Hospitalschool UZ Leuven

Herestraat 49 - 3000 Leuven - Belgium 

Phone. +32.16.34.39.62
Fax.+32.16.34.31.67
ziekenhuisschool at uzleuven.be

Our hospital school organizes infant, primary and secondary education for students from 2.5 till 21 year, hospitalized in the academic hospital of the university of Louvain. We are a school for special education type 5 (for hospitalized children), subsidized bij the Ministry of Education.

To be hospitalised is never easy.

For children a long stay in the hospital is a difficult affliction. They miss their busy, happy world: the home front, friends, school. For those who must miss their regular lessons for a long time, arrears are almost impossible to make up. Such children may not pass their examination at the end of a schoolyear.

Follow classes in a hospital?

Since september 1, 1986 the hospital school Gasthuisberg is an approved subsidized school for denominational education on three levels: infant, primary and secondary education. From 1991 our school has a second settlement, in the hospital of Pellenberg.

Hospital education requires a special approach.

Teaching in a hospital school involves mainly individual education. Because of the continual changes in admission and dismission, pupils differ constantly. Time and content of the lesson must be in accordance with the situation of the patient. The way of teaching differs from child to child. Cooperation with parents, home-schools, and medical staff is necessary. If possible, we try to form little groups of pupils. Each pupil gets one or two lessons a day, in consultation with their home-schools.

The link with the future.

Our school aims at taking part in the social reintegration of the child. Thanks to their lessons, there's always the link with the future. When the child leaves the hospital, the first step to the "normal" educational world is already taken.

Computerprojects of the hospital school in Louvain, Belgium

Vision

ICT (information and communication technology) is a very useful tool to accomplish one of the major goals of our school: breaking the isolation of our student-patiënts. Our school wants to participate in the ICT-challenge and keep up with the latest developments in the educational world.

The hospital school is confronted with the fact that home schools increasingly familiarize their students with the latest information and communication technology. A tendency that is not in the least surprising since the integration of ICT in all Belgian schools is an important issue on the agenda of our government for the next few years. This technology gives entrance to a worldwide network of information and knowledge. An entrance that may not remain closed, certainly not for our students who representate so many Belgian schools.

The ICT-classroom

In february 2000 our school moved to a larger building. We consciously chose a large room in which video, TV, and computers, through a local network connected to the internet, are available for teachers and students. Like this our pupils not only can learn the skills of ICT, they can also continue the running projects of their home schools.

Website

Useful education has to be based on efficiënt information of the relevant parties. Our website is the passport of the hospital school.

Communication

E-mail not only accelerates the mutual information between the hospital school and the home school, it also increases the commitment of the home school.
We give our students individualized education in consultation with the teachers of the home school. This implies agreements on the most important courses, methods, books, evaluations.. To organize all this, swift communication is needed.

Educational software

Educational software is a valuable tool to exercise the material, remedy learning-difficulties and train specific functions.

Laptops & wireless internet in patiënts rooms

• educational support
• social contact with family, friends at home
• contact with children with similar diseases
• entertainment

Prizes

Following prizes are awarded to our school:

• Mai 1998: Our school becomes second laureate of the Digikids Awards and the Microsoft Road Ahead Price. Digikids is an initiative to encourage teachers and students to use ICT.
• December 1999: Our school wins the Alcatel Awwwards, by which Alcatel Bell awards innovative internet applications.
• March 2003: CST Award 2003 - ICT-school of the year, Special Education

Are you a hospital school too, wanting to exchange ideas, e-mails... or do you want additional information, please contact us.

Toots-bear

Toots Thielemans supports the Hospital school Gasthuisberg. The company Steiff made a "Toots-bear" for this occasion. If you are interested in supporting this charity, please contact us.