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THE SALAMANCA STATEMENT AND
FRAMEWORK FOR ACTION
ON SPECIAL NEEDS EDUCATION
World
Conference on Special Needs Education: Access and
Quality
Salamanca, Spain, 7-10 June 1994
PREFACE
More than 300 participants representing 92 governments and 25
international organizations met in Salamanca, Spain, from 7 to 10
June 1994 to further the objective of Education for All by
considering the fundamental policy shifts required to promote the
approach of inclusive education, namely enabling schools to serve
all children, particularly those with special educational needs.
Organized by the Government of Spain in co-operation with UNESCO,
the Conference brought together senior education officials,
administrators, policy-makers and specialists, as well as
representatives of the United Nations and the Specialized Agencies,
other international governmental organizations, non-governmental
organizations and donor agencies. The Conference adopted the
Salamanca Statement on Principles, Policy and Practice in Special
Needs Education and a Framework for Action. These documents are
informed by the principle of inclusion, by recognition of the need
to work towards “schools for all” - institutions which include
everybody, celebrate differences, support learning, and respond to
individual needs. As such, they constitute an important contribution
to the agenda for achieving Education for All and for making schools
educationally more effective.
Special needs education - an
issue of equal concern to countries of the North and of the South -
cannot advance in isolation. It has to form part of an overall
educational strategy and, indeed, of new social and economic
policies. It calls for major reform of the ordinary
school.
These documents represent a worldwide consensus on
future directions for special needs education. UNESCO is proud to be
associated with this Conference and its important conclusions. All
concerned must now rise to the challenge and work to ensure that
Education for All effectively means FOR ALL, particularly those who
are most vulnerable and most in need. The future is not fated, but
will be fashioned by our values, thoughts and actions. Our success
in the years ahead will depend not so much on what we do as what we
achieve.
It is my hope that all readers of this document will
help to enact the recommendations of the Salamanca Conference by
endeavouring to translate its message into practice within their
respective fields of responsibility.
Federico
Mayor
THE SALAMANCA STATEMENT
ON
PRINCIPLES, POLICY AND PRACTICE
IN SPECIAL NEEDS EDUCATION
Reaffirming the right to education of every individual, as
enshrined in the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and
renewing the pledge made by the world community at the 1990 World
Conference on Education for All to ensure that right for all
regardless of individual differences,
Recalling the several
United Nations declarations culminating in the 1993 United Nations
Standard Rules on the Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with
Disabilities, which urges States to ensure that the education of
persons with disabilities is an integral part of the education
system,
Noting with satisfaction the increased involvement of
governments, advocacy groups, community and parent groups, and in
particular organizations of persons with disabilities, in seeking to
improve access to education for the majority of those with special
needs still unreached; and recognizing as evidence of this
involvement the active participation of highlevel representatives of
numerous governments, specialized agencies and intergovernmental
organizations in this World Conference,
1.
We, the delegates
of the World Conference on Special Needs Education representing
ninety-two governments and twenty-five international organizations,
assembled here in Salamanca, Spain, from 7-10 June 1994, hereby
reaffirm our commitment to Education for All, recognizing the
necessity and urgency of providing education for children, youth and
adults with special educational needs within the regular education
system, and further hereby endorse the Framework for Action on
Special Needs Education, that governments and organizations may be
guided by the spirit of its provisions and recommendations.
2.
We believe and proclaim that:
every child has a fundamental
right to education, and must be given the opportunity to achieve and
maintain an acceptable level of learning,
every child has unique
characteristics, interests, abilities and learning needs,
education systems should be designed and educational programmes
implemented to take into account the wide diversity of these
characteristics and needs,
those with special educational needs
must have access to regular schools which should accommodate them
within a childcentred pedagogy capable of meeting these needs,
regular schools with this inclusive orientation are the most
effective means of combating discriminatory attitudes, creating
welcoming communities, building an inclusive society and achieving
education for all; moreover, they provide an effective education to
the majority of children and improve the efficiency and ultimately
the cost-effectiveness of the entire education system.
3.
We
call upon all governments and urge them to:
give the highest
policy and budgetary priority to improve their education systems to
enable them to include all children regardless of individual
differences or difficulties,
adopt as a matter of law or policy
the principle of inclusive education, enrolling all children in
regular schools, unless there are compelling reasons for doing
otherwise,
develop demonstration projects and encourage
exchanges with countries having experience with inclusive schools,
establish decentralized and participatory mechanisms for
planning, monitoring and evaluating educational provision for
children and adults with special education needs,
encourage and
facilitate the participation of parents, communities and
organization of persons with disabilities in the planning and
decisionmaking processes concerning provision for special
educational needs,
invest greater effort in early identification
and intervention strategies, as well as in vocational aspects of
inclusive education,
ensure that, in the context of a systemic
change, teacher education programmes, both preservice and inservice,
address the provision of special needs education in inclusive
schools.
4.
We also call upon the international community;
in particular we call upon:
governments with international
cooperation programmes and international funding agencies,
especially the sponsors of the World Conference on Education for
All, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization (UNESCO), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF),
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the World Bank:
- to endorse the approach of inclusive schooling and to support
the development of special needs education as an integral part of
all education programmes;
- the United Nations and its
specialized agencies, in particular the International Labour Office
(ILO), the World Health Organization (WHO), UNESCO and UNICEF:
-
to strengthen their inputs for technical cooperation, as well as to
reinforce their cooperation and networking for more efficient
support to the expanded and integrated provision of special needs
education;
non-governmental organizations involved in country
programming and service delivery:
- to strengthen their
collaboration with the official national bodies and to intensify
their growing involvement in planning, implementation and evaluation
of inclusive provision for special educational needs;
UNESCO, as
the United Nations agency for education:
- to ensure that
special needs education forms part of every discussion dealing with
education for all in various forums,
- to mobilize the support
of organizations of the teaching profession in matters related to
enhancing teacher education as regards provision for special
educational needs,
- to stimulate the academic community to
strengthen research and networking and to establish regional centres
of information and documentation; also, to serve as a clearinghouse
for such activities and for disseminating the specific results and
progress achieved at country level in pursuance of this Statement,
- to mobilize funds through the creation within its next
Medium-Term Plan (1996-2002) of an expanded programme for inclusive
schools and community support programmes, which would enable the
launching of pilot projects that showcase new approaches for
dissemination, and to develop indicators concerning the need for and
provision of special needs education.
5.
Finally, we express
our warm appreciation to the Government of Spain and to UNESCO for
the organization of the Conference, and we urge them to make every
effort to bring this Statement and the accompanying Framework for
Action to the attention of the world community, especially at such
important forums as the World Summit for Social Development
(Copenhagen, 1995) and the World Conference on Women (Beijing,
1995).
Adopted by acclamation, in the city of Salamanca,
Spain,
on this 10th of June, 1994.
“Framework for Action”
NEW THINKING ON SPECIAL NEEDS
EDUCATION
Introduction
I.New thinking in special needs
education
II. Guidelines for action at the national
level
A. Policy and organization
B. School factors
C.
Recruitment and training of educational personnel
D. External
support services
E. Priority areas
F. Community perspectives
G. Resource requirements
III. Guidelines for action at
the regional and international level
Introduction
1.
This Framework for Action on Special Needs Education was adopted by
the World Conference on Special Needs Education organized by the
Government of Spain in co-operation with UNESCO and held in
Salamanca from 7 to 10 June 1994. Its purpose is to inform policy
and guide action by governments, international organizations,
national aid agencies, non-governmental organizations and other
bodies in implementing the Salamanca Statement on Principles, Policy
and Practice in Special Needs Education. The Framework draws
extensively upon the national experience of the participating
countries as well as upon resolutions, recommendations and
publications of the United Nations system and other
intergovernmental organizations, especially the Standard Rules on
the Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities1. It
also takes account of the proposals, guidelines and recommendations
arising from the five regional seminars held to prepare the World
Conference.
2. The right of every child to an education is
proclaimed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and was
forcefully reaffirmed by the World Declaration on Education for All.
Every person with a disability has a right to express their wishes
with regard to their education, as far as this can be ascertained.
Parents have an inherent right to be consulted on the form of
education best suited to the needs, circumstances and aspirations of
their children.
3. The guiding principle that informs this
Framework is that schools should accommodate all children regardless
of their physical, intellectual, social, emotional, linguistic or
other conditions. This should include disabled and gifted children,
street and working children, children from remote or nomadic
populations, children from linguistic, ethnic or cultural minorities
and children from other disadvantaged or marginalized areas or
groups. These conditions create a range of different challenges to
school systems. In the context of this Framework, the term ‘special
educational needs&146; refers to all those children and youth
whose needs arise from disabilities or learning difficulties. Many
children experience learning difficulties and thus have special
educational needs at some time during their schooling. Schools have
to find ways of successfully educating all children, including those
who have serious disadvantages and disabilities. There is an
emerging consensus that children and youth with special educational
needs should be included in the educational arrangements made for
the majority of children. This has led to the concept of the
inclusive school. The challenge confronting the inclusive school is
that of developing a child-centred pedagogy capable of successfully
educating all children, including those who have serious
disadvantages and disabilities. The merit of such schools is not
only that they are capable of providing quality education to all
children; their establishment is a crucial step in helping to change
discriminatory attitudes, in creating welcoming communities and in
developing an inclusive society. A change in social perspective is
imperative. For far too long, the problems of people with
disabilities have been compounded by a disabling society that has
focused upon their impairments rather than their potential.
4. Special needs education incorporates the proven
principles of sound pedagogy from which all children may benefit. It
assumes that human differences are normal and that learning must
accordingly be adapted to the needs of the child rather than the
child fitted to preordained assumptions regarding the pace and
nature of the learning process. A child-centred pedagogy is
beneficial to all students and, as a consequence, to society as a
whole. Experience has demonstrated that it can substantially reduce
the drop-out and repetition that are so much a part of many
education systems while ensuring higher average levels of
achievement. A child-centred pedagogy can help to avoid the waste of
resources and the shattering of hopes that is all too frequently a
consequence of poor quality instruction and a ‘one size fits all’
mentality towards education. Child-centred schools are, moreover,
the training ground for a people-oriented society that respects both
the differences and the dignity of all human beings.
This
Framework for Action comprises the following sections:
I.
New thinking in special needs education
II. Guidelines for
action at the national level
A. Policy and organization
B.
School factors
C. Recruitment and training of educational
personnel
D. External support services
E. Priority areas
F.
Community perspectives
G. Resource requirements
III.
Guidelines for action at the regional and international
level
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.United
Nations Standard Rules on the Equalization of Opportunities for
Persons with Disabilities, A/RES/48/96, United Nations Resolution
adopted by the General Assembly at its 48th session on 20 December
1993.
6. The trend in social policy during the past two
decades has been to promote integration and participation and to
combat exclusion. Inclusion and participation are essential to human
dignity and to the enjoyment and exercise of human rights. Within
the field of education, this is reflected in the development of
strategies that seek to bring about a genuine equalization of
opportunity. Experience in many countries demonstrates that the
integration of children and youth with special educational needs is
best achieved within inclusive schools that serve all children
within a community. It is within this context that those with
special educational needs can achieve the fullest educational
progress and social integration. While inclusive schools provide a
favourable setting for achieving equal opportunity and full
participation, their success requires a concerted effort, not only
by teachers and school staff, but also by peers, parents, families
and volunteers. The reform of social institutions is not only a
technical task; it depends, above all, upon the conviction,
commitment and good will of the individuals who constitute society.
7. The fundamental principle of the inclusive school is that
all children should learn together, wherever possible, regardless of
any difficulties or differences they may have. Inclusive schools
must recognize and respond to the diverse needs of their students,
accomodating both different styles and rates of learning and
ensuring quality education to all through appropriate curricula,
organizational arrangements, teaching strategies, resource use and
partnerships with their communities. There should be a continuum of
support and services to match the continuum of special needs
encountered in every school.
8. Within inclusive schools,
children with special educational needs should receive whatever
extra support they may require to ensure their effective education.
Inclusive schooling is the most effective means for building
solidarity between children with special needs and their peers.
Assignment of children to special schools -or special classes or
sections within a school on a permanent basis - should be the
exception, to be recommended only in those infrequent cases where it
is clearly demonstrated that education in regular classrooms is
incapable of meeting a child’s educational or social needs or when
it is required for the welfare of the child or that of other
children.
9. The situation regarding special needs education
varies enormously from one country to another. There are, for
example, countries that have well established systems of special
schools for those with specific impairments. Such special schools
can represent a valuable resource for the development of inclusive
schools. The staff of these special institutions possess the
expertise needed for early screening and identification of children
with disabilities. Special schools can also serve as training and
resource centres for staff in regular schools. Finally, special
schools or units within inclusive schools - may continue to provide
the most suitable education for the relatively small number of
children with disabilities who cannot be adequately served in
regular classrooms or schools. Investment in existing special
schools should be geared to their new and expanded role of providing
professional support to regular schools in meeting special
educational needs. An important contribution to ordinary schools,
which the staff of special schools can make, is to the matching of
curricular content and method to the individual needs of
pupils.
10. Countries that have few or no special schools
would, in general, be well advised to concentrate their efforts on
the development of inclusive schools and the specialized services
needed to enable them to serve the vast majority of children and
youth - especially provision of teacher training in special needs
education and the establishment of suitably staffed and equipped
resource centres to which schools could turn for support.
Experience, especially in developing countries, indicates that the
high cost of special schools means, in practice, that only a small
minority of students, usually an urban élite, benefit from them. The
vast majority of students with special needs, especially in rural
areas, are as a consequence provided with no services whatsoever.
Indeed, in many developing countries, it is estimated that fewer
than 1 per cent of children with special educational needs are
included in existing provision. Experience, moreover, suggests that
inclusive schools, serving all of the children in a community, are
most successful in eliciting community support and in finding
imaginative and innovative ways of using the limited resources that
are available.
11. Educational planning by governments
should concentrate on education for all persons, in all regions of a
country and in all economic conditions, through both public and
private schools.
12. Because in the past relatively few
children with disabilities have had access to education, especially
in the developing regions of the world, there are millions of adults
with disabilities who lack even the rudiments of a basic education.
A concerted effort is thus required to teach literacy, numeracy and
basic skills to persons with disabilities through adult education
programmes.
13. It is particularly important to recognize
that women have often been doubly disadvantaged, bias based on
gender compounding the difficulties caused by their disabilities.
Women and men should have equal influence on the design of
educational programmes and the same opportunities to benefit from
them. Special efforts should be made to encourage the participation
of girls and women with disabilities in educational
programmes.
14. This Framework is intended as an overall
guide to planning action in special needs education. It evidently
cannot take account of the vast variety of situations encountered in
the different regions and countries of the world and must,
accordingly, be adapted to fit local requirements and circumstances.
To be effective, it must be complemented by national, regional and
local plans of action inspired by a political and popular will to
achieve education for all.
GUIDELINES FOR ACTION AT THE
NATIONAL LEVEL
A. POLICY AND ORGANIZATION
15.
Integrated education and community-based rehabilitation represent
complementary and mutually supportive approaches to serving those
with special needs. Both are based upon the principles of inclusion,
integration and participation, and represent well-tested and
cost-effective approaches to promoting equality of access for those
with special educational needs as part of a nationwide strategy
aimed at achieving education for all. Countries are invited to
consider the following actions concerning the policy and
organization of their education systems.
16. Legislation
should recognize the principle of equality of opportunity for
children, youth and adults with disabilities in primary, secondary
and tertiary education carried out, in so far as possible, in
integrated settings.
17. Parallel and complementary
legislative measures should be adopted in the fields of health,
social welfare, vocational training and employment in order to
support and give full effect to educational legislation.
18.
Educational policies at all levels, from the national to the local,
should stipulate that a child with a disability should attend the
neighbourhood school that is, the school that would be attended if
the child did not have a disability. Exceptions to this rule should
be considered on a case-by-case basis where only education in a
special school or establishment can be shown to meet the needs of
the individual child.
19. The practice of ‘mainstreaming’
children with disabilities should be an integral part of national
plans for achieving education for all. Even in those exceptional
cases where children are placed in special schools, their education
need not be entirely segregated. Part-time attendance at regular
schools should be encouraged. Necessary provision should also be
made for ensuring inclusion of youth and adults with special needs
in secondary and higher education as well as in training programmes.
Special attention should be given to ensuring equality of access and
opportunity for girls and women with disabilities.
20.
Special attention should be paid to the needs of children and youth
with severe or multiple disabilities. They have the same rights as
others in the community to the achievement of maximum independence
as adults and should be educated to the best of their potential
towards that end.
21. Educational policies should take full
account of individual differences and situations. The importance of
sign language as the medium of communication among the deaf, for
example, should be recognized and provision made to ensure that all
deaf persons have access to education in their national sign
language. Owing to the particular communication needs of deaf and
deaf/blind persons, their education may be more suitably provided in
special schools or special classes and units in mainstream
schools.
22. Community-based rehabilitation should be
developed as part of a global strategy for supporting cost-effective
education and training for people with special educational needs.
Community-based rehabilitation should be seen as a specific approach
within community development aimed at rehabilitation, equalization
of opportunities and social integration of all people with
disabilities; it should be implemented through the combined efforts
of people with disabilities themselves, their families and
communities, and the appropriate education, health, vocational and
welfare services.
23. Both policies and financing
arrangements should encourage and facilitate the development of
inclusive schools. Barriers that impede movement from special to
regular schools should be removed and a common administrative
structure organized. Progress towards inclusion should be carefully
monitored through the collection of statistics capable of revealing
the number of students with disabilities who benefit from resources,
expertise and equipment intended for special needs education as well
as the number of students with special educational needs enrolled in
regular schools.
24. Co-ordination between educational
authorities and those responsible for health, employment and social
services should be strengthened at all levels to bring about
convergence and complementarity. Planning and co-ordination should
also take account of the actual and potential role that semi-public
agencies and non-governmental organizations can play. A particular
effort needs to be made to elicit community support in meeting
special educational needs.
25. National authorities have a
responsibility to monitor external funding to special needs
education and, working in co-operation with their international
partners, to ensure that it corresponds to national priorities and
policies aimed at achieving education for all. Bilateral and
multilateral aid agencies, for their part, should carefully consider
national policies in respect of special needs education in planning
and implementing programmes in education and related
fields.
B. SCHOOL FACTORS
26. Developing inclusive
schools that cater for a wide range of pupils in both urban and
rural areas requires: the articulation of a clear and forceful
policy on inclusion together with adequate financial provision - an
effective public information effort to combat prejudice and create
informed and positive attitudes - an extensive programme of
orientation and staff training - and the provision of necessary
support services. Changes in all the following aspects of schooling,
as well as many others, are necessary to contribute to the success
of inclusive schools: curriculum, buildings, school organization,
pedagogy, assessment, staffing, school ethos and extra-curricular
activities.
27. Most of the required changes do not relate
exclusively to the inclusion of children with special educational
needs. They are part of a wider reform of education needed to
improve its quality and relevance and to promote higher levels of
learning achievement by all pupils. The World Declaration on
Education for All underscored the need for a child-centred approach
aimed at ensuring the successful schooling of all children. The
adoption of more flexible, adaptive systems capable of taking fuller
account of the different needs of children will contribute both to
educational success and inclusion. The following guidelines focus on
points to be considered in integrating children with special
educational needs into inclusive schools.
Curriculum
flexibility
28. Curricula should be adapted to children's
needs, not vice-versa. Schools should therefore provide curricular
opportunities to suit children with different abilities and
interests.
29. Children with special needs should receive
additional instructional support in the context of the regular
curriculum, not a different curriculum. The guiding principle should
be to provide all children with the same education, providing
additional assistance and support to children requiring
it.
30. The acquisition of knowledge is not only a matter of
formal and theoretical instruction. The content of education should
be geared to high standards and the needs of individuals with a view
to enabling them to participate fully in development. Teaching
should be related to pupils’ own experience and to practical
concerns in order to motivate them better.
31. In order to
follow the progress of each child, assessment procedures should be
reviewed. Formative evaluation should be incorporated into the
regular educational process in order to keep pupils and teachers
informed of the learning mastery attained as well as to identify
difficulties and assist pupils to overcome them.
32. For
children with special educational needs a continuum of support
should be provided, ranging from minimal help in regular classrooms
to additional learning support programmes within the school and
extending, where necessary, to the provision of assistance from
specialist teachers and external support staff.
33.
Appropriate and affordable technology should be used when necessary
to enhance success in the school curriculum and to aid
communication, mobility and learning. Technical aids can be offered
in a more economical and effective way if they are provided from a
central pool in each locality, where there is expertise in matching
aids to individual needs and in ensuring maintenance.
34.
Capability should be built up and research carried out at national
and regional levels to develop appropriate support technology
systems for special needs education. States that have ratified the
Florence Agreement should be encouraged to use this instrument to
facilitate the free circulation of materials and equipment related
to the needs of people with disabilities. Concurrently States that
have not adhered to the Agreement are invited to do so in order to
facilitate the free circulation of services and goods of educational
and cultural nature.
School management
35. Local
administrators and school heads can play a major role in making
schools more responsive to children with special educational needs
if they are given necessary authority and adequate training to do
so. They should be invited to develop more flexible management
procedures, to redeploy instructional resources, to diversify
learning options, to mobilize child-to-child help, to offer support
to pupils experiencing difficulties and to develop close relations
with parents and the community. Successful school management depends
upon the active and creative involvement of teachers and staff, and
the development of effective co-operation and team work to meet the
needs of students.
36. School heads have a special
responsibility in promoting positive attitudes throughout the school
community and in arranging for effective co-operation between class
teachers and support staff. Appropriate arrangements for support and
the exact role to be played by various partners in the educational
process should be decided through consultation and
negotiation.
37. Each school should be a community
collectively accountable for the success or failure of every
student. The educational team, rather than the individual teacher,
should share the responsibility for the education of special needs
children. Parents and volunteers should be invited to take an active
part in the work of the school. Teachers, however, play a key role
as the managers of the educational process, supporting children
through the use of available resources both within and outside of
the classroom.
Information and research
38. The
dissemination of examples of good practice could help to improve
teaching and learning. Information on relevant research findings
would also be valuable. Pooling of experience and the development of
documentation centres should be supported at national level, and
access to sources of information broadened.
39. Special needs
education should be integrated into the research and development
programmes of research institutions and curriculum development
centres. Particular attention should be given in this area to
action-research focusing on innovative teaching-learning strategies.
Classroom teachers should participate actively in both the action
and reflection involved in such inquiries. Pilot experiments and
in-depth studies should also be launched to assist in
decision-making and in guiding future action. These experiments and
studies could be carried out on a co-operative basis by several
countries.
C. RECRUITMENT AND TRAINING OF EDUCATIONAL
PERSONNEL
40. Appropriate preparation of all educational
personnel stands out as a key factor in promoting progress towards
inclusive schools. Furthermore, the importance of recruiting
teachers with disabilities who can serve as role models for children
with disabilities is increasingly recognized. The following actions
could be taken.
41. Pre-service training programmes should
provide to all student teachers, primary and secondary alike,
positive orientation toward disability, thereby developing an
understanding of what can be achieved in schools with locally
available support services. The knowledge and skills required are
mainly those of good teaching and include assessing special needs,
adapting curriculum content, utilizing assistive technology,
individualizing teaching procedures to suit a larger range of
abilities, etc. In teacher-training practice schools, specific
attention should be given to preparing all teachers to exercise
their autonomy and apply their skills in adapting curricula and
instruction to meet pupils needs as well as to collaborate with
specialists and co-operate with parents.
42. The skills
required to respond to special educational needs should be taken
into account during assessment of studies and teacher
certification.
43. As a matter of priority, written materials
should be prepared and seminars organized for local administrators,
supervisors, headteachers and senior teachers to develop their
capacity to provide leadership in this area and to support and train
less-experienced teaching staff.
44. The major challenge lies
in providing in-service training to all teachers, taking into
account the varied and often difficult conditions under which they
serve. In-service training should, wherever possible, be developed
at school level by means of interaction with trainers and supported
by distance education and other self-instruction
techniques.
45. Specialized training in special needs
education leading to additional qualifications should normally be
integrated with or preceeded by training and experience as a regular
education teacher in order to ensure complementarity and
mobility.
46. The training of special teachers needs to be
reconsidered with a view to enabling them to work in different
settings and to play a key role in special educational needs
programmes. A non-categorical approach encompassing all types of
disabilities should be developed as a common core, prior to further
specialization in one or more disability-specific areas.
47.
Universities have a major advisory role to play in the process of
developing special needs education, especially as regards research,
evaluation, preparation of teacher trainers, and designing training
programmes and materials. Networking among universities and
institutions of higher learning in developed and developing
countries should be promoted. Linking research and training in this
way is of great significance. It is also important to actively
involve people with disabilities in research and training roles in
order to ensure that their perspectives are taken fully into
account.
48. A recurrent problem with education systems, even
those that provide excellent educational services for students with
disabilities, is the lack of role models for such students. Special
needs students require opportunities to interact with adults with
disabilities who have achieved success so that they can pattern
their own lifestyles and aspirations on realistic expectations. In
addition, students with disabilities should be given training and
provided with examples of disability empowerment and leadership so
that they can assist in shaping the policies that will affect them
in later life. Education systems should therefore seek to recruit
qualified teachers and other educational personnel who have
disabilities and should also seek to involve successful individuals
with disabilities from within the region in the education of special
needs children.
D. EXTERNAL SUPPORT SERVICES
49.
Provision of support services is of paramount importance for the
success of inclusive educational policies. In order to ensure that,
at all levels, external services are made available to children with
special needs, educational authorities should consider the
following.
50. Support to ordinary schools could be provided
by both teacher-education institutions and by the outreach staff of
special schools. The latter should be used increasingly as resource
centres for ordinary schools offering direct support to those
children with special educational needs. Both training institutions
and special schools can provide access to specific devices and
materials as well as training in instructional strategies that are
not provided in regular classrooms.
51. External support by
resource personnel from various agencies, departments and
institutions, such as advisory teachers, educational psychologists,
speech and occupational therapists, etc., should be co-ordinated at
the local level. School clusters have proved a useful strategy in
mobilizing educational resources as well as community involvement.
Clusters of schools could be assigned collective responsibility for
meeting the special educational needs of pupils in their area and
given scope for allocating resources as required. Such arrangements
should involve non-educational services as well. Indeed, experience
suggests that education services would benefit significantly if
greater efforts were made to ensure optimal use of all available
expertise and resources.
E. PRIORITY AREAS
52.
Integration of children and young people with special educational
needs would be more effective and successful if special
consideration were given in educational development plans to the
following target areas: early childhood education to enhance the
educability of all children, girls’ education and the transition
from education to adult working life.
Early childhood
education
53. The success of the inclusive school depends
considerably on early identification, assessment and stimulation of
the very young child with special educational needs. Early childhood
care and education programmes for children aged up to 6 years ought
to be developed and/or reoriented to promote physical, intellectual
and social development and school readiness. These programmes have a
major economic value for the individual, the family and the society
in preventing the aggravation of disabling conditions. Programmes at
this level should recognize the principle of inclusion and be
developed in a comprehensive way by combining pre-school activities
and early childhood health care.
54. Many countries have
adopted policies in favour of early childhood education, either by
supporting the development of kindergartens and day nurseries or by
organizing family information and awareness activities in
conjunction with community services (health, maternal and infant
care), schools and local family or women's
associations.
Girls’ education
55. Girls with
disabilities are doubly disadvantaged. A special effort is required
to provide training and education for girls with special educational
needs. In addition to gaining access to school, girls with
disabilities should have access to information and guidance as well
as to models which could help them to make realistic choices and
preparation for their future role as adult women.
Preparation
for adult life
56. Young people with special educational
needs should be helped to make an effective transition from school
to adult working life. Schools should assist them to become
economically active and provide them with the skills needed in
everyday life, offering training in skills which respond to the
social and communication demands and expectations of adult life.
This calls for appropriate training technologies, including direct
experience in real life situations outside school. Curricula for
students with special educational needs in senior classes should
include specific transitional programmes, support to enter higher
education whenever possible and subsequent vocational training
preparing them to function as independent, contributing members of
their communities after leaving school. These activities should be
carried out with the active involvement of vocational guidance
counsellors, placement offices, trade unions, local authorities, and
the different services and agencies concerned.
Adult and
continuing education
57. Persons with disabilities should be
given special attention in the design and implementation of adult
and continuing education programmes. Persons with disabilities
should be given priority access to such programmes. Special courses
should also be designed to suit the needs and conditions of
different groups of adults with disabilities.
F:
COMMUNITY PERSPECTIVES
58. Realizing the goal of successful
education of children with special educational needs is not the task
of the Ministries of Education and schools alone. It requires the
co-operation of families, and the mobilization of the community and
voluntary organizations as well as the support of the
public-at-large. Experience from countries or areas that have
witnessed progress in equalizing educational opportunities for
children and youth with special educational needs suggests several
useful lessons.
Parent partnership
59. The education
of children with special educational needs is a shared task of
parents and professionals. A positive attitude on the part of
parents favours school and social integration. Parents need support
in order to assume the role of a parent of a child with special
needs. The role of families and parents could be enhanced by the
provision of necessary information in simple and clear language;
addressing the needs for information and training in parenting
skills is a particularly important task in cultural environments
where there is little tradition of schooling. Both parents and
teachers may need support and encouragement in learning to work
together as equal partners.
60. Parents are privileged
partners as regards the special educational needs of their child,
and to the extent possible should be accorded the choice in the type
of education provision they desire for their child.
61. A
co-operative, supportive partnership between school administrators,
teachers and parents should be developed and parents regarded as
active partners in decision-making. Parents should be encouraged to
participate in educational activities at home and at school (where
they could observe effective techniques and learn how to organize
extra-curricular activities), as well as in the supervision and
support of their children's learning.
62. Governments should
take a lead in promoting parental partnership, through both
statements of policy and legislation concerning parental rights. The
development of parents' associations should be promoted and their
representatives involved in the design and implementation of
programmes intended to enhance the education of their children.
Organizations of people with disabilities should also be consulted
concerning the design and implementation of
programmes.
Community involvement
63.
Decentralization and local-area-based planning favours greater
involvement of communities in education and training of people with
special educational needs. Local administrators should encourage
community participation by giving support to representative
associations and inviting them to take part in decision-making. To
this end, mobilizing and monitoring mechanisms composed of local
civil administration, educational, health and development
authorities, community leaders and voluntary organizations should be
established in geographical areas small enough to ensure meaningful
community participation.
64. Community involvement should be
sought in order to supplement in-school activities, provide help in
doing homework and compensate for lack of family support. Mention
should be made in this connection of the role of neighbourhood
associations in making premises available, the role of family
associations, youth clubs and movements, and the potential role of
elderly people and other volunteers, including persons with
disabilities, in both in-school and out-of-school
programmes.
65. Whenever action for community-based
rehabilitation is initiated from outside, it is the community that
must decide whether the programme will become part of the ongoing
community development activities. Various partners in the community,
including organizations of persons with disabilities and other
non-governmental organizations, should be empowered to take
responsibility for the programme. Where appropriate, government
agencies at both the national and local level should also lend
financial and other support.
Role of voluntary organizations
66. As voluntary associations and national non-governmental
organizations have more freedom to act and can respond more readily
to expressed needs, they should be supported in developing new ideas
and pioneering innovative delivery methods. They can play the roles
of innovator and catalyst and extend the range of programmes
available to the community.
67. Organizations of people with
disabilities i.e., those in which they themselves have the decisive
influence - should be invited to take an active part in identifying
needs, expressing views on priorities, administering services,
evaluating performance and advocating change.
Public
awareness
68. Policy-makers at all levels, including the
school level, should regularly reaffirm their commitment to
inclusion and promote positive attitudes among children, among
teachers and among the public-at-large towards those with special
educational needs.
69. Mass media can play a powerful role in
promoting positive attitudes towards the integration of disabled
persons in society, overcoming prejudice and misinformation, and
infusing greater optimism and imagination about the capabilities of
persons with disabilities. The media can also promote positive
attitudes of employers toward hiring persons with disabilities. The
media should be used to inform the public on new approaches in
education, particularly as regards provision for special needs
education in regular schools, by popularizing examples of good
practice and successful experiences.
G. RESOURCE
REQUIREMENTS
70. The development of inclusive schools as the
most effective means for achieving education for all must be
recognized as a key government policy and accorded a privileged
place on the nation's development agenda. It is only in this way
that adequate resources can be obtained. Changes in policies and
priorities cannot be effective unless adequate resource requirements
are met. Political commitment, at both the national and community
level, is needed both to obtain additional resources and to redeploy
existing ones. While communities must play a key role in developing
inclusive schools, government encouragement and support is also
essential in devising effective and affordable solutions.
71.
The distribution of resources to schools should take realistic
account of the differences in expenditure required to provide
appropriate education for all children, bearing in mind their needs
and circumstances. It may be realistic to begin by supporting those
schools that wish to promote inclusive education and to launch pilot
projects in some areas in order to gain the necessary expertise for
expansion and progressive generalization. In the generalization of
inclusive education, the level of support and expertise will have to
be matched to the nature of the demand.
72. Resources must
also be allocated to support services for the training of mainstream
teachers, for the provision of resource centres and for special
education teachers or resource teachers. Appropriate technical aids
to ensure the successful operation of an integrated education system
must also be provided. Integrated approaches should, therefore, be
linked to the development of support services at central and
intermediate levels.
73. Pooling the human, institutional,
logistic, material and financial resources of various ministerial
departments (Education, Health, Social Welfare, Labour, Youth,
etc.), territorial and local authorities, and other specialized
institutions is an effective way to maximize their impact. Combining
both an educational and a social approach to special needs education
will require effective management structures enabling the various
services to co-operate at both national and local levels, and
allowing the public authorities and associative bodies to join
forces.
GUIDELINES FOR ACTION AT THE REGIONAL AND
INTERNATIONAL LEVEL
74. International co-operation among
governmental and non-governmental, regional and interregional
organizations can play a very important role in supporting the move
towards inclusive schools. Based on past experience in this area,
international organizations, intergovernmental and non-governmental
as well as bilateral donor agencies, could consider joining forces
in implementing the following strategic approaches.
75.
Technical assistance should be directed to strategic fields of
intervention with a multiplier effect, especially in developing
countries. One important task for international co-operation is to
support the launching of pilot projects aimed at trying out new
approaches and at capacity building.
76. The organization of
regional partnerships or partnership among countries with similar
approaches in special needs education could result in the planning
of joint activities under the auspices of existing regional or other
co-operative mechanisms. Such activities should be designed to take
advantage of economies of scale, to draw upon the experience of
participating countries, and to further the development of national
capabilities.
77. A priority mission incumbent upon
international organizations is to facilitate exchange of data,
information and results of pilot programmes in special needs
education between countries and regions. Collection of
internationally comparable indicators of progress in inclusion in
education and employment should become a part of the worldwide
database on education. Focal points might be established in
sub-regional centres in order to facilitate information exchanges.
Existing structures at the regional and international levels should
be strengthened and their activities extended to such fields as
policies, programming, training of personnel and
evaluation.
78. A high percentage of disability is the direct
result of lack of information, poverty and low health standards. As
the worldwide prevalence of disabilities is increasing, particularly
in the developing countries, there should be joint international
action in close collaboration with national efforts to prevent the
causes of disability through education which, in turn, would reduce
the incidence and prevalence of disabilities, thereby further
reducing the demands on the limited financial and human resources of
a country.
79. International and technical assistance to
special needs education derives from numerous sources. It is,
therefore, essential to ensure coherence and complementarity among
organizations of the United Nations system and other agencies
lending assistance in this area.
80. International
co-operation should support advanced training seminars for
educational managers and other specialists at the regional level and
foster co-operation between university departments and training
institutions in different countries for conducting comparative
studies as well as for the publication of reference documents and
instructional materials.
81. International co-operation
should assist in the development of regional and international
associations of professionals concerned with the enhancement of
special needs education and should support the creation and
dissemination of newsletters or journals as well as the holding of
regional meetings and conferences.
82. International and
regional meetings covering issues related to education should ensure
that special educational needs are addressed as an integral part of
the debate and not as a separate issue. As a concrete example, the
issue of special needs education should be put on the agenda of
regional ministerial conferences organized by UNESCO and other
intergovernmental bodies.
83. International technical
co-operation and funding agencies involved in support and
development of Education for All initiatives should ensure that
special needs education is an integral part of all development
projects.
84. International co-ordination should exist to
support universal accessibility specifications in communication
technology underpinning the emerging information
infrastructure.
85. This Framework for Action was adopted by
acclamation after discussion and amendment in the Closing Session of
the Conference on 10 June 1994. It is intended to guide Member
States and governmental and non-governmental organizations in
implementing the Salamanca Statement on Principles, Policy, and
Practice in Special Needs Education.
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