows the children’s presence all days long, including the weekends and holidays. But we wish that children would spend holidays and other free days with their families and coevals in their home – areas. Mainly in the holiday time some holiday – projects with the elements of experience pedagogy take place.

After finished primary school most of the children return to their homes and go to regular secondary schools or apprenticeship. For some years now they can join the Boarding Community which is in Ljubljana. Secondary school boys go to any schools such as any other coevals.

The head – master is the professional and administrative manager of the Community. The educational groups are guided by two educators, when possible by a woman and a man. In the internal primary school there are classes with up to eight pupils. The teaching is performed by subject teachers who have some special pedagogical courses. The school program is the same as elsewhere in primary schools. During the school time the individual pedagogue is taking care of children with learning and behavioral difficulties. Psychologist and social pedagogue are included in the direct team work with pupils, they guide the direct advising and therapeutic work with parents, they make individual plans and they cooperate with professional co – workers who treated children before they came to the Community.

Health care for the children of the Community leads permanently appointed nurse in cooperation with pediatric and other health care workers from the health care centre nearby and other health institutions situated in Ljubljana. Technical and administrative department in the Community takes care of material matters of children and employees of the Community.

At momentary capacity, which changes during the years because of the regular norms, we accept in our community 20 children and teenagers per year. These are young people who have difficulties in growing up and difficulties in the social integration. Normally we accept them on the grounds of the valid family laws of after the guidance system for children and teenagers with special needs. Those laws are being executed by the centers of social work according to the valid laws.

Suggestions for the transfer into a Community are usually given by the basic schools, advisory centers, experts from the specialized institutions or professional centers for social work. Of course this kind of suggestions for the transfer can also be given by the parents. Before acceptance we invite the candidate with the parents for an informative visit. At that visit we also show the possibilities of learning skills, because we wish an approval of a child before one comes to us.

With children characterized by educational and behavioural difficulties the following nervous symptoms prevail:

• diminished learning capability and behaviour problems at school,
• disturbed relationship with environment and coevals,
• specific learning problems,
• disocial symptomatics,
• educational neglect and emotional deprivation,
• agression and auto-aggression.

Our children in their childhood mostly didn’t have possibilities to get the needed confidence in themselves and their ability, neither to get the needed emotional satisfaciton on all fields. In their register of behaviour there is a lack and that is the reason why they cannot constructively conect into different social situations. This can show out in the way of a strong feeling of their self unadequate, experience themselves as to be less valid, not trusting their own abilities, fear form competitive situations and failure.