Compatibility of policy and practice – a necessary condition for developing inclusive education system

Teresa Aidukienė Chief specialist of Preschool and Primary Education Division Department of General and Vocational Education Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Lithuania Šiauliai, 2010-10-28

Alice: Which way should I go?

A cat: That depends on where you are going.

Alice: I don’t know where I’m going!

A cat: Then it doesn’t matter which way you go! (Lewis Carroll, “Through the looking Glass”, 1872)

Convention on the rights of Persons with Disabilities (2006)

„

States are to ensure equal access to primary and secondary education, vocational training, adult education and lifelong learning. Education is to employ the appropriate materials, techniques and forms of communication. Pupils with support needs are to receive support measures

(art. 24)

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Promoting an inclusive approach in education policy (1)

1. The Education Reform Act of June 25, 1991, consolidated democratic principles of education in the country. Children with severe and profound dysfunctions become educable

2. The Law on the Social Integration of the Disabled

(1991). The disabled have the right to work, study and train, that, regardless of the cause, character and degree of their disability they shall be entitled to the same rights as other residents of the Republic of Lithuania.

3. Lithuania’s first post-communist Constitution

(1992) affirms the determination of the Lithuanian nation to strive for open, just and harmonious democratic society. It claims that every child must attend

compulsory education until 16 years of age.

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Promoting an inclusive approach in education policy (2)

4. The Act of Special Educational Provision for

Children with Special Educational Needs in

Mainstream Educational Institutions (1993) is the first basis in legislation for integrated education of children with SEN. Pupils with SEN can attend: - mainstream group or class, following the mainstream curriculum, but with special methods applied or following a modified mainstream curriculum or an alternative curriculum or IEP - partly in a mainstream group or class, partly in a special group or class; - at a special group or class It also mandates the parent’s formal right to choose the educational institution

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Promoting an inclusive approach in education policy (3)

5. The Law on Special Education (1998)

structure of the system of special education as well as administration and management education of persons with SEN. establishes the Basic definitions of the Law defines that

“Persons with SEN are children and adults, who because of congenital or acquired impairments have limited opportunities of participating in the educational process

and social life” It increases state responsibility for providing a free and appropriate education for all children and youngsters (age range 0–21 year) with SEN in

the least restrictive environment

, providing all needed supplementary aids and services. The Law regulates provision of educational assistive technology and training appliances.

6. The Republic of Lithuania Law on the Amendment of the Law on Education (1998)

“Upon the consent of parents (or guardians of the child), and taking into consideration requests of a child or pupil, the latter shall be referred for special education by the

(and) a pedagogical psychological agency.." Special education commission of an educational institution or

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Promoting an inclusive approach in education policy (4)

7. The Republic of Lithuania Law on Education (2003) Art.15 Special needs education

1.

Special needs education can be provided by any school that offer compulsory or comprehensive education and other educational providers and in sometimes - special schools Art. 22 Special pedagogical and special assistance

2. Special pedagogical assistance for a SEN person till 21 year age is provided by Pedagogical psychological services, special needs teachers at schools.

3. Special assistance is provided to a person who needs it. According to Law on Special Education assistive devices, teacher assistants etc have to be provided to SEN person according to his/her educational needs

Promoting an inclusive approach in education policy (5)

7. The Republic of Lithuania Law on Education (2003)

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Art.34 Accessibility of education to SEN persons

Upon the consent of parents (or guardians of the child) he/she can be taught at mainstream class, special class, attend a school that offers special education programme. Child's assessment and evaluation of his/her SEN is done by School's Special Needs Education Commission or pedagogical psychological service. Educational programmes and/or education institution is recommended.

School environment has to be adapted to a SEN person's needs; psychological, special pedagogical, special assistance and assistive devices and special educational material have to be provided.

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Promoting an inclusive approach in education policy (6)

8. The Republic of Lithuania Law on the Amendment of the Law on Education (draft) (2010)

 The statements of the Republic of Lithuania Law on Special Education (1998) were integrated into the draft  Art. 2 Definition of special educational needs is different: „ Special educational needs – a need for assistance and services in education process that occurs due to being exceptionally gifted, having congenital or acquired disorders or disadvatages in person’s surrounding“ Persons with SEN have to be re taught according to the same curriculum taking in to account their individual educational needs

Promoting an inclusive approach in education policy (7)

Art. 7 Preschool education has to be provided from the birth of a child

;

Art. 7 For a family whose child stays at home educational support, social and health services have to be provided in complexity Art. 67 str. Possibility to introduse a pre schooler’s back pack

(from 2011)

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Promoting an inclusive approach in education policy (8)

The state educational strategy for the years 2003-2012 and the programme of its implementation

To implement ideas of "A School for All" into a real Lithuanian school practice To ensure accessibility of all school types introducing formal and non-formal educational programmes to learners with SEN and provide an opportunity to them to learn at environment that meets their needs To make municipalities become founders of all special schools.

To gradually decrease the number of special schools and along with this to facilitate creating resource centres: the most advanced special (boarding) schools to be reorganised into resource centres, more services have to be provided by school founders

Promoting an inclusive approach in education policy (9)

Creating a school support system The 3-level Model of Special Pedagogical and Psychological Assistance

The 1st level: A School level: detection, assessment, provision. Initial detection of a student’s problem: a teacher’s and the School Special Needs Education Commission’s responsibility The 2nd level: A local Pedagogical Psychological Service: assessment and evaluation, recommendations for further education and provision The 3rd level: National Centre for Special Needs Education and Psychology by school founders

Educating students with SEN: analysis of the situation (1)

Percentage of pupils with SEN in special schools out of all students' body (2009/2010) (Data of the school year 1999/2000) 1% (~1%) 99% (~99%)

Educating students with SEN: analysis of the situation (2)

Percentage of SEN pupils out of all pupils (2009/2010) (Data of the school year 1999/2000) 11% (8,5%) 89% (91,5%)

Educating students with SEN: analysis of the situation (3)

SEN pupils are educated (2009/2010) (Data of the school year 1999/2000) Special classes 1,4% (4%) Special schools 9,6% (14%) Mainstream classes 89,0% (82%)

The main challenges ahead (1)

To improve quality of assessment and evaluation and availability of pedagogical and psychological assistance

To improve legislation and procedures regarding assessment and evaluation. There is the secondary legislation act (draft) on

classification of SEN that is based on OECD classification 3D: disability, disorder, disadvantage (2010)

  To further improve the system of financing of the education system: in the year 2010 plus ~30 % were allocated to the funding of the so-called "back-packs" for each pupil with SEN in a mainstream setting. Some funding from these "back packs" might go to funding of local PPS, teacher assistants, additional pedagogical and psychological assistance, text books etc. Liberating schools’ posibilities to use funding in accordance of their needs   To improve the system of provision of special educational material (SEM) and ICT according to the Model of Provision of SEM To improve ECI

Measures for improving conditions for educating students with SEN

- Student’s back pack with SEN in mainstream setting : plus 20 persent (2006), plus 33 (2007), 35,6 (2009), ~30 (2010) - Divisions at the national centres for special educational materials and consultancy (Adapted textbooks from 2005, materials for the deaf, blind, national exibitions “Educational materials for All” ) - Recommendations for adapting general curricullum for pupils with SEN training courses for teachers - Compulsory training program for mainstream teachers (2006) - Training program for vocational training teachers and teacher assistants(2007) - SF project Infrastructure of PPSs) - SF project Prevention of drop outs. Investment into teacher and school support staff qualification - Establishing 500 new staff units (3 mln Lt in 2006-2008) - Funding for assistive devices (200 hundr. Lt for Link-it, 500 hundr. for the blind) - Regulations for children in age of 7 and (agreements between parents, a kindergarten and a school)

The main challenges ahead (1)

To improve quality of assessment and evaluation and availability of pedagogical and psychological assistance

To improve legislation and procedures regarding assessment and evaluation. There is the secondary legislation act (draft) on

classification of SEN that is based on OECD classification 3D: disability, disorder, disadvantage (2010)

  To further improve the system of financing of the education system To further liberate schools’ possibilities to use funding in accordance of their needs   To improve the system of provision of special educational material (SEM) and ICT according to the Model of Provision of SEM To improve cooperation with other sectors and ECI

The main challenges ahead (2)

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Implementation of national programme „School development programme plus“ for the period of 2007-2013 (projects funded by EU SF and MoED)

Prevention of drop-outs Developing a network of PPSs, modernizing of working places of pupils and teachers support staff Preparation of Special educational material Developing student’s support system’s quality and effectiveness Reorganization of 5 special schools into resource centres Developing educational possibilities for SEN students Creating of services for persons with SEN in municipalities Promoting of availability of psychological assistance Teachers’ and special needs specialists’ competencies to use ICT And Model for promoting availability of preschool education for children from birth till school start

The main challenges ahead (3)

    To ensure that each graduate teacher has necessary knowledge for dealing with diverse student body including pupils with SEN To further develop the In-service Teacher Training system so that teachers can have an access to a bigger variety of programs regarding inclusive education To take an active part in activities of the European Agency for Development in Special Needs Education and to further promote international cooperation To improve a cooperation with other ministries and stakeholders to insure equity, equality and availability of education

Investment and a feedback

Investavimo į žmogiškąjį kapitalą veiksmingumas skirtingame amžiuje Mokymasis dirbant Mokyklinis 4-5 m.

0-3 m.

0 20 40 60 80 Investavimo į žmogiškąjį kapitalą grąža 100

Šaltinis: Škotijos Vyriausybė, 2010

Looking at education through an inclusive lens implies a shift from seeing the child as the problem to seeing the education system as the problem“

(The 48th International Conference on Education on Inclusive Education: the Way of the Future, 2008, Policy Guidelines on Inclusive Education(2008) The best way to cope with change is to help to create it….