1 Ideals and realities of the inclusion policies: the case of disabled children in a Nordic country Jan Tøssebro NTNU Protecting and promoting the rights of persons with disabilities in Europe European Council, Strasbourg, October 29-30, 2008

2 Inclusion and human rights The Child Convention The Standard Rules The Salamanca Declaration The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Two issues related to the human rights of disabled children: –Growing up at home/ in a family setting –Inclusive education

3 Inclusion or desegregation: The critique of institutions and special schools They makes the problem worse –The labelling critique –The psycho-social effects Unacceptable living conditions –The level of living/ living conditions –Separate is not equal Lessons from international research –The study of effects –The study of implementation and ideal-reality gaps

4 The new public-family division of labour: Growing up in the family – a basic pillar since the 1960s Preferred alternative: foster homes Public responsibility for: –Day services (nurseries, schooling) –Economic support –Practical support (respite care, technichal aids, etc) –Habilitation, special education, health services Problems –Access to services –Coordination between services Families appear like most other families with children

5 Pupils in segregated schools/classes in 14 European countries Per cent. Source: Vislie 2003

6 Special education regimes (Mejier et al 1994) One track system –Most pupils in mainstream education –Examples: Italy, Sweden, Norway, Spain Two track system –Moderate no. of students classified as in need of special education services –Nearly all “classified” children are segregated –Examples: Netherlands, Belgium, Germany Multi-track system –A range of options –Many children classified as in need of services –Most “classified” children in regular schools, some in special units –Examples: Denmark, USA

7 Norwegian experiences – nursery schools Admittance practice: –All are admitted; queuing or mandatory? Type of service/segregation: –12 % in special units –Variation in placement policy Type of disability (children with multiple disabilities) Size of municipality (more segregation in large cities) Social participation –Rejection uncommon but situated interaction breakdown frequent; Special education –Non inclusive special education practices –Appeals and complaints Parental satisfaction and support

8 Norwegian experiences – primary schools Education for all –Compulsory for 10 years –Individual right for 13 years –A right to special education and individually adapted education Type of school –Large majority of disabled children included, but some exceptions: Hearing impaired children Intellectually disabled children/ children with multiple disabilities Segregation linked to age and size of municipality –Physical disability – the problem of accessibility

9 Segregation of intellectually disabled children by age/grade. Percent. Source: Tøssebro 2003

10 Recent developments The growth of a new adaptation to ideal-reality gaps: –Fewer children are moved to special units as they grow older –More ”included” children are taken out of class –The move to special units as one grows older is replaced by out-of-class teaching – part-time segregation, appendix to a regular class Interpretation: Practical adaptations to the tension between the ideology of inclusion and traditional teaching and special education practices –Special education as safety valve

11 The problem of inclusion Exhibition of deviance No mum, please, give me at least a try The challenge may in particular be the relation between special and regular education, that the practice of special education should support rather than contradict the inclusion ideology