Education Council: 'Step by step make education more inclusive'
In the future, schools must all be ready for pupils or students with a disability. Step by step, education must become more inclusive. A national standard of support is required for this and school boards will have to bring regular and special education closer together.
Picture: Education council
The Education Council is recommending this to Education Minister Arie Slob today the report*You can find the report of the Education Council via this link. Increasingly inclusive. With the report, the council is setting a new dot on the horizon, thick one month after the final evaluation appropriate education.
Participate
In inclusive education, all schools must provide support to students with disabilities. This goes further than appropriate education in which the degree of support differs per school. Nowadays, students who need extra support often still have to travel. Inclusive education should ensure that students with disabilities can better participate in society.
Inclusive education must ensure that students with a disability can better participate in society
In the foreword, Edith Hooge, chairman of the Education Council, writes that she realizes that this is not the right time - in the middle of the corona crisis - to think about this advice. Nevertheless, Hooge sent it to the minister because 'the importance of a good perspective for pupils and students with a disability is important'. When the crisis is over, we can think about this.
Advices
Measures are needed to achieve more inclusive education and the Council is making the first move. For example, the duty of care in primary and secondary education should be expanded, the researchers advise. At the moment, this duty of care does not ensure that support is possible at all schools. There should be a national standard for light support that all schools must offer. Scientists need to look into this. There should also be a duty of care in secondary vocational education. There is now a right of admission - which ensures that students are always admitted to the study program of their choice - but that does not go far enough for the Council.
School boards and partnerships must also ensure that special and regular education come closer together, for example by merging them in one location. This can create 'hybrid forms' and knowledge can be shared. For pupils and students who need support, it ensures that they can take lessons together with regular pupils in a place nearby.
AObchair Eugenie Stolk: 'First get the basics in order and look at the here and now'
Teacher training courses should also pay attention to teaching students with disabilities in their curriculum. Now these are often minors or specializations that students can choose. The council wants this to be given a permanent place in the curriculum so that teaching staff is better equipped. Finally, funding must be adjusted for inclusive education and the Education Inspectorate must check whether schools comply with their duty of care and report on this.
Here and now
In the new Education magazine of July AObchairman Eugenie Stolk is in favor of putting the foundation in order first. “Make sure that teachers are facilitated and better able to do their work well. That's difficult enough in a time of teacher shortages. ” These shortages exacerbate the problems surrounding appropriate education. “Supporters who would otherwise provide extra guidance are now extinguishing fires at school and there is hardly any time for professionalisation. I say: Look at the here and now. ”
Download here the stake of AOb for the evaluation of appropriate education.
