In pre-primary to secondary schools, the prevailing trend is for separate education of children with diverse needs

Slovakia ranks first among European countries and has the highest proportion of primary school pupils educated in special needs education streams. The highest proportion of children in special needs schools and classes is in Eastern Slovakia. The number of children in special needs education has remained almost stable over the past decade, pointing to a relative stability of capacity in special needs education. One of the barriers to the inclusion of children with special educational needs (SEN) in mainstream schools is also the conviction that the separate education of these children is appropriate, and this was confirmed by the Learning Makes Sense questionnaire survey. However, most respondents from mainstream schools tend to agree that children with various needs should be educated in mainstream schools (in their regular or special classes), also pointing out that adequate conditions must be provided. Particularly, the inadequate conditions for educating SEN designated children in mainstream schools are the reason why a portion of these children are diverted to special needs schools. Thus, the parental right to choose the most appropriate form of education for their child is de facto limited. Another problem is that there is no passage between the mainstream and special needs schools. Special needs schools and classrooms are not used to providing temporary support for a child, but rather constitute a permanently separated education path, with most children being tracked onto it as soon as they start their schooling. This separation of education paths is reflected in limited co-operation between mainstream and special needs schools, although the staff at both types of school would appreciate it, according to the Learning Makes Sense survey findings. The education system is unable to provide conditions for educating pupils with various needs, and this has an extremely negative impact on certain groups of children. For some children with physical disabilities, this situation results in their total exclusion from education at schools and their forced homeschooling. A large proportion of Roma children are educated in ethnically homogeneous Roma classrooms or schools. A huge problem is that they form a majority of pupils in special classes and schools for children with a mild mental disability, and this limits their opportunities to complete full primary and lower secondary education and continue at a secondary school. Currently, education policies cannot effectively prevent the segregation of Roma children and some policies even indirectly support it. Separated education is also the most commonly used form for intellectually gifted pupils. International research findings show that separated education is not optimal for children with special needs, nor children without any disabilities or gifted children.

Analysis of the qualitative and quantitative Learning Makes Sense data is examined in more detail in the next sections:

Over-representation of children in special needs schools

Almost half the children with special educational needs are educated in a special needs education track

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Separate education of SEN designated children is considered to be more appropriate

Separate education of children with special educational needs is still considered to be more appropriate

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No passage between mainstream and special needs schools

The mainstream and special needs education tracks are separate and without a passage between them

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Exclusion of certain children with physical disabilities from education

A portion of children with physical disabilities are completely excluded from education

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Roma children segregation

A high proportion of Roma children are educated separately from their peers

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Separate education of children with talents

Selection of children by their intellectual abilities is taking place already at primary schools

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Conclusions

A long-term high proportion of children educated in separate schools and classes for students with the same/similar disabilities or talents runs contrary to the international commitments and trends supporting the education of all children in their local communities. It reflects a relative stability in terms of special needs schools’ capacities and the barriers pertaining to addressing the natural diversity of children on the part of mainstream schools. Limiting interactions between various groups of children in education and the existence of separate education structures for children with diagnosed special needs or for children of other ethnicities can limit the extent and variety of their social networks, and increase the chances of their exclusion from the labour market or society in the future. Separate education also prevents children without a diagnosed disability or talent from learning to live in a diverse society. As SEN designated children are educated in specialised conditions by various professionals, then the pupils without a diagnosed disability or talent cannot fully benefit from this care and customised education. A system supporting early tracking in education based on children's abilities, or even their social background or ethnicity, further deepens the differences in their learning outcomes and contributes to strengthening social inequalities in society whilst at the same time loosening social cohesion.

Author:

Miroslava Hapalová