Cooperation with child welfare units Finland case 2 Erasmus+ Raising Aspirations for Social Inclusion

Support in basic education in Finland Support for growth, learning and school attendance is shaped into three categories: general support for everybody intensified support special support Intensified and special supports are based on careful assessment and long-span planning in multi-professional teams and on individual learning plans for pupils.

Intensive special education endorsement VETURI research project (2011-2015) funded by Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture for students with severe Special Education Needs (SEN) that require co-operation of field professionals for ensuring the quality of learning, teaching, and rehabilitation focus was on students who have severe mental health problems, emotional disabilities, physical disabilities, developmental or intellectual disabilities, or Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD)

Challenges in a class room Students of three different grades (7th – 9th) are situated into the same group with one teacher + one school aid. a lot of independence studying, which the students are not capable of The sending municipality is responsible for the financing. Who/what determines the costs and the amount of personnel? How many students can be in one group? How do the resources differ from the special support resources?

Motivation Students might have an open referral to the youth psychiatric polyclinic, but they are not motivated to accept the treatment/therapy and, therefore, not motivated to study. School just have to cope with that. What could be the solution?

Motivation Students want to domiciliate from the welfare unit. After the negative result of the negotiations they collapse. Students without parents/guardians don’t have any plans for they future. They don’t have a place to go after turning 18.  They don’t see any point in studying or acting according to the norms of society. They fall into hopelessness.

You can’t have sick leave from compulsory education When a student shows severe psychic/mental symptoms  Who estimates the ability to attend school and to learn? A doctor or a school? It has to be agreed that if the student is not studying, he will not attend school. How to organize the teaching for the institutionalized youngsters or for those who don’t adjust to the school rules?

Support for the teacher Where does the teacher get support when the system is not working? There is a danger of falling into sympathy exhaustion. Can this work be done without the fear of exhaustion?