EDUCATIONAL WORK IN BOARDING SCHOOLS by Risto Petrov, Laura P. Gjurchinovska, Natasa Stanojkovska - Trajkovska Nergis Ramo

Abstract

The book “Educational Work In Boarding Schools” acts as a university teaching aid for students at the Institute of Special Education and Rehabilitation according to its form and manner of processing. The authors of this book, Professor Risto Petrov PhD, M.A. Laura P. Gjurchinovska, assistant Natasha Stanojkovska Trajkovska, and M.A. Nergis Ramo, are prominent experts in the field of Special Education and Rehabilitation. In the frame of their academic carrier, the authors have paid special attention to the area of educational work in boarding schools.
The book is a treasure trove of information related to this area and is appropriately designed to satisfy the needs of every reader with an affinity for this subject.  
Professor Risto Petrov implements his long-term practical experience in the area of boarding school educational work with the special institution “Demir Kapija” in this book, as well as his theoretical experience as a professor at the Institute of Special Education and Rehabilitation. From its founding, Professor Petrov has worked at the Institute of Special Education and Rehabilitation on the subject of boarding school educational work for persons with disabilities. This book increases the quantum of knowledge in the area of special needs, a young science with large room for scientific action and information gathering.
This book is a rerelease, the first being issued in 2002, and represents basic literature for students studying this subject.
The book Educational Work in Boarding Schools is 177 pages long, divided into three chapters: Position and role of the boarding schools in the system of education, Educational work in homes and boarding schools for the students with special needs, and Education of pupils with special needs in the continuous living accommodation in the schools. The first part is dedicated to the explanation of the meaning and function of the boarding schools as well as the characteristics of the life and work in the boarding schools. Attention is also paid to the goals and tasks of the educational work in the boarding schools. The principles, methods, means and shapes of educational work in the boarding schools are well explained in the reissue of this book. The authors also accentuate the importance of social integration of the students’ personality and also the normative for organization of the educational work in the boarding schools.
In the second part of the book, the authors explain the basic program areas and contents of educational work as well as the educational function of free time.
The contents of the third chapter are connected with the goals, tasks and organization of the continued living stay in the schools as well as the program work for the special educator in the extended daily residency.
This book is of undoubted quality, not only from a contextual standpoint but from the technical side as well. The book has a large number of high quality photographs, greatly significant for the individuals that use this book. The photography gives an insight of all the boarding schools for children with special educational needs in the Republic of Macedonia. The material is accommodated toward educating the young special needs education students and is a teaching aid for the students at the Institute for Special Education and Rehabilitation, along with all professionals that work in this field.
The book Educational Work in Boarding Schools is highly applicative as a compendium for basic data in the development of educational work in boarding schools in our country. The book manages a perfect balance between theoretical knowledge and practical experiences and represents a teaching book that will encourage further research in this field. Because of all these positive aspects, I recommend this book to all the students at the Institute of Special Education and Rehabilitation, all special educators, and all professionals interested in this field.