Number of special education students is increasing strongly
For the first time, more pupils are going to special education than before the introduction of appropriate education in 2014. This amendment to the law was intended to ensure that pupils attend a regular school as much as possible.
Picture: Type tank
Special education and secondary education declined after the introduction of appropriate education, but has been growing for years now. Special education (SO) now has 33.608 pupils at 318 schools and VSO 37.998 pupils at 335 schools. In the 2013/2014 school year, there were 31.800 and 39.300 students respectively. This is apparent from the relevant education reports of the Inspectorate.
This is the first time that there are more pupils in special education than before the introduction of appropriate education in 2014, the Inspectorate notes. The VSO is still below that, but is showing an upward trend. The Inspectorate is conducting further research into the cause of the growth, but the fact is that this mainly occurs in clusters 3 and 4 and that pupils with extra support needs drop out 'significantly more often' in regular education.
Too many schools are not accessible to students with a physical disability
Inaccessible
The number of (V)SO pupils entering regular education during or at the end of their training also continues to fall. In addition, according to the Inspectorate, too many schools are still not accessible to students with a physical disability and the vast majority of schools lack spaces for medical care or for students who want to withdraw for a while. The Inspectorate calls all this 'worrying in the light of the development towards more inclusive education'.
Objective
Because inclusive education is what Minister Dennis Wiersma (VVD) and the House have in mind within fifteen years. The ambition goes further than appropriate education, although the difference is nowhere clearly defined. Eight years after its introduction, there are still many questions about the effect of appropriate education.
The evaluation in 2020 shows that it is impossible to determine whether support for pupils has improved and whether the money is actually going to the right place. There is not even evidence that the number of pupils with extra support needs in mainstream schools has increased. On the other hand, the number of people sitting at home has increased, as has the number of pupils in secondary and secondary education. The Minister wants to speed up the improvement approach and hopes to present a 'roadmap' to inclusive education by the end of this year.
Basics in order
De AOb fears that the improvement approach will not change anything substantial in the classroom and does not think the minister's inclusion ambition is realistic. “Due to the shortages and high work pressure, teachers are in survival mode,” says AOb- director Thijs Roovers. “First the basics must be in order: smaller classes, sufficiently qualified colleagues, extra hands in the classroom and expertise at school level. The minister completely ignores the problems and concerns of the teachers, while he will never achieve that ambition without support.”
This post is an abridged version of the article 'Inclusive education seems further away than ever' published in the July Education Magazine. Members receive the magazine in the mail every month.
CHECK ALL THE BENEFITS OF MEMBERSHIP
