The Place of Special Schools in Inclusive Education
Abstract
The role of schools for the education of students with disabilities is associated with the context of inclusive education in different ways. On the one hand, they are accepted as institutions that, in their full capacity, can and should support education and social inclusion, while another approach considers that further existence of these schools is a reflection of the lack of the inclusion process. The aim of this paper is to determine the role of these schools and the changes that have occurred in their work since 2009, when inclusive education was introduced into the Serbian educational system. The sample covered all 48 schools for the education of students with disabilities on the territory of the Republic of Serbia. For the needs of the research, a questionnaire for collecting data from these schools was prepared at the Institute for the Improvement of Education.
The results showed that the network of these institutions has not changed, but that users have changed at all levels of education, since these schools now educate children with several types of disabilities. The number of defectologists is higher in Belgrade and Vojvodina than in the rest of Serbia, (p <0,05), while the number of defectologists, who only provide support to other schools, is the largest in Vojvodina, (p <0,05). Student achievement indicators show that 56,95% of pupils adopt elementary educational achievements and life skills useful in everyday activities. The inclusion of pre-school children is higher in Vojvodina (M = 6,83) and Belgrade (M = 6,71), compared to the rest of Serbia (M = 3,37). Horizontal movements show that the transition of pupils from regular to special school is 8.4 times more frequent than in the period before the inclusion law. Further research directions in this area could include the implementation of several different ways of assessing the approach that underpins early childhood development for their easier access to kindergartens and primary schools, as well as the examination of circumstances that would increase transition from special to regular schools.
References
Ainscow, M., Dyson, A., West, S. M. (2012). Making schools effective for all: rethinking the task. School Leadership & Management, 1 (1), 1–17.
Ainscow, M. & Dyson, A. (2008). Improving Schools, Developing Inclusion. New York: Routledge Taylor & Francis Group.
Ainscow, M. (2007). Towards a more inclusive education system: where next for special schools? In: R. Cigman (Еd.), Included or Excluded: The Challenge of the Mainstream for some SEN Children (128–139). New York: Routledge.
Ainscow, M., Booth, T., Dyson, A. (2006). Improving Schools, Developing Inclusion. London: Routledge.
Allan, J. & Brown, S. (2001). Special schools and inclusion. Educational Review, 53 (2), 199–207.
Afolabi, O., Mukhopadhyay. S., Nenty, H. J. (2013). Implementation of Inclusive education: Do Parents Really Matter?. Specijalna edukacija i rehabilitaciju, 12 (3), 373–401.
Andreasson, I. & Wolff, U. (2015). Assessments and Intervention for Pupils with Reading Difficulties in Sweden – A Text Analysis of Individual Education Plans. International Journal of Special Education, 30 (1) 15–24.
Cigman, R. (2007). A question of universality: inclusive education and the principle of respect. Journal of Philosophy of Education, 41 (4) 775–793.
Croll, P. & Moses, D. (2000). Ideologies and utopias: education professionals’ views of inclusion. European Journal of Special Needs Education, 15 (1), 1–12.
Dyson, A. (2001). Special needs in the twenty-first century: where we’ve been and where we’re going. British Journal of Special Education, 28 (1), 24–29.
Engsig, T. T. & Johnstone, C. J. (2015). Is there something rotten in the state of Denmark? The paradoxical policies of inclusive education – lessons from Denmark. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 5, 469–486.
FNBE (Finnish National Board of Education). (2010). National Core Curriculum for Pre-Primary
Education. Accessed October 14, 2016. Retrieved September 2, 2018. from http://www.oph.fi/download/153504
Franck, K. (2015). The (in) Competent Child: Subject Positions of Deviance in Norwegian Day-Care Centres. Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood, 16 (3), 230–240.
Gray, P. (2011). Special Educational Needs: A new look – By Mary Warnock and Brahm Norwich. Journal of Special Education Needs, 11 (1), 79–82.
Gordon L. & Morton, M. (2008). Inclusive education and school choice: democratic rights in a devolved system. In: S. Gabel & S. Danforth (Еds.), Disability & the Politics of Education: An International Reader (237–250). New York: Peter Lang.
Head, G. & Pirrie, A. (2007). The place of special schools in a policy climate of inclusion. Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs, 7 (2), 90–96.
Heiskanen, N., Alasuutari, M., Vehkakoski, T. (2018). Positioning children with special educational needs in early childhood education and care documents. British Journal of Sociology of Education. Retrieved September 12, 2018: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/cbse20
Higgins, N., MacArthur, J., Morton, M. (2008). Winding back the clock: the retreat of New Zealand inclusive education policy. New Zealand Annual Review of Education, 17 (2), 145–168.
Hornby, G. (1999). Inclusion or delusion: can one size fit all?. Support for Learning, 14 (4), 152–157.
Hunter, J. & O’Connor, U. (2006). In search of inclusion. Support for Learning, 21 (2), 53–56.
IHC New Zealand (2009). New research says ‘no’ to special schools. In Scoop [Press release] (Independent News).
Kearney, A. & Kane, R. (2006). Inclusive education policy in New Zealand: reality or ruse? International Journal of Inclusive Education, 10 (2/3), 201–219.
Lindsay, G. & Dockrell, J. E. (2004). Whose job is it? Parents’ concerns about the needs of their children with language problems. Journal of Special Education, 37 (4), 225–235.
MacArthur, J. (2009). Learning Better Together: Working towards Inclusive Education in New Zealand Schools. Wellington, NZ: IHC New Zealand Inc.
McMenamin, T. (2011). The tenacity of special schools in an inclusive policy environment: the New Zealand situation ’96–2010. British Journal of Support for Learning, 26 (3), 87–102.
Nikolić, G., Cvijetić, M., Branković, N., Đordić, D., Johnstone, C. J. (2019). Lessons Learned on the Journey to Inclusion in the Republic of Serbia. International Journal of Disability, Development and Education. (in press).
Nikolić, G. i Nedeljković, M. (2015). Inkluzija u Srbiji ‒ u potrazi za smislenim putem. Socijalna misao, 4, 9−19.
Nikolić, G. i Popović, Z. (2012). Mapiranje dece koja se nalaze van obrazovno-vaspitnog sistema ‒ „Da svako dete postane đak“. U: N. Glumbić i V. Vučinić (ur.), Specijalna edukacija i rehabilitacija DANAS (213−219). Beograd: Fakultet za specijalnu edukaciju i rehabilitaciju.
Николић, Г., Лукић, М., Јанковић, В. (2010). Ученици са сметњама и тешкоћама у развоју у образовно-васпитним установама Републике Србије. Београд: Завод за унапређивање образовања и васпитања.
Norwich, B. (2008). What future for special schools and inclusion? Conceptual and professional perspectives. British Journal of Special Education, 35 (3), 136–143.
Norwich, B. & Gray, P. (2007). Special schools in the new era: conceptual and strategic perspectives. Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs, 7 (2), 84–88.
NRDCWH (National Research and Development Centre for Welfare and Health) (2003). National Curriculum Guidelines on Early Childhood Education and Care in Finland. Accessed July 15, 2018. http://www.julkari.fi/bitstream/handle/10024/75535/267671cb-0ec0-4039-b97b-7
Popović, Z. i Nikolić, G. (2015). Postignuća učenika sa smetnjama u razvoju u zavisnosti od vrste škole, nastavnih predmeta i vrste smetnje. U: J. Milinković i B. Trebješanin (ur.), Implementacija inovacija u obrazovanju i vaspitanju – izazovi i dileme (437−457). Beograd: Učiteljski fakultet.
Slee, R. (2006). Inclusive education: is this horse a Trojan?. Exceptionality Education Canada, 16 (2/3), 223–242.
Spooner, F., Knight, V., Browder, D., Jimenez, B., DiBiase, W. (2011). Evaluating evidence-based practice in teaching science content to students with severe developmental disabilities. Research and Practice for Persons with Severe Disabilities, 36 (1–2), 62–75.
Tatić, D. (2011). Zaštita ljudskih prava osoba sa invaliditetom. Beograd: Edicija studije.
UNESCO. (1994). The Salamanca Declaration and Framework for Action. Paris: Author.
Vaughn, S. & Linan-Thompson, S. (2003). What Is Special About Special Education for Students with Learning Disabilities?. The Journal of Special Education, 37, 140–147.
Wills, R. (2006). Special Education 2000: A New Zealand experiment. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 10 (2/3), 189–199.
Warnock, M. & Norwich, B. (2010). Special Educational Needs a New Look. London: Ben Cracknell Studios.
The details about the publication policy, including copyright and licensing, are available at: