Young Views on

Inclusive Education

Brussels 7 November 2011

 Vocational Education I

Audrey MESUREUR - Belgium (FR)

Stefanos MELAS - Cyprus

Dagur JÓHANNSSON - Iceland

Chiara BRIZZOLARI - Italy

Claudia BURATTINI - Italy

Yohana Angelica DEL PINTO - Italy

Artūras LAURYNAS - Lithuania

Melania GROTTI - Switzerland

Carlo ANDERHALDEN - Switzerland

Group 1

 In your opinion, what is inclusive education?

● Dagur: Inclusive education is about ending segregation and promoting participation in mainstream classrooms. It is about being together with our friends and belonging to the same community.

● Claudia: It is our right to get quality education that gives us better job opportunities and improves our life chances.

Can you describe how inclusion is achieved at a practical level in your school? For example, how the class is organised, what programmes are in place,

what type of support is in place etc.

Stefanos: Inclusive Education can be realised by changing the schools to ensure that general education integrates all students.

Dagur: Inclusive education can be more effective and efficient if we meet the requirements of individual students in the mainstream classroom. It is about participation in society, from kindergarten to adulthood.

 In your opinion, what are the main benefits and challenges that inclusion brings or could bring to

your education?● Claudia:

One benefit of Inclusive Education is creating a better society, starting from school. It allows us to get a better job and have wider opportunities in life.It allows us to make more friends, to be part of the community and to feel like everybody else.

● Stefanos: The challenge is how to make schools and societies inclusive. We need to fight against prejudice and change culture. We need to train teachers and make them capable of meeting the requirements of all students in the classroom.

Do you have any other comments?

● Dagur: We are all different colours and together we can make a rainbow and make the world brighter.

 Vocational Education II

Arvydas ZAGARAS - Lithuania

Ingre IMALA - Estonia

Zsófia FAZEKAS - Hungary

Jonas NENORTAS - Lithuania

Rolands CINIS - Latvia

João FONSECA - Portugal

James MARTIN - UK Northern Ireland

Leanne Alice COLE - UK Wales

Group 2

- Joao: Students, teachers and all people involved in inclusive education need to understand and accept students with special needs.

- Leanne: Students with special needs should have the freedom to make their own choices within school (such as subjects and exams) and outside of school (social activities, job, professional life). It is unfair that not everyone in Europe has the same level of physical accessibility (elevators and ramps) and support in their schools.

● Jonas: Special electronic gadgets such as laptops, special hardware and programs are important for the learning of students with special needs.

● James: In inclusive education we also get support from other students who help us learn. But sometimes students can also be mean, so we need to have self-confidence.

● Ingre: There is often not enough staff to help and support us to learn. Sometimes teachers do not understand our lives and what we need.

● Zsófia: For students with disabilities it is important not to be isolated. It is about going out and meeting people as a choice you have as a person with disabilities.

Secondary Education I

Fé LINDEN - Luxembourg

Michalis NICOLAOU - Cyprus

Andreani HADJISTERKOTI - Cyprus

Jere Nicholas MAHLAKAARTO - Finland

Aure AFLALO - Luxembourg

Josette GRAÇA SILVA - Portugal

Diogo JESUS NETO - Portugal

Group 3

Fabian CAMARA ALCAIDE - Spain

Pedro ROMERO JIMÉNEZ - Spain

Samantha DRYDEN-SILLARS - UK England

Charlotte DARBY - UK England

Elmo PESIN - Germany

Kanivar GÜLER - Germany

Maria BARANDUN - Switzerland

● Pedro: All pupils should be in the same school and the same classes.

● Jere: In some cases, for some lessons, pupils could have the option to be in small groups with others with the same type of disabilities.

● Diogo: Inclusive education will help inclusion in society.

● Aure: Inclusion helps to open and change minds and reduce discrimination.

● Charlotte: Schools without barriers. More support is needed. More care assistants.

● Sam: Teachers and parents need to know how to use the technology in order to support the pupil at school and at home.

● Andreani: Pupils should be involved in general decision-making concerning them.

● Elmo: Everyone benefits from inclusion.

 Secondary Education II

Kamilla SØLYST BJØLSETH - Norway

Méryem BELGHAZI - Belgium (FR)

Zineb SAOUI - Belgium (FR)

Orlando KROHN - Germany

Laima LIEPINA - Latvia

Edgars ŠENINŠ - Latvia

Wacław DZIĘCIOŁ - Poland

Jakub JARMUŁA - Poland

Group 4

Domen KAISER - Slovenia

Nika LUŠNIC - Slovenia

Þórdur JÓNSSON - Iceland

Rebeca LÓPEZ RUANO - Spain

Tuomas Kimmo Johannes MANNI - Finland

Sofie MONGGAARD CHRISTENSEN - Denmark

Rebeca: Give support without the need to fight for it

Sofie: In a class with a SEN student the teacher should have SEN education, not just a course. There should be a second teacher with SEN education

Zineb: Training for co-students to be more attentive to needs or towards changing their attitudes

Nika: Same certificate at the end of education to have equal chances to get a job

Thordur: Inclusion is not limited to school (support beyond the classroom, to have "normal" friends)

 Secondary Education III

Lise TØRLEN - Norway

Daniel MARTIN - UK Northern Ireland

John BENNINGTON - UK Northern Ireland

Melanie NIELSEN - Denmark

Marie LAURITZEN - Denmark

Honoré D'ESTIENNE D'ORVES - France

Emile MAINKA - France

Group 5

Efstathios BEKYRAS - Greece

Markos BOTSOS – Greece

Alexandra CHRONOPOULOU - Greece

Nana-Marie DALE REICHEL - Norway

Robert BOYLE - Ireland

Dean KELLY - Ireland

Pauline BRASSEUR - Luxembourg

Maria BUGEJA - Malta

 In your opinion, what is inclusive education?

John:- Inclusive education is the bringing together of

people with and without disabilities in a school setting where adaptations are in place to allow them to be fully included.

- Key principles of inclusive education: ● Equal access to education and possibility to

choose.● Flexibility of responses to individual needs.● Solidarity in terms of helping and supporting

each other’s needs.

Maria:

- Inclusive education makes us feel more ‘normal’.

- It is important for the teacher to encourage the student to take part with the rest of the class.

- Development of social skills, awareness of acceptance of all differences and respect.

- Inclusive education facilitates the achievement of qualifications for work transition and for future employment .

Can you describe how inclusion is achieved at a practical level in your school?

Nana-Marie:

Three options:● Mainstream classes with additional support ● Inclusion units ● Special classes

Fundamental features of inclusive education:

Architectural accessibility, setting arrangements, support teachers, technical aids and IT, adaptation of curriculum, individual educational programs, after school activities, extra time for exams, breaks for exams, social activities, awareness and knowledge about disability, support of classmates…

 In your opinion, what are the main benefits and challenges that inclusion brings or could bring to

your education?

Marie:

Benefits for students with and without disabilities: improvement of communication, better interaction, exchange of knowledge and experiences, feeling of inclusion, respect for each other, elimination of stereotypes, acquisition of knowledge about disability, flexibility in learning, effective management of diversity, gaining expertise in IT, improving social skills

Robert:

Challenges:

- It is a long process until you get what you need.

- Teachers need to be open to understanding what the students need and how to support them.

- Changing the attitude of teachers and students

- It is important that teachers believe in students with disabilities.

- Politicians need to invest in inclusive education.

- Finding the balance between supporting the disabled and non-disabled members of the class

- Funding for resources should be allocated on an individual basis.

- It is difficult to eliminate bullying.

Do you have any other comments?

Alexandra:

Inclusive education is the right to be accepted and integrated without discrimination.

 Secondary Education IV

Mathias MACHIELSEN - Belgium (FL)

Barbara GEHER - Austria

Tomáš ČERNÝ - Czech Republic

Lucie HRDINOVÁ - Czech Republic

Robert LÄTT - Estonia

Triin PUUSEPP - Estonia

Jens CAMILLERI - Malta

Group 6

Francesco SCICLUNA - Malta

Wessel BROEKHUIS - The Netherlands

Mirjam WOLFF - The Netherlands

Joži KUMPREJ - Slovenia

Gemma MACKINTOSH - UK Scotland

Bethany STALEY - UK Wales

Sophie Bethan HANNAWAY - UK Wales

Bethany:Inclusive education is about our rights.

Sophie:These rights include– Equality– Partnership and friendship– Acceptance, trust and respect

Gemma:– Good personal contacts– Diversity and understanding– To work to the same standards as others– The correct support and guidance

Lucie:“Inclusive education is a good idea... A new world is opened.”

Wessel:Everyone has the right to a good education regardless of who they are. The starting point is teacher awareness and teacher education.

Mirjam:Teachers, students and parents should work together. Students should not be discouraged by anyone in any way. Some people need more support than others. Everyone's rights should be met.

Challenges

Barbara:The biggest challenges in inclusive education are people’s attitudes and people’s knowledge ... Negative attitudes are a barrier.

It is a challenge to make people see inclusive education as a wide approach. It is not only about good grades but also about good social relationships.

BenefitsFrancesco:

The benefits of inclusive education are good social relationships and possibilities to get at job. It gives you the possibility to study and not have the feeling “I am different”.

Triin:You are part of a bigger picture.”

Robert:“Inclusive education is an investment … It makes you stronger.”

Jens:EVERYONE IS EQUAL … LEARN FROM EACH OTHER.

 Secondary Education V

Klara Linnea Astrid ELFSTEN - Sweden

Thomas KROYER - Austria

Philipp STEINBERGER - Austria

Mei LAN NG - Belgium (FL)

François LE BEL - France

Sára GERGELY - Hungary

Áron ÓCSVARI - Hungary

Asgerdur HEIMISDÓTTIR - Iceland

Group 7

Simon MCDOUGALL - Ireland

Elin Johanna BRANDT KORALL - Sweden

Keenan ALEXANDER - UK Scotland

Katrina THOMSON - UK Scotland

Daniel Alexander SCHOUTEN - The Netherlands

Łukasz ŚMIETANA - Poland

Key statements by Working group Secondary Education V:

Keenan:

1. Financing additional school provision should not be the main consideration, inclusive education is an investment: if everyone is involved, it is good for the whole society. Inclusion is important for everyone, it is not only about disabilities.

Key statements by Working group Secondary Education V:

Asgerdur:

2. All schools should be accessible and provide accessible tools and offer personalised education. They should be problem-solving communities.

Key statements by Working group Secondary Education V:

Áron:

3. We need opportunities for personal development and independence for example through out-of-school activities.

Key statements by Working group Secondary Education V:

Katrina:

4. Diversity awareness should be part of the curriculum in all schools as well as in teacher education, to increase understanding and reduce bullying.

Key statements by Working group Secondary Education V:

Elin:

5. Good communication is essential! Professionals must communicate effectively, people with disabilities should be supported to communicate about their own needs.

Young Views on

Inclusive Education

Brussels 7 November 2011