Conductive Education

Conductive Education was developed in Hungary by Professor Andras Peto in the 1940s. The underlying philosophy is that all children and adults who have a motor disorder of neurological origin can learn. It is based on the assumption that a person who has a motor disorder has a problem of learning which requires education, as opposed to a medical condition which requires treatment. A person with a motor disorder (i.e. Cerebral Palsy) can be habilitated / rehabilitated by learning to use the extensive residual capacity of their brain, creating new, activity dependent, synaptic connections to compensate for damaged areas of the brain, thus enabling learning to take place.

Conductive Education has continued to grow in New Zealand over the past 17 years and is firmly established as a habilitation / rehabilitation option for those with motor disorders.

The Conductive Education Unit at Cashmere High School first opened its doors in 2002 and over the years has reached its full capacity. Currently we cater for 20 students with severe and multiple disabilities, predominantly with motor disorder. All of our students are ORRS funded, which is a prerequisite for enrolment.

The staff are led by our conductors Ms Gabriella Koncz and Maren Eden (on maternity leave), our teachers Ms Juliet Webber and Ms Sam Groves and Speech and Language Therapist Alysia Cotter. We also have 13 Teacher Aides supporting our students.

All of the students participate in either mainstream classes (as appropriate) and also have swimming and outings as part of their weekly programme.

Please contact Jane Hardy if you would like more information about Conductive Education at Cashmere High School.

If you would like more information about Conductive Education in New Zealand click on the following link which will take you to the New Zealand Foundation for Conductive Education website.