Experience of Transforming Educational Provision of Children with Special Educational Needs in Centr

1
Experience of Transforming Educational Provision
of Children with Special Educational Needs in
Central European Countries

• Prof. Dr. Yvonne Csányi
• ELTE University
• Bárczi Faculty of Special Education
• Budapest, Hungary
• 2006

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Students withSpecial Educational Needs (SEN)

• From deficits within the children
• ?
• to education that supports the children
• Those with special educational needs are
  defined by being provided with additional
  resources to support their access to the
  curriculum.

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Additional Resources

• Personnel resources
• - more
  favourable teacher/student ratio,
• - additional teachers,
  assist ants,
• - training
  programmes for teachers
• Material resources
• - aids, equipments
• - barrier free schools
• - specialized teaching
  materials

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THE PAST

• Regular and special education
• as two separate systems
• Segregation
• Knowledge, facilites, expertis
• concentrated in special (boarding) schools.

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From Segregation to Integration

• Driving forces - internationally
• Normalization
• Equal civic rights
• Antipsychiatric movement
• Evaluation of special schools results
• Integration projects
• Parents movements
• Early intervention
• The influence of the European Union

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THE PRESENCE AND THE FUTURE

• One system with different alternatives
• Special school
• Local integration
• Social integration
• Functional integration
• part time or full
  time
• Reversed integration
• 
  /Spontaneous integration/

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INTEGRATION ? INCLUSION (assimilation)
(accomodation)

• Traditional methods
• Organisation whole class teaching
• Achievement orientation
• Problem within the child
• Special teacher should cope with all problems
• The class teacher is the
• only accepting person

• New methods individualiza-tion, differentiation
• New structures groups, pairs, co-operative
  learning
• Development of abilities
• Problem in the environment
• The responsibilities are shared with the teachers
• Changed school policy (whole staff)

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The UN Standard Rules on the Equalisation of
Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities (1993)

• Countries should recognise the principle of equal
  primary, secondary and tertiary educational
  opportunities for children, youth and adults with
  disabilities in integrated settings.
• Special attention should be given to very young
  and pre-school disabled children.
• In order to implement inclusive education states
  should allow for a flexible curriculum as well as
  additions and adaptations, on-going teacher
  training and support of teachers, provide quality
  materials.
• Communities should develop local resources to
  provide this education.

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UNESCOS 1994 Salamanca StatementCall upon all
Governments to..

• give the highest policy and budgetary priority to
  improve
• education services so that all children could
  be included, regardless of differences or
  difficulties.
• adopt as a matter of law the principle of
  inclusive education and enrol all children in
  ordinary schools unless there are compelling
  reasons for doing otherwise.
• put greater effort into pre-school strategies as
  well as vocational strategies of inclusive
  education.
• ensure that both initial and in-service teacher
  training address the provision of inclusive
  education.

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OECDCERI (Centre of Educational Research and
Innovation)

• Research, projects serving reforms
• Constant comparison of statistical data
  (publications)
• National and cross-country indicators
• CERI SEN/DDD Committee (33 countries)
• The cross-country definition of SEN
• - students with disabilities
• - students with learning difficulties
• - disadvantaged students

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The European Agency for Development in Special
Needs Educationn

• 25 member countries (Cz, H, S. R., P. !)
• central topic inclusion
• Data gathering
• Dissemination (WEB, books, articles)
• Exchange program
• International conferences

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Percentage of SEN Students in Segregated
Settings (2000)
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Changes of the Law in Hungary

• First step 1978 - support for children with law
  vision
• From 1981 ungoing research projects
• 1991 Hungarian acceptance of the 1989 UN Decret
  of the Rights of Children
• 1993 Act on Public Education
• Students may attend special or regular
  schools
• 1998 Act on the Right of Persons with
  Disabilities
• 2002 Act on Equal Rights in Higher Education
• 2002 Roma integration programs
• 2003 Introduction of the concept of SEN
• 2006 Severe and multihandicapped students in
  spec. schools

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The starting points Czech Republic

• Segregation has a long tradition
• 1989 the start of integration policy (equal
  opportunities for disabled children)
• 1993 the right of children to education
• 1998 first official document on integration
• (National Plan of Providing Equal
  Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities)
• 2005 introduction of the concept of SEN

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The starting points Poland

• 1991 Act on School Education (special education
  as integral part of the school system)
• 1993 ordinance of the Minister of
• Education principles of integration
• 1999 reform of school education

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The Concept of SEN

• HUNGARY
• All types of disabilities
• CZECH REP.
• Disabilities - chronic illness - young
  delinquents
• POLAND
• Disabilities - chronic illness - drug addicts -
• deviant behaviour, social maladjustment

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THE ASSESSMENT PROCEDURE

• Psychological - educational advice committees
• The role of parents
• Revised assessment

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THE TYPES OF INTEGRATION

• Hungary
• Local - Social - Functional (full time)
• Inclusion rare
• Czech Rep., Slovak Rep., Poland
• Local - Functional (part time and full time)
• Reversed integration possible in all special
  schools (Czech Rep.)

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THE NUMBER OF FULL TIME INTEGRATED STUDENTS
20

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School types with integrated SEN students in
Hungary (2003/2004)
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Integration and additional resources in Hungary
(1)

• Increased capitation grants for children with
  disabilities, learning difficulty or social
  disadvantage following the child and not the
  school type
• Flexible class sizes (a SEN students equals 2 or
  3)
• Remedial teaching (10-50 of the total hours of
  teaching/week) provided by special teachers
• Correctional lessons by support or regular
  teacher
• Barrier free school buildings the latest by 2010
• Exemption from attending certain lessons, instead
  individual plan
• Exemption from formative assessment in certain
  subjects
• Written assessments instead of marks (until grade
  4)
• Individual progress max. until grade 4.

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Integration and additional resources in Hungary
(2)

• Exemption from formative assessment in certain
  subjects
• Modified examinations (duration, mode, use of
  equipment)
• The change of certain subjects at the final
  examination (secondary school)
• 15 additional capital grant for SEN students in
  higher education
• Remedial educational programs in vocational
  schools for students who have not completed the
  public school

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Integration and additional resources in the Czech
Rep.

• Capitation grants according to the school type
  (special class versus special school)
• Funding of fully integrated students is tied to
  the actual need and less than the amount in
  special schools
• Social disadvantage is not considered in funding
  -
• consequence additional resources available
  only in special schools

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Integration and additional resources

• The Slovak Rep. the normative formula
  varies according to the level of disability
• Poland
• - the grants are different according to the
  type of
• the disability
• - additional amount if the student has been
• integrated

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Curriculum (Hungary)

• One common curriculum
• The necessary shift
• from lexical knowledge
• to skills that are developed
• Guidelines for students with special needs

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The new challenge for special schools

• The special school as resource centre
• with a multifunctional offering
• - Teaching in a reduced number of special
  classes
• - Group of mobile teachers support service
• - Pool of special teaching materials and
  teaching
• aids
• - Information, guidance for parents
• - Courses for regular teachers
• - Early intervention

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The possible obstacles

• Integration policy is not part of the Education
  Act
• The dual system of regular and special education
• The traditional thinking of teachers and their
  prejudices
• School buildings are not barrier free
• Teacher training unprepared regular teachers
• Limited resources (support service !)
• Missing support teachers
• High class sizes
• Funds concentrating on special schools
• Curriculum
• Parents are not supportive
• The lack of early intervention

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CONCLUSIONS

• Clear policy statement on inclusion as part of
  the total educational system
• Pilot projects
• Mobilization of funds (capital grants following
  the students)
• Organization of support services
• Accessible curriculum
• Teacher training
• Discussions, planning
• Information (parents, society)