The Finnish education system has engaged in many international contracts that are based on the concept of inclusion. One of the most important of those is the United Nation’s Salamanca Statement. Our Finnish national laws also require that municipalities and schools provide enough pedagogical support for students and that teachers are implementing that support together and with the help of the school’s healthcare system.
There are a few principles behind the Finnish support system that are also found worldwide in western school systems. The basic idea is to prevent social exclusion and make individuals more equal to having the same opportunities. It is the base of the inclusive school. All children, including those with disabilities, are guaranteed to have the right to an education and all the support they need. Children are seen as individual learners with their own individual strengths and needs.
During the last decades the number of special education schools and classes has been reduced abundantly in Finland. Nowadays the students with special needs are mostly studying in the mainstream educational system, as the inclusive ideology encourages. Of course, there are special education groups for students with developmental disabilities, severe autistic spectrum disorders or specific language impairment. Those special groups are partly located in mainstream schools, but there still are a few special education schools existing. The inclusive school and being a part of the mainstream education increase the students’ opportunities to belong to the group of same aged children and integrate in mainstream lessons when possible. It also helps the mainstream students to see the diversity of life and helps them to raise their tolerance.
When the support system is renewed it is important to ensure that the child will have all the necessary support, for example an own assistant and therapy also in their local school. If we want to provide equal opportunities for every child it is important to put effort in the support system.
Useful Links
Learn more about the meaning of the inclusive education
Task 1.
Which differences do You find when You compare the Finnish system to Your country’s system? How can the inclusive environment of your school be improved?
Task 2.
Here is the list of the most common needs of support that Finnish students have. Can You list the most common ones of Your students’ needs into Your portfolio?
The most common support needs in Finland
- delays in development
- learning disabilities (dysphasia, dyslexia, dyscalculia…)
- physical disabilities
- neuropsychiatric needs (autism spectrum disorders)
- self-regulation, emotional regulation
- social maladaptation
- mental health issues (depression, anxiety…)
After listing, keep those support needs in mind when You are studying the next parts of the course.
Task 3.
Check out the statistics of the number of special education students in Finland. Do you know how much students are having support in Your country? Is it more or less? Can you find some reasons for the differences if there are some?