Inclusion in Finland

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Inclusion in Finland

• Copenhagen 5.10.2007

Pirjo Koivula Counsellor of Education Finnish
Natonal Board of Education
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THE ADMINISTRATION OF EDUCATION GOVERNMENT

• Ministry of Education
• educational policy
• legislation

• Finnish National Board of Education
• development of education
• national core curricula
• national evaluation
• information services

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The Main Goals in Finnish Basic Education-
Supporting Pupils in Mainstream Settings

• The Ministry of Education The development plan
  for education and science in 2003- 2008
• - To ensure early prevention and intervention in
  education, the quality of practices in remedial
  teaching, special needs education, pupil welfare
  and councelling need to be improved
• - Multiprofessional co-operation and interaction
  of school personnel needs further developing

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(General goals of developing)

• - Development of supporting practices in
  preventing exclusion
• - To make it possible for pupils to study in
  their neighbourhood school
• - Development of flexible forms of support and
  instruction to ensure individual school paths
• - Development of regional and territorial
  educational structures

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THE STEERING SYSTEM OF BASIC EDUCATION
Basic Education Act and Decree1998
General National Objectives and Distribution of
lesson hours 2001
National Core Curriculum 2004 (NBE)
Teacher training (universities, NBE,
municipalities)
Local curriculum (municipalities, schools)
Study materials (publishing houses, NBE)
Teaching and learning
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Local planning documents in special needs
education
Local Curriculum (municipal or school based)

Annual work plan of the school
Each student's individual study plan
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National Core Curriculum for Basic Education

• The starting point in education is to consider
  childs strengths and her/ his individual
  developmental and educational needs.
• The instruction must support the pupils
  initiative and self-confidence.
• The foremost objective is to support the pupils
  studies so that the objectives conforming to the
  general syllabus can be attained.

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National Core Curriculum for Basic Education

• If the pupil doesnt meet those objectives in
  spite of support measures, the syllabus is
  individualized
• A pupil can also have an possibility to be
  exempted from studying some of the subjects

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National Core Curriculum for Basic Education

• When the pupil has a severe disability or illness
  then the instruction is to be provided by
  activity areas.
• - social and daily living skills, motor and
  sensomotor skills, linguistic and cognitive
  skills
• If the pupil no longer needs special education, a
  decision is to be taken enabling pupils transfer
  into general instruction.

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INDIVIDUAL PLAN OF EDUCATIONAL ARRANGEMENTS -INCLU
DES A PLAN OF ARRANGEMENTS (INTEGRATED,
PARTLY INTEGRATED, SPECIAL CLASS), GOALS,
CONTENTS, SUPPORT, PRINCIPLES OF ASSESSMENT -
INCLUDES DECISIONS OF SYLLABI

• OFFICIAL DECISION OF SPECIAL NEEDS EDUCATION
• OWING TO A DISABILITY, AN ILLNESS, RETARDED
  DEVELOPMENT, AN EMOTIONAL DISTURBANCE OR
• COMPARABLE CAUSE, AND A PUPIL CANNOT OTHERWISE
  TAUGHT
• - HEARING OF PARENTS
• - BASED ON PSYCHOLOGIGAL OR MEDICAL OR SOCIAL
  STATEMENT
• POSSIBLE TO MAKE A NEW DECISIONgtTRANSFER TO
• GENERAL INSTRUCTION

• PART-TIME SPECIAL NEEDS EDUCATION
• - SPECIAL NEEDS EDUCATION TEACHER
• - MINOR DIFFICULTIES IN LEARNING OR ADJUSTMENT
• COOPERATION BETWEEN PARENTS AND TEACHER
• INDIVIDUAL LEARNING PLAN, IF NEEDED

• REMEDIAL TEACHING
• -FOR STUDENTS LAGGING BEHIND IN THEIR STUDIES
• STUDENT WELFARE AND EDUCATIONAL GUIDANCE
• COOPERATION WITH PARENTS

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Basic Education Act

• Sections 31, 31a A disabled child or a child
  with special educational needs has the right to
  get following help to participate in education
• - interpretation and assistance services
  - other educational services
  - special
  learning materials and equipments
• Section 32 Pupil shall be entitled to free
  transportation when the travel is too difficult,
  strenuous or dangerous in view of the pupils age
  or other circumtances.

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Basic Education Decree

• The consist of special educational groups section
  3
• - a child within prolonged compulsory schooling
  is taught together with pupils in mainstream
  class, the teaching group may consist of a
  maximum of 20 pupils.

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Assesment of pupils needing special support

• Learning difficulties have to be taken in
  consideration in the pupils assesment.
• - Initial, ongoing and summative assessment
• Assesment methods are to be used by which the
  pupil is capable of demonstrating his/ her
  performance as well as possible.
• The principles for assesment of a pupil who has
  been enrolled or transferred into special
  education are defined in the IEP.

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Flexible Elements in Educational Norms

• Flexible school start and the length of schooling
• Pupil may progress according his personal study
  programme
• The distribution of lesson hours in subjects is
  grouped into sections
• Integration of subjects and cross- curricular
  themes
• Individualization of the syllabys
• Flexibility in deciding the place and the methods
  of special needs education

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SUPPORT IN LEARNING
GENERAL SUPPORT
SPECIAL SUPPORT
-REFORM SCHOOL -HOSPITAL SCHOOL -SPECIAL
SCHOOL -SPECIAL CLASS -INCLUSION -PART TIME
SPECIAL EDUCATION (BEA17)
- PUPIL WELFARE (31a) - COOPERATION BETWEEN -
REMEDIAL (16) HOME AND SCHOOL
(3) - COUNCELLING (30) -LEARNING PLAN
- CLUB ACTIVITIES
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The service system of special needs education

• Reform Schools
• Hospital schools
  Special schools
• Special classes
• Integration of pupils with SEN
• Part- time special education
• Remedial teaching
• Differentiation of instruction

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Reasons behind the data

• New legislation, adminstarational issues and
  Statistics
• New diagnosis
• More information and skills among teachers to
  recognize the need of support
• New structures and strategies on local level
• Pupils with more difficuties
• Parents are better informed
• Finanzing

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Financing

• Pupil based, not based on the place, where pupil
  is studying,
• money goes to the municipality, not ear marked
• Pupil with official decision of special needs
  education 1,5 x
• Prolonged education 2,5 x
• Pupil with severe illnes or disability 4 x

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Statistical information

• The number of pupils with the decision of special
  education has increased during last 10 years
• -1996 2,9 ............. 2006
  7.7
• -Girls 32, boys 68
• -Developmental disorders in language have
  become more common

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Statistical information

• 21.9 of all the pupils in basic education have
  participated in part time special
• - Girls have often problems in learning
  mathematics, boys have behavioral problems
• Individualization of syllabus in single subject
  has become more common

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The development in the amount of special
schools19992006.

• Year Special Schools New Closed Pupils
• 1999 269 4 18 11 932
• 2000
• 2001 244 1 4 11 198 2002 232 0 5
  10 921 2003 220 0 6 10 530 2004 207
  1 2 10 200 2005 195 0 4
  9 800 2006 176 0 3 8 800
• 93 -3 132

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DROPPING OUT OF EDUCATION
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SUPPORTING INCLUSION IN LOCAL SCHOOLS
STATE OWNED SPECIAL SCHOOLS AS COMPETENCE
CENTRES -Know-how services concerning all areas
of learning difficulties -Supporting municipal
resource centres
REGIONAL/ MUNICIPAL RESOURCE CENTRES -Teaching,
assessment, rehabilitation, materials,
equipments -Supporting the local schools
consultative services
LOCAL SCHOOLS -Every teacher is able to meet
various kinds of educational needs
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Process of Inclusion

• Special schools are more actively involved in the
  process of inclusion.
• Co-operation between special and mainstream
  education is key.
• Pupil-based educational institutes have to switch
  into support structures or resource centres for
  teachers, parents and others

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The task is

• to give support to mainstream schools
• To develop initial and in-service teacher
  training and to teach teacher trainers
• develop materials and methods
• gather information and provide it to parents and
  teachers
• take care of the necessary liaison between
  educational and non-educational institutions
• give support when transition from school to work
  takes place.

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The main goal is

• To integrate individuals into the society
• - education - social and health care services
• - family life - housing
• - employment - unobstructed environment
• TO GUARANTEE THE POSSIBILITY OF FULL COMPETENCE
  AND AUTHORIZATION AS A CITIZEN FOR ALL PEOPLE
• WHAT IS GOOD FOR US IS GOOD FOR ALL!

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Links www.edu.fi/english www.oph.fi