BEST PRACTICES RELATED TO

EDUCATION FOR PERSONS WITH

SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS

Donata Vivanti - Vice-president EDF www.edf-feph.org

Art. 24.1 States Parties

• recognize the right of persons with disabilities to education…

• without discrimination

• on the basis of equal opportunity

• shall ensure an inclusive education system at all levels and lifelong learning

Educationin the UNCRPD

Ensuring:• adequate resources• appropriate support • reasonable accommodation of– environment, – teaching– organisation

in mainstream education

Removing barriers to inclusive education

• Developing legislative measures and policies

• in close cooperation with organisations of persons with disabilities

• without any compromises with the principle of equal opportunities

• regardless the nature or severity of the disability or difficulties in being included in mainstream schools

Moving towards inclusive education

According to the NESSE report:

Some students are difficult to be included in maistream classes: :

• With complex health problems• With pervasive or specific

learning disorders and/or challenging behaviours (Autism Spectrum Disorders, ADHD)

The challenges for inclusive education

• No distinction or exception are acceptable in the UNCRPD perspective

• The right to inclusive education stressed in the ECSC decision on the AE collective complaint (n.13/2003)

• The interest of the child must come first

• According to the DECLOC study, persons with challenging behaviours require the most intensive support also in segregating settings

The challenges for inclusive education

YES, WE CANWith a more intensive

(quantitative and qualitative) support

Can we include in mainstream education children with severe

learning disabilities and/or challenging behaviours?

• Constitutional guarantee of free and compulsory education to all children

• Definition of reasonable accommodations (of school buildings, equipment and materials) in the legislation on accessibility

• Legislation which defines any child or group of children with disabilities as ‘uneducable’ should be repealed

• Failure to accept a disabled student in a mainstream school should be recognised as an offence based on anti-discrimination laws

Developing legislative measures

• Incentives for the transition to mainstream schools

• Ensuring adequate educational support

• Adopting special education good practice and skills in the general education systems

• Pre-service and in-service training of teachers to meet the educational needs of all students with disabilities

• Lifelong learning opportunities and strategies

• Coordination between ministries

Developing policy measures

• Human rights education and peer support included in the school curriculum

• Parents and students involved in the definition and implementation of IEP

• Apply new technologies for teaching in mainstream schools

• Address the specific needs of girls and women with disabilities

Developing positive actions

Special measures are needed to ensure equal opportunities to girls and women with disabilities

• lower access to school and qualifications (notwithstanding the opposite trend for students without disabilities without in some EU countries)

• higher rates of school drop outs

• higher illiteracy rates

• decreased access to employment

Gender perspective

• Improves the capacity of teachers to meet the educational needs of any other student

• Enhances since childhood the awareness and understanding of diversity as a richness of our society

Benefits of inclusive education of students

with disabilities

Inclusive educationMoving from words to deeds

www.edf-feph.org