Transcript - Strategy and challenges of inclusion 2014 Denmark
The case of Denmark:
Inclusive efforts at a crossroad
(Opportunities, pitfalls, dilemmas) 2014 Susan Tetler, Professor Department of Education, Aarhus University [email protected]
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Victoria State
Area: 237,629 km² Population: 5,821,300 --------------------------------
Denmark
Area: 43,098 km² Population: 5,655,750
The Danish Folkeskole
Consists of one pre-school year, nine years of primary and lower secondary education and an optional one year (10th grade)
Is regulated by the Folkeskole Act, which provides the overall framework for the schools’ activities
Municipal councils determine the content of the given municipality’s school policy within the scope of the Folkeskole Act.
The principal has the overall educational and administrative responsibility for the form and content
The Folkeskole in Figures
98 municipalities
1.605 municipal schools
595.573 students
28.591 classes
The average number of students per class is 19.6
The teacher/student ratio is 1:10.7
50.972 teachers, of which 67 % are women
and 47 % are below 45 years
59.869 bilingual students
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The Danish situation … in more numbers An eye opener in 2010
84,000 students were assigned to special education.
Of which approximately 33,000 (i.e. 5.6% of the students population) were placed in separate settings such as special classes and special schools.
30 % of all economical ressources for the Folkeskole was spent on special education
Among other things, it caused a drop-out/completion problem when it comes to young people achieving a vocational/higher education.
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Political background 1
New legislation on Inclusive Education (2012)
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The primary and lower secondary schools are to be more inclusive.
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Students with special needs are students with needs more than 9 lessons weekly.
The General Municipal Agreement for 2013
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Strengthen the continued shift towards inclusion
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96 % of all students is to be included in 2015
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The proportion of students who achieve the grades 2 or less in Danish and Math is to be reduced in 2015 and more towards 2018
The well-being of the students is to be maintained.
Political background 2
(struggle for improving the public school)
Political agreement on an reform of standards in the schools 2014
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The public school must challenge all students to reach their full potential
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The public school must lower the significance of social background on academic results
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Trust in the school and students’ well-being must be enhanced through respect for professional knowledge and practice in the public school.
School reform initiatives (1)
1.
A longer and more varied school day (30 – 35 hours weekly) 2.
Assisted learning (flexible and differentiated learning techniques etc. 3.
More PE (physical exercise) and activity (45 minutes per day) 4.
Homework assistance (cafés) 5.
Better teaching (clarification and simplification of Common Objectives = few and clear objectives for the Folkeskole; goal-oriented teaching) 6.
More lessons in Danish and Math 7.
Strengthening of foreign languages (English from year 1; German and French from year 5, made compulsory; Spanish from year 7, elective).
8.
New subjects: Crafts and design – and Nutrition knowledge
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School reform initiatives (2)
1.
The open school (closer work with local sports clubs, cultural centres and other associations) 2.
Improved transition to higher education (elective subjects) 3.
Competency development (among teachers and pedagogues) 4.
Better learning environment and quietness in class (classroom leadership, students’ general well-being, reationships) 5.
Learning consultants (a national corps) 6.
Stronger parental influence and increased student participation 7.
Simplification of rules
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Inclusion still on the top of the school agenda
Schools are now expected to provide education that ensures good learning outcomes for all students while fostering social and educational inclusion.
Today, inclusion is no longer just a matter of international declarations (value and ideology), but also a matter of expectation and policy - and so primarily a matter of implementation at scale.
This change forces municipalities and schools to work systematically to build the necessary capacity to implement this national strategy. However, the large number of students who are marginalized clearly indicates that the existing knowledge-base about, and experiences with, development of inclusive practices has limited impact and sustainability in the long run.
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Challenges of inclusion (1)
(from the political point of view)
A culture of high segregation
A negative story – resistance to the strategy of inclusion and ”budget cutting”
A concern on the consequences of inclusion
A need of easy useable knowledge and methods - and good examples
How should the ‘quality’ of inclusive settings be judged?
The real challenge (2)
(from my point of view)
Are the efforts in inclusive settings been reduced to a matter of physical placement, depending on the student’s adaptability to the more or less standardised norms of the mainstream school? OR
Are the efforts characterized by flexibility and comprehensiveness, allowing students with disabilities to be involved as active participants on their own terms?
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The challenge of implementation (3)
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Systemic consensus and co-operation
The national level (Resource Center; Task forces; Campaigns) The municipal level (Plans for implementation and evaluation)
The school level (Creation of a differentiated and inclusive school culture and choice of strategies; school resource center)
The classroom level (Construction of an inclusive pedagogical and curricular understanding of learning processes)
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All co-actors are involved and share the responsibility
National and local politicians
School administrators and head teachers
Teachers, students and parents
Researchers
Interest organizations and trade unions
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Govermental support
Framework for school
(legislation; reform initiatives)
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National Ressource Centre for Inclusion and Special Education
(collect existing, develop new, dissemiate knowledge) Knowledge about ’what works’ (practice and knowledge panel; knowledge networks (universities and university colleges; doctoral students); (providing an overview of available knowledge, disseminating this to practitioners and developing new research based knowledge about inclusive processes in practice) Implementation counselling) (task force of learning consultants; nationwide Support and advocacy (co-actors/information campaigns; The National Association of Schoolparents and The Danish Disability Council; Disabled Peoples Organisations Denmark) Joint communication strategy and website
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Selected ongoing and future research
The municipalities’ efforts of inclusion Development of coping strategies (for students) Program about students’ inclusion and development (based on a panel of students’ voices (8000 students) Students’ roles in the inclusive learning communities Differentiated teaching strategies and implementation The quality of instruction and teaching in special schools Students’ support to one another – outside the lessons Inclusion in school subjects as science, music etc.
Collaboration between special schools and regular schools Evaluation strategies of municipality-based projects about inclusion
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Preparedness at the institutional level
An inclusive school culture (values)
Changed perceptions of 'children‘s difficulties'
Differentiation as a culture … not as a method
Awareness of resources / potentials and possible contributions
Schools' leadership of inclusive processes (strategies)
Diversity of skills and competencies … in play
Knowledge sharing and collaboration
A common understanding of concepts / shared language Prioritized choice of strategies and methods
'Resource Centre' as a distributor of knowledge
Wide range of (special) educational and teaching skills
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Crucial points
The student in his/her context/learning situation
Systemic thinking levels – inclusion preparedness at all
Problem identifying and problem solving as a double loop learning process
A wide range of strategies, methods and tools
Student involvement and engagement
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Which way to go?
Opportunities and pitfalls
Transferring more children to mainstream schools
Political decision
Cuts and savings
’It will work … all by itself’
Evidence-based methods
A reform of special education
Systemic work in a multi-year perspective
Project of co-operation and collaboration
Professional development resources
Capacity and competence building
Focus on both value and method development Common concern and therefore a reform of the Danish school