Item 7.5 (2012-ETS-16) – Statistics on Special Needs Education Presentation of the outcomes of the project on statistics on Special Needs Education and recommendations for further work in the field. Working Group - Education and Training Statistics, 05-06 June 2012, Luxembourg

Policy context at EU level Content Policy context at EU level The Eurostat SNE project: general presentation Final recommendations from the enquiry Data to be collected Timeliness Towards an SNE indicator

EU policy context May 2007 Council conclusions on a coherent framework of indicators and benchmarks: The Council invites the Commission, with regard to those indicators which can largely be based on existing data and whose definition still needs further clarification, to submit to the Council, for further consideration, information on the definition of (...) special needs education. May 2009 Council conclusions (2009/C 119/02) on a strategic framework for European cooperation in education and training (‘ET 2020’) Strategic objective 3: Promoting equity, social cohesion and active Educational disadvantage should be addressed (...) by promoting inclusive education. (…) including, where appropriate, through second-chance education and the provision of more personalised learning.   The Eurostat project challenge: identifying SNE population with a view of recommending an SNE indicator Initially planned to be launched in 2009, eventually launched in 2011

The Eurostat SNE project 3 phases: Assessment of existing statistical methodologies and data related to SNE. Assess priorities of EU Commission and EU Member states for SNE statistics. Proposal for data collection on SNE to be integrated in the UOE data collection (i.e. make this sub-population visible in the existing data collection where it is already covered). Aim: standardised and annual SNE data collection Suggestion and testing of relevant quantitative measurable indicators on the basis of the UOE data collection suggestions and the policy priorities indicated at EU level (this includes visits to 4 Member States + SNE enquiry launched in August 2011).

Final recommendations: data collection Type of settings Inclusive settings too problematic Segregated schools & segregated classes: OK SNE categories From OECD DDD taxonomy (D1=Disability; D2=Difficulty; D3=Disadvantage), D2 and D3 problematic D1: OK Gifted children collected by only 4 countries => not to be included ISCED level breakdown Difficulties in classifying the (special schools) programmes => ISCED 1 and 2 together, excluding ISCED 3 Summary Rows: gender, SNE category (1: Disability; 2: Difficulty/Disadvantage) Columns: type of settings (1: Special schools; 2: Special classes)

Final recommendations: towards an SNE indicator Countries’ suggestions in the enquiry Preference for analysing SNE sub-populations (i.e. by type of settings & SNE category) as a percentage of the whole population of students, instead of as a percentage of the whole SNE population An SNE indicator: minimalist option For data availability reasons (and therefore for international comparability purposes) : “segregation indicator” instead of “inclusive indicator”, i.e. Pupils with SNE in segregated settings / All students enrolled at ISCED 1-2

Final recommendations: general aspects SNE definition and guidelines Need for redefining the scope of SNE (additional resources-based definition) Need for clear guidelines for some specific cases regarding SNE classification (e.g. dyslexia) Timeliness Initially planned to be part of the UOE 2014 data collection BUT in the enquiry many countries expressed their concerns (ISCED 2011 implementation)

Questions adressed to the ETS Working Group Postpone the decision of the future of this project to next year OR Already decide NOT to go further In any case, no new request on SNE data in the revised UOE Regulation