A MESSAGE FROM OUR PATRON
We are honored that Ms Eva Luise Köhler, wife of the former President of the Federal Republic of Germany, has agreed to be the patron of the congress.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
When people become ill, they are frequently torn from their accustomed social milieu, from their professional life, frequently from their circle of friends and family as well. This can be particularly injurious for children at the outset of their journey through life, with so much before them and for whom the whole world stood open just a little while before.
These children are cared for at home or in hospital with the best of care that medical professionals can provide. School is not seen as the main concern and access to education is often given a lower priority.
At times, however, this lack of priority given to education can be detrimental to a child’s psychosocial well-being, which in turn can impact on their ability to overcome illness. Children miss their familiar environment that aids and challenges them in fulfilling their role as pupils which supports physical and psychological recovery.
For this reason sick children, particularly those with chronic or long-term illnesses, need to obtain individual pedagogical support to maintain contact with their peers at school, keeping up with them both socially and from an educational context.
In achieving this, it is important that all those participating in the learning and recovery process collaborate in making it possible for children to reach their fullest potential. Our modern society owes this to children to achieve genuinely free development of the personality and participation in society on an equal basis.
Eva Luise Köhler
