1996-97: DISABLED CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE IN REGULAR EDUCATION
The trend to have disabled pupils participate in regular education is not new. Many European and other countries have set up experiments over the last twenty years to integrate these young people in regular education. This was done from different backgrounds and with different results.
Since the UNESCO conference in Salamanca in 1994, the idea of "inclusive education" received a new impulse. This pattern of thought is also influenced by a new way of thinking about disability, where disability is seen in close relationship with the organisation and the mentality of the environment. In line with these new insights a workshop tries to formulate propositions for a stronger "inclusive education' on behalf of the general council of the VLOR. The draft recommendation will be proposed in the autumn to the general council.
The forum on primary education, organised by the VLOR, that took place on April, 22nd 1999 also concentrated on the theme of co-operation between regular and special education. This collaboration also fits in the international tendency to integrate as much as possible children with learning and developmental problems in regular primary education. If the extent (the extent to which regular primary schools must accommodate handicapped children) of care of regular education increases, special education would be able to concentrate fully on children who need specialised care.
The collaboration between regular and special education implies a change of mentality that is taking place hesitantly. This was also revealed at the forum; not all target groups were adequately represented. People from special education clearly feel more involved in this theme than their colleagues from regular education.
An efficient collaboration presupposes schools to think about extension of care in the education they offer. From this reflection grows the vision that collaboration with special education is necessary. This vision on the extension of care in all its aspects is set out in the school work plan and can be formalised in co-operation agreements. In the forum schools showed a range of possible forms of collaboration between schools for regular and special education. In the meantime, the Minister fulfilled the promise he made on the forum, namely the financing of five test projects that have to further investigate the possibilities.
During the preparation of the forum, professor Verhaeghe (University Ghent) conducted research on indicators that give a representation of the scope of primary schools with respect to the care provided to children with learning and developmental problems. This research demonstrates that organisation and functioning of schools are important for an adequate prevention, tracing and handling of these children. The functioning of the team and the management are the decisive factors. What the team thinks about its functioning, how it approaches its tasks and experiences the working of others schools, determine how the school interprets policy measures and concretises collaborations.
On the level of the classroom level, the didactic method of the teacher is of major importance. The parents have also an important role to play. They can support and strengthen the efforts of education. Prevention and early identification of problems are to the advantage of the child, which after all is the main concern of the parents.
After experiments from 1980 until 1986, integrated education (GON: geïntegreerd onderwijs) has been a part of types 4, 6 and 7 of special education in Flanders. After 1994, also pupils of other types could follow regular education and appeal to GON-guidance. However, there are still limitations for specific target groups because of the limited guidance that is available.
Recently two initiatives were taken to provide integrated education with a legal basis, namely the decree on primary education and decree VIII for secondary and higher education.
The preliminary draft of the decree describes integrated education as a co-operation between regular and special education (art. 11). The child takes classes in a regular school with assistance from a school for special education. The accompanying school receives supplementary teaching hours and an integration grant.
The department for special education pleads to see integrated education as a modality of special education organised in co-operation between regular and special education. Pupils in the integrated educational system can, depending on the case, either be pupils in the regular or the special educational system.
In its recommendation on decree VIII, the general council of the VLOR made a distinction between secondary education on the one hand and higher education on the other hand. For secondary education, the general council stated that the preliminary draft decree mainly wanted to provide a legal basis for the existing situation. For a vision that is more focused on the future, the general council referred to the recommendation on inclusive education. The general council however had some remarks of a technical nature. In some situations it is preferable that the attendant from special education continues to counsel the pupils in the secondary educational system.
Moreover, one must avoid that a pupil who switches from primary education to integrated education first has to spend nine months in special education. A teachers' representative or a grade co-ordinator should be able to participate in drawing the integration scheme. The school providing the guidance gets additional teaching hours. The decree determines a procedure to grant pupils exemptions for certain area's of learning or parts of it (e.g. physical education). The VLOR believes the class council should be able to make an autonomous decision in this matter.
With regards to integrated higher education the genera] council concluded the legislation is a copy of integrated primary and secondary education. The documents in support are therefore not suited to the specificity of higher education. Is it sensible to ask for a certificate of integrated education that refers to special education? Why can't the student himself be the major partner in the elaboration of the integration scheme?
The general council also thinks it strange that the government itself sets the procedures to determine the equivalence of the replacing educational activities in the colleges of higher education, while it is obvious to respect the autonomy of the college management and the exam commission in this matter. This is why the council for higher education will shortly issue another recommendation on the substance of the matter. The starting point for this is that the approach in the colleges and the universities must be based on the same principles.
The general council also used the recommendation on the procedure for derogation for the final attainment levels to draw attention to the danger that pupils who cannot achieve these final attainment levels are systematically barred from regular education and committed to special education. Indeed, the definition of the notion "attainment targets" refers to 'pupil groups' and to "all pupils".
1997- 98: TOWARDS A MORE INCLUSIVE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM (1)
In May 1995, the idea to elaborate a new structural model for the relation between regular and special education started in the general council. This was explicitly done on the basis of the international tendency towards integration as stated in the UN resolution of December 1993 on equal opportunities for disabled people.
In preparation to this discussion, three professors produced a report that mapped the international developments in this field. On basis of this study, 7th July 1998, the general council issued a recommendation on future priorities for the relation between regular and special education.
Starting from new insights on disability and inclusion, the general council defines 'inclusive education" as education that recognises the fact that pupils are different and that this is regular. Inclusive education also recognises that learning problems and disabilities can also be brought about by education. Inclusive education grants access to all pupils and works towards a higher educational standard for all pupils. This is expressed in the curriculum, the flexible classroom and school organisation as well as in the provision of support where necessary.
The VLOR is aware of the fact that inclusive education is an ideal to be pursued. The trend towards the strengthening of inclusive education is not as much a question of structural changes but mainly one of a fundamental change in mentality. Inclusive education can therefore never be imposed, only encouraged. Next to inclusive education, the VLOR recognises that the educational priority policy, whether or not integrated in a policy of extension of care, and special education have a specific mission in the continuum of care for children with special educational needs.
The VLOR therefore recommends the launching of an awareness-raising campaign by the government respecting the role of the different sections. It is also advisable that the present co-operation agreements between regular and special education are grafted on the concept of inclusive education. At the moment these projects still refer strongly to the concept of integrated education that mainly focuses on the adaptation of the pupil instead of the adjustment of the classroom and the school. After evaluation, the projects can be generalised in the form of regional covenants between providers of education. The VLOR can give the first impulse in this field and play a co-ordinating role. The authorities can offer these test projects opportunities by adapting the regulations and by granting resources to them. Finally it is also advisable that future educational developments shall be compared with tested against the concept of inclusive education.
Together with the recommendation, the VLOR encloses a first inventory the problems raised by the implementation of inclusive education. The conditions for the realisation of inclusive education are: an adaptation of the regulations, a differentiation in the curriculum, see inclusive education as a priority for the policy of the entire school, the development of a continuum of education and support (teachers, schoolteam, centres for pupil counselling, other social workers, integrated and special education). The training of teachers as well as refresher courses are certainly crucial as well.
1998-99: TOWARDS A MORE INCLUSIVE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM (2)
The VLOR already issued a recommendation last year pleading for more inclusive education. The recommendation asks that more disabled young people go into regular education than is the case today. It is mainly focussed on pupils with specific educational needs resulting from physical limitations, learning disabilities, difficult family situations, etc. In practice inclusive education can take up different shapes. The different initiatives belong to a continuum ranging from complete integration in regular classrooms, over education in special classrooms in regular schools, to education in special schools. Special education remains justified because it offers a solution to pupils for whom regular schools cannot guarantee optimal development at this moment. Special education also belongs to the range of supporting facilities that should make inclusive education possible in regular schools.
Inclusive education is a far-reaching innovation that cannot be imposed. Its introduction must rely on the efforts and the voluntary commitment of all who are concerned. Moreover the different schools of the area should make clear agreements.
Schools must receive sufficient means so that they can respond to the different needs. Supplementary means are necessary for specific needs. These must not be linked to the location, the institution, or to the type of education that provides the assistance.
The VLOR continues to work on this concept and hopes to stimulate this process in schools. For this reason the executive committee decided that a team of experts will map examples of good practice. This way the VLOR hopes to gain insight in the impeding or stimulating factors for more inclusive education.
The existing co-operation contracts between regular and special education could, by way of test, start from an inclusive concept. After an evaluation they could be generalised and cast into agreements. Here the VLOR can give the first impulse and play a co-ordinating role.
During the schoolyear 1999-2000 the VLOR asked Prof. P. Ghesquière to research, through a multiple case study, the critical factors of success with regards to inclusive education and to compare the VLOR's recommendations in this matter with this research.
1999-2000: VISION ON EDUCATION
The Flemish Education Council (VLOR), stimulated by the then president, Prof. Dr J. Heene, set itself the task to think about the future role of education and its core tasks. In order to succeed in this ambitious goal, the VLOR prepared the debate thoroughly. Prof. Dr W. Wielemans (KU-Leuven - University of Leuven) and Prof. Dr D. Van Damme (UG - University of Gent) wrote a preparatory paper. The VLOR also consulted key figures from the different sectors of Flemish society.
VLOR's vision on education makes an inventory of relevant social challenges for education and indicates how the sector of education should handle the different social expectations. In the future the vision will be used as a frame of reference when formulating recommendations. This does not exclude the use of other reference tools, such as by the treaty on the rights of the child. And also, the social context is in evolution permanently.
The first part of the vision on education tries to map relevant social challenges for education from a sociological perspective. The key question is here: which developments have a noticeable influence on the functions and missions of education. The first part is mainly descriptive. The second part focuses on the relation between society and education on a theoretical level. The core point of this argument is that although education is set within a social context from which it cannot be dissociated, at the same time it has a certain degree of autonomy. The third part is the most important. In this part the VLOR formulates the mission for education. This statement intends to give an answer to the social challenges for education.
The VLOR puts the pedagogical mission of education first. Education deals with the building of the personality of young people. They must be able to integrate in society and culture in a critical and creative way. Integration has at least three aspects: development of a professional life, taking on care tasks and social commitment. The VLOR believes this broad definition of the mission of education is necessary as an answer to the too utilitarian, economic and budget steered approach of education.
The VLOR defines the mission of education furthermore as "the creation of a learning oriented society". Education is also a social experience where young people can discover, learn to develop social relationships and can develop self-sufficiency. All this cannot be replaced by distance learning.
Other core tasks of education are:
Author,s co-ordinates
August Dens
VCLB-Vlaanderen
Maleizenstraat 74
B-3020 HERENT
Belgium Tel. + 32 16 22 12 59
E-mail :
gust.dens@clb-net.be
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