Contributions from: Baes Maes, G.M. van der Aalsvoort, Andre Severyns, Theo Mardulier, A. Dens
Abstract
In this symposium we want to enter into the matter of the development of Special Needs Education policy in Flanders. Up to now there has been a segregated system of special education in Flanders. Children with special educational needs are helped in special schools that are organised on the basis of a diagnostic classification. There are 8 types of special education. Recently several initiatives have been taken in order to bring about an evolution towards inclusive education in Flanders. In this symposium we want to chart these initiatives and their results.
In the first contribution, the Flemish Council of Education (a representative advisory board for the minister for education) presents its general advice on inclusive education as an instrument for policy making.
The second contribution focuses on recent initiatives taken by the Department of Education of the Ministry of the Flemish Community. Given the well-developed system of special schools in Flanders, policy measures in encouraging inclusive education focus on the promotion of the co-operation between mainstream and special schools. The aim is to exchange expertise in order to help mainstream schools and classroom teachers to deal with pupils with special educational needs. To achieve this goal some experimental projects have been set up to bring special and mainstream schools closer together. In this second part we report about the design and the results of these projects.
In the third contribution finally, the results are presented as a scientific investigation into the critical factors of success of inclusive education as an innovative process in Flanders. It concerns 10 qualitative case studies of regular schools working with children with special educational needs.
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