European Inclusive Learning Hub

This report is an effort to draw from the vast knowledge and information that exists in communities all over the world about inclusive education to make recommendations for change.

Addressing and responding to the diversity of needs of all learners through inclusive practices in learning, cultures and communities and reducing exclusion within and from education.

It involves changes and modifications in content, approaches, structures and strategies, with a common vision which covers all children of the appropriate age range and a conviction that it is the responsibility of the regular system to educate all children.

Examples of sources that make inclusion possible;

The policy of Disabled Peoples International (DPI) includes the possibility for students who are deaf, blind, or deaf-blind to be educated in separate groups.

The policy of the World Blind Union (WBU) calls for separate schools to be one option.

The policy of the World Federation of the Deaf (WFD) states that Inclusion as a simple placement in a regular school without meaningful interaction with classmates and professionals at all times is tantamount to exclusion.

The option of separated schools for children with disabilities are not the preferred ones nor are they economically viable in most of the world. Given the huge numbers of children and youth with disabilities who are currently out of school we believe it is not economically possible to build a system of separate schools to educate them. The only viable solution is for them to be part of regular schools, and for those schools to be designed and managed so they can meet the needs of ALL their students.

Every child with a disability has the right to be able to choose an inclusive option. This means that education systems must be willing and able to welcome students, regardless of their disability, and provide them with the supports they need, with the default always a regular class with non-disabled peers.

1.Regular teachers trained to teach students with special educational needs

2. No ability groupings

3. Within class differentiation in curriculum

4. Teachers working in teams

5. School based student services teams

6.Support to teachers

7. New role for special educator as support to regular teachers

8. Balance of governance with Endorsement of inclusion at discretion at school and district national, regional and local levels.

1. A number of barriers prevent children with intellectual disabilities from getting access to primary education, Goal 2 of EFA. Separate responsibility for children with disabilities whether in social welfare departments of government or special education departments in schools and school districts is a major barrier to children with disabilities accessing regular primary school.

2. Many children with intellectual disabilities are not registered at birth and so cannot enroll in school, lack of in-school supports,financial costs of access imposed on parents. The right to education is being systematically denied to this group in the majority of cases.

Recognized right to early identification and assessment to ensure that children with disabilities are able to acquire the educational support and services they need from the earliest possible age.

1. Removal of legislative and policy barriers to the inclusion of children, youth and adults in ECCE, primary, secondary, post-secondary and adult education

2. Repeal of any existing legislation which defines any group of children with disabilities as ‘in-educable’  

Teachers who are trained, skilled, and knowledgeable about inclusive education, and supportive of teaching in this way, remain a minority in education systems around the world. This must be improved and worked on.

In addition, many reports speak of special education teachers who do not want to change their practice and still promote segregation as a better option for students with disability.Such ideas should be countered. 

1. Striving to achieve a 50 per cent improvement in levels of adult literacy by 2015, especially for women,and equitable access to basic and continuing education for all adults.

2. Ongoing teacher training with incentives and appropriate remuneration.

3. Appropriate provision of supports such as sign-language interpretation, Braille training and associated equipment and materials, and other individualized supports

1.Training focused on school and classroom practices, supporting teachers being put in place and trained to assist teachers with program planning and implementation. School-based support teams being brought together and school leaders were trained in the in the essentials of providing leadership in an inclusive school.

2. Including children with disabilities in regular classrooms is seven to nine times less costly than maintaining a separate system.

1. Much of the training is in awareness and sensitization but little is in place to address the challenges at the classroom level and the strategies needed by teachers.  schools and teachers (particularly secondary school) were often unwilling to examine or change their practices in order to meet the needs of disabled students.

2. Schools and teachers (particularly secondary school) are often unwilling to examine or change their practices in order to meet the needs of disabled students.