BCYT Accreditation Team announcement – May 2020
BCYT Response to Yoga Therapy Training during COVID 19
The BCYT accreditation committee acknowledges that under the current lockdown situation it is not possible to deliver Yoga Therapy Training person to person.
The BCYT has made allowances for schools to count hours which would normally be delivered person to person to deliver any current Yoga Therapy programmes using a virtual platform in ‘live’ sessions.
This includes BCYT accredited training programmes running from 23rd March onwards and up until the government relax restrictions on group gatherings.
This is a temporary measure. The BCYT expects that each school will deliver appropriate sessions online and return to person to person teaching as soon as it is safe to do so, and complete practical sessions to meet curriculum requirements.
It is important to note that whilst online training is essential for schools to keep trainees engaged with their learning at this time, it does not comply with present core curriculum standards and learning outcomes as per the Accreditation Agreement.
CNHC statement
All courses that meet the requirements for CNHC registration must normally include a specified number of hours with the simultaneous physical presence of the learner and a lecturer, tutor or supervisor. This is for the components of the course that cover the development and assessment of practical or clinical skills.
Given the prevalence and spread of coronavirus, and in these circumstances only, the relevant components of the course can be delivered with the simultaneous electronic presence of the learner and a lecturer, tutor or supervisor - for example via Zoom, Skype or WhatsApp.
Online limitations
Online training allows schools to deliver instructions and demonstrations for trainees, but does not always provide opportunities for assessment of learning to take place.
Trainees are able to use online sessions to evaluate their own performance and development, however for a yoga therapy teacher trainer it is difficult to assess many aspects of the practical application of yoga therapy without person to person contact.
Instructing through online platforms is not the same as teaching in person when you can observe individuals and make the appropriate adjustments and adaptations necessary for a Therapeutic experience.
PAR/SMB 2020
Two major Yoga Therapy conferences in 2019
Yoga in Healthcare Conference, Westminster, London
15 - 17 February 2019
Yoga Therapy Conference, Amsterdam
10 & 11 May 2019