Abstract
The separateness of special education has begun to be challenged in a number of European countries - including the Republic of Slovakia and the United Kingdom. The challenge has moved forward under the general heading of integrated or inclusive education, the principles of which have been clearly set out in the Salamanca Statement (UNESCO 1994) to which Slovakia and the UK are signatories. Slovakia as a re-emerging nation is keen to learn and has shown interest in gathering knowledge about the policy and practice of inclusion in the UK education system.
This presentation has a number of aims:
Introduction
During the 1980s and 1990s a challenge to the separateness of special education began to be posed in a number of European countries - including the Republic of Slovakia and the United Kingdom. This challenge has moved forward under the general heading of integrated or inclusive education. The principles of inclusive education have been clearly set out in the Salamanca Statement (UNESCO 1994) to which Slovakia and the UK are signatories. The development of inclusive education has been acknowledged in the United Kingdom as a basis for teaching students with special educational needs and many regular schools now welcome children and students with a range of impairments supported by learning facilitators in mainstream lessons. Slovakia as a re-emerging nation is keen to learn and has shown interest in gathering knowledge about the policy and practice of inclusion in the UK education system.
This presentation therefore has a number of aims:
Background
Slovakia came into existence as a separate state on January 1st 1993, hewn from the break up of Czechoslavakia in 1992. It is a small, essentially rural and relatively poor country economically, with an unemployment rate that stands at just over 13%. It is also a very beautiful and geographically varied country, with the Tatras mountains, bordering Poland, to the north and the dusty summer plain bordering Hungary and Austria to the East and South. In Lucenec, the site of our research project on the Hungarian border, the unemployment rate is over 20%. In the early years of independence Slovakia developed a reputation for intolerance and somewhat xenophobic denunciations of foreigners. It still retains a large population of ethnic minority Hungarians and Romany and this is particularly evident in a border town like Lucenec. In the new republic relations between the three communities remain tolerant but luke-warm and in certain parts of Slovakia extremist politicians have attempted to provoke Hungarians, in particular, by threatening to limit their minority rights. At the same time, more militant Hungarian politicians have raised their own demands for territorial autonomy.
In some people's eyes the creation of Slovakia was "a sad, unnecessary event that in the long run may benefit some sectional interests of the Czech economy and the irrational fantasies of some Slovak nationalists." (Glenny 1993). At the time the majority of both Czechs and Slovaks were opposed to the division of their country and conventional wisdom still blames the break-up on the political ambitions Vladamir Meciar and his movement for a Democratic Slovakia. At the same time much of the responsibility lay with the very real suspicions that Slovaks felt towards the ambitions of Czech nationalists such as Vaclav Havel.
The intellectual revolution that had taken place in Prague in 1989 had led to the obsessions of the Czechs for a free-market economy. This, in turn, had clumsily created an insistence that the Czechs would only make a deal with the Slovaks if Bratislava were to give up most of its demands for special economic measures which would compensate for the east of the republic's relative backwardness and lack of prosperity. "The only way that the state of Czechoslovakia could have survived was if the Czechs withdrew their insistence on shock-therapy economics" (Glenny 1993)
Educational Provision
The education provision in Slovakia is split between nursery, primary and secondary education. Children remain in primary education between 6 and 15 years of age. Secondary schools cover the ages 15-19 years and are split between Grammar schools for the more educationally gifted, and Secondary Vocational schools that incorporate some forms of training such as becoming a teaching assistant for work in a primary school, from which more formal qualification can develop. Teacher training in High Schools and Universities lasts for 4/5 years with specialised training in specific fields, such as for the deaf or the blind taking up to an additional two years in the form of "on the job training." However, because salaries of teachers in special education are not particularly high many teachers prefer to take "better jobs" such as becoming a sales manager. Many regional special schools are forced to employ non-specialist staff, because of the lack of trained teachers. This situation is rather better in the larger towns. (Erdely 1994)
Special Education Provision
It is in this context of a re-emerging nation that a fledgling special education system is growing in Slovakia. For over forty years there had been no real interest in building a solid educational system for children with special educational needs. The basic system was, and tends to continue to be, upon the separateness of children and young people. The new Slovak government is only now beginning to realise that appropriate education for children with special needs equates with independence and social rights for all citizens, including those with health disabilities. The economics of education, eventually saving government's the costs of long-term social care, is beginning to be understood. Change has also come about through both the Czech and the Slovak republics becoming signatories of the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1991 and the Salamanca Statement (UNESCO 1994). Both declarations have helped to focus on the purpose, regulations and organisation of education for disabled children within the national educational system
From my own observation the present educational system still tends to perpetuate the onus of alleviating medical rather than educational need. The responsibility for administration and organisation of special education is shared between three Ministries: Education, Health and Social Welfare, Work and the Family. The co-operation between these three ministries "does not work very well" (Erdely 1994). Special education in Slovakia is co-ordinated and overseen by 47 regional school offices across the country, where it has to compete with a range of priorities and other regional and local needs.
Curriculum
The Special Education system and the curriculum is based on the regular school curriculum, but with adaptation to meet individual need and depending on the severity of special need. Thus, for mentally handicapped children the content of the curriculum has been reduced and simplified, for hearing impaired children it has been simplified and for the physically impaired no changes have been made. From my own observation this curricular adaptation has resulted in the perpetuation of special schools, staffed by well qualified and dedicated staff, working with the belief that this is the most appropriate environment for the education of children considered to be different. This has inevitably resulted in the separation of disabled children from "normal" society and concentrated special education in a few special school centres, which often tend to be residential in nature.
The assessment and identification of a child's special needs is usually provided by a medical paediatrician from within the Health Service. It has been noted that in the first few months after birth, parents may identify a problem or concern and the paediatrician and/or special physician, simply confirms this. Later, when the child is of pre-school or school age he/she can be given psychological and/or other forms of assessment for recommendation to placement within special education. The problem of admission into special education is compounded by separation. Special schools are not localised but tend to be in larger towns and cities where accommodation maybe hard to obtain. In such circumstances, parents are sometimes forced to board their child, often from a very early age.
The costs of special education are significant, e.g. travelling costs for the parent or the child, accommodation fees and this has contributed to a growing interest on the part of parents for integrating children with special needs into regular local schools. This has led to the development of a three-prong strategy for the creation of the basic conditions for the transition of special educational provision to mainstream school:
Services to the improvement in the special education curriculum is often dependent upon the strength and will of parents. All children receive basic medical care, through health insurance. However, this will not cover sophisticated educational aids, (such as advanced radio hearing aids) and the Ministry of Work, Social Affairs and the Family, will only provide funds "for such compensatory aids that are not covered by the system of health insurance." (Repkova undated). There is no additional system of support for either the child or the teacher in schools that are attempting to integrate pupils into regular schools.
The Present Situation
Forms of Education of Children with SEN in Slovakia 1997-1998
| School Types | No of Children | Date of legislation | |
| Special State Schools | NS PS, SS SVS, GM VS PS |
1,749 22,129 313 3,770 1,019 |
Ministry of Education 212/1991 |
| Integrated Classes in mainstream schools for "social integration" | NS PS, SS SVS, GM VS SUS |
375 2,399 - - 5 |
143/1984 for Primary Schools 80/1991 for Secondary Schools |
| Private Schools | 30 | 29/1984 | |
| Church Schools | 212 | 29/1984 | |
| 'Individual Integration' in mainstream schools | NS PS SSch |
809 3,108 414 |
143/1984 for Primary Schools 353/1994 for Nursery and Secondary Schools |
| NS | Nursery School |
| PS | Primary School |
| SS | Special Schools for children with learning difficulties |
| SVS | Secondary Vocational School with maturity |
| GM | Grammar School |
| VS | Vocational School |
| SUS | Substitute School |
| SSch | Secondary School (Lehocka, 1999) |
The Ormskirk-Lucenec Project: A Case Study
The Pedagogicka a Socialna Akademia (Vocational Secondary School) in Lucenec, is the first secondary school in Slovakia, outside the capital city Bratislava, to attempt any form of integration of hearing impaired students. Each year group contains three classes, two of which teach in Slovak and the third in Hungarian. The purpose of the project is to help to develop strategies for inclusive education and learning support for pupils with hearing impairments in both Slovakia and the UK.
The project supported by the British Council, has the following objectives:
From observations of the school in Lucenec, it is evident that despite lack of finance and sophisticated equipment, with students relying on lip reading, there is a good deal that can be learned from the relatively formal teaching and learning styles adopted in Slovakia. A typical integrated class contains 25 pupils. In this school 90% of the pupils are girls. It is interesting to note that boys are encouraged to study for attendance at grammar school.
By way of example, on our initial visit to Slovakia we attended a Psychology lesson. The students were aged 17 and 18 years old, sitting in 5 rows, studying for a final exam in two months time. Four of the students were deaf and they were seated at the front of the class in order for them to receive 1:1 tuition and explanation from the class teacher. Two of the students were from Lucenec, the other two were weekly borders whose homes were in Northern Slovakia.
The lesson content for the session was focussed on "causes of Mental Illness in modern society". The experienced teacher used the first 10 minutes of the lesson to revise previously learned skills and the children were separated into three groups to cover the work set out on a chalk board. Issues discussed were alcoholism, family troubles and the break down of strict family relations. All the class teaching is provided by the teacher, with no support from either equipment or additional personnel. The management of the class is resolved by setting the majority of the class additional group work or revision of work already covered, whilst the class teacher takes the group of deaf students for extra work. Homework is always given out at the end of each lesson.
In another class for the development of communication skills with deaf students, of which there are three lessons a week, one of the students was fulfilling some of the role of a learning support facilitator. This unconscious help and guidance emerged as a feature of the room layout and the seating arrangements.
In this situation, as students discussed an article on the work of a lawyer; while the class teacher worked with some specific language remediation of individuals, one of the students, Roman was encouraged to facilitate group discussion. The students all used signing in their group discussions. The aim of the lesson was to create situations which deliberately makes the students "teachers" doing work normally carried out by the teacher. The class teacher prompts and helps them to do this. The larger proportion of the class are taking music or foreign language classes while deaf students are practising their communication skills.
The deaf students in Lucenec all have aspirations to eventually work in Slovak primary schools as assistants or if sufficiently well qualified as teachers.
As our partnership has advanced the work for developing inclusive provision has become better suited to Slovak circumstances. A programme for the development of support in mainstream classrooms has been approved and is due to be put into operation from the beginning of 2001. This course will set out to develop classroom practice and fundamental understandings of the practical needs of students with hearing impairments and is to be an accredited qualification in association with the Slovak government and Presov University.
The Way Forward:
The special education system in Slovakia is geared to meet the assessment needs of disabled children's specific impairments. However, the educational needs of individuals are still not recognised as the responsibility of ordinary class teachers. But, the new political climate under the guidance of the pro European and newly elected President Schuster, who has succeeded Meciar, has brought fresh opportunities. The preparation of teachers for teaching formerly segregated children in integrated classrooms is beginning. The country is opening to new ideas about approaches to teaching and learning and the preparation of Learning Facilitators is one way of bridging the divide between students, teachers and the learning situation. This project is a demonstration of one way of moving towards this goal. The final report is due in 2001. There will also be an invitation seminar June 25th-26th 2001 in Lucenec, co-hosted by the British Council Edge Hill College and the PASa Lucenec when the project outcomes and their implications for Slovak teachers will be discussed..
References:
Erdely, R. (1994) Special Education in Slovakia, University of Bratislava, (private communication)
Glenny, M. (1993) The Rebirth of History: Eastern Europe in the Age of Democracy, (2nd Edition), London, Penguin
Johnstone, D. & Warwick, C. (1999) Community solutions to inclusion: Some observations on practice in Europe and the United Kingdom. British Journal of Learning Support, 14, 1, 8-12
Lehocka, M. (1999) Project Report for Lucenec/Ormskirk exchange, Academia Pedagogicka socialna, Lucenec
Repkova, K. (undated) Citizens with Disability in the Process of Integration, Bratislava,
UNESCO (1994) The Salamanca Statement and Framework on Special Educational Needs, Paris, UNESCO
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