"It is necessary to review the functioning of hospital pedagogy because convalescence occurs more and more often in the child's home. But home care poses a clear problem: the teacher enters fully into the intimacy of a family". These are the words of Christian Lieutenant, president of the association European Hospital Pedagogues (HOPE), who participated in the seminar European Hospital Pedagogy held from October 4 to 6 at the University of Navarra.

"Long admissions remain the same, what is most reduced is the issue of medium-length admissions. There are obvious economic arguments for this, but also human reasons: recovery is more pleasant when the child is in his or her environment," he said. In his opinion, "the teacher enters the home and this can be uncomfortable for both families and patients".

During the meeting, which focuses on "Psycho-educational maladjustment and family disruption in the hospitalized chronically ill child", Christian Lieutenant referred to European legislation on pedagogical care for hospitalized children. "It pronounces on the general lines to be followed. But the broad principles are often not easy to put into practice at internship. EU budgets in this area are important because there is a great concern for both health and Education, and there is a political will to unify these criteria but, at internship, pedagogues are still working in isolation in their hospitals."

The president of the association European Hospital Pedagogues stated at the University of Navarra that harmonization has not yet been achieved, and gave as an example the topic of the training: "The qualification required for the teaching in the hospital is not the same in France, Belgium or Spain. The requirements range from the conventional programs of study of Magisterio to six years of specific university specialization ".

Great Britain, pioneer

"There are still few of us professionals working in hospital classrooms," he said, noting that in Belgium there are around 200 professionals, "which is not bad at all if we take into account the issue population. In Spain, for example, the proportion is lower".

Christian Lieutenant recalled that the first official hospital schools were created in Great Britain, "which was also the first to consider that hospitalized children have the right to a special Education . In Belgium, for example, the legislation on this special Education is only 30 years old, so hospital classrooms are relatively recent. This with regard to legislation, because we must not forget that religious congregations have taken care of this topic on many occasions."

"A different case is that of the Netherlands," he continued, "where hospital classrooms in the strict sense have practically disappeared. A different organization has been devised there. A team educational working in the hospital focuses, rather than on teaching, on the continuity of the child's schooling, i.e., that between hospitalization, convalescence at home and return to classroom there is no break".

Finally, Christian Lieutenant explained that the figure of the pedagogue for the family is important because "our way of speaking is closer to theirs than medical language. In addition, we work with a different pressure because they do not expect us to cure their children. And the implicit message we transmit is hopeful: we are there so that, when the child is cured, he or she will return to high school, and this presupposes that the child will succeed".