From October 17 to 19, 2024, a seminar of the EZA Education Platform took place in Warsaw / Poland, focusing on inclusive education, with the title “Social Dialogue in Education: Inclusive education – challenges, opportunities and social partners involvement”. This type of education allows students with diverse educational special needs, including those with disabilities, to learn in mainstream schools alongside their colleagues. The meeting was attended in total by 53 representatives of workers’ organisations onsite and I online. Simultaneous interpretation was provided in: Polish, English, Italian, Portuguese, Hungarian, German, and French. The seminar was organised by KK NSZZ "Solidarność", in cooperation with EZA and funded by the European Union.
The meeting was opened by Jerzy Jaworski, Deputy Chairman of the National Commission of NSZZ "Solidarnosc" who welcomed the participants and emphasized the significance of the topic and the need for discussion in this area, as the implementation of such education in Polish practice is very challenging.
Next, Dariusz Paczuski, Chairman of the ZR Mazowsze NSZZ "S", welcomed the participants and shared the history of the "Solidarnosc" trade union in the city, highlighting the union’s openness to providing educational support for individuals with disabilities.
Dr. Waldemar Jakubowski, Chairman of the National Section of Science and Education of NSZZ "Solidarnosc”, initially shared his perspective and posed the question of whether inclusive education is even possible in Poland. He expressed a negative opinion while encouraging the presentation of the situation in other EU countries participating in the meeting.
The moderator of the meeting, Elzbieta Wielg, an expert from the KK NSZZ "Solidarnosc” welcomed the participants and presented the topic and agenda of the meeting.
The first presentation was delivered by Janine Helm from the State Association for Persons with Physical Disabilities in Germany, who focused on adult education and improving the quality of life for individuals with disabilities and their families. She introduced the Inkluevo project concerning the educational integration of intellectually disabled adults within the local community, which includes participation in digital, cultural, and sports activities, as well as learning to play an instrument. They also participate in English language learning projects and higher education for this group, providing them with transport and sign language interpretation. Individual institutions in Germany are not yet fully inclusive, but integration in this country is a complex construct that takes place and develops on multiple levels, also thanks to projects funded by public resources.
The second presentation on the first day was delivered by Maria Reina Martin, President of Fidestra from Portugal. The integration system for students with disabilities began there in the 1970s, and since 1986 it has been recognized as a form of education and sanctioned by law. Since then, students have been learning alongside their "healthy" colleagues, and inclusive education is at a high level. In Portugal, there are approximately 88,000 students with disabilities, which constitutes 7.77% of all students, while the number of teachers with special qualifications is insufficient, in total only 8,300. Support Teaching Centers have been integrated into regular educational institutions since preschool, utilizing resources from regular public schools, including human resources such as therapists, special education teachers, psychologists, and pedagogues. However, their numbers are inadequate. The curriculum is evaluated and adjusted to meet students' needs. There is also a lack of material and technical resources, as well as specialized training for staff.
After both presentations, there was a discussion and exchange of experiences among the countries. The voice from Poland indicated that education must be individually tailored, noting that children who arrive too late at special schools become withdrawn after years of alienation in mainstream schools. According to teachers practicing in special schools, children with special needs arrive at specialized facilities too late, prolonging the process of reaching out to them and encouraging their engagement. By being among other children with disabilities, they "open up" and function very differently. Therefore, the trade union "Solidarnosc" will advocate for maintaining special schools at the expense of striving for full educational inclusivity. The role of the state, on the other hand, must be to include graduates from such institutions into the labour market, as after secondary school there is a complete lack of further adult education or assistance in finding work in Poland.
The second day began with Andras Bardocz-Todor, representing MOSZ from Hungary via online connection. He pointed out the educational problems in that country, such as financial shortages for staff and equipment, a lack of special education teachers, overloaded backpacks, and inadequate classrooms. Integration in Hungary mainly concerns Roma children and children with disabilities. He also highlighted another problem that he believes is global, concerning children with psychological issues, which are increasing every year. He argued that these children should also be included in inclusive education.
Next, Yulian Petrov from SEP presented inclusive education in Bulgaria, discussing the legal status, structure, and scope of support, which includes, among other things, subject counselling, vocational guidance, library and information services, speech therapy, healthcare, and accommodation services. These activities are carried out both in schools and in personal development support centers. Additionally, Bulgaria has Special Educational Support Centers that conduct diagnostic work, corrective and therapeutic rehabilitation, psychological and pedagogical assistance, as well as training for children and students to obtain level I vocational qualifications, in total, 26,076 students have received such training in Bulgaria. SEP is involved in the SpicE project, which aims to promote STEAM disciplines—an acronym derived from the first letters of the words in English: science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics. The project aims to enhance teachers' skills and implement tools to protect students with mild disabilities from social and educational exclusion. Inclusive education in Bulgaria is underfunded, and there is a shortage of pedagogical, medical, and social specialists. In the discussion, he emphasized that the elimination of special schools in Bulgaria was a mistake, and plans are in place to reopen them; however, the process is slow due to a lack of qualified staff. During the discussion, a participant from Italy presented a different perspective and criticized special schools as places that exclude children with disabilities from the community.
The next presentation was given by Jan Kosifiski-Goftych from the Department of Inclusive Education at the Ministry of National Education of Poland. He presented Poland's ecosystemic and strategic approach, beginning from government administration down to municipal governments, through counselling centers, coordinating institutions, and ending at schools. The number of special education teachers has increased from 22,000 to 55,000 over the last three years. The number of assessments for students needing special education is also rising, averaging about a 20% annual increase in recent years. Currently, the percentage of children receiving psychological and pedagogical assistance is nearly 50%. No changes in the form of education are planned, but there are plans to facilitate the entry of individuals with disabilities into the labor market. The Ministry of Education is conducting a range of activities in this regard, including launching postgraduate studies aimed at preparing professionals to work with diverse and special needs groups, as well as educational materials for teachers, such as free planning guides for educators and psychological and pedagogical counselling centers. The speaker announced the establishment of a network of 285 Specialist Centers for Inclusive Education (SCEW) to reach at least one per county, which is being implemented through a project financed by the European Social Fund, preceded by a pilot project.
The next presentation titled "Inclusive education educational utopia or a chance for better development?" was delivered by Hanna Dobrowolska, an education expert from School Protection Movement, Poland. She presented the Polish model of inclusive education based on different types of classes: special and therapeutic, integrative, mainstream, and special in preschools and schools, as well as in centers and institutions like the Falkowski Institute for the Deaf, established in 1817, which made a significant contribution to the development of sign language and the education of deaf individuals. According to her, the EU has allocated 76 billion EUR for inclusive education in Poland for the years 2021-2027, while simultaneously excluding funding for special schools from this allocation. She believes that mainstream schools function well as places for educating students with physical disabilities and often those with visual and hearing impairments; however, regarding autistic children, the situation is very individual, and it's difficult to establish a rule. Mainstream schools do not work well for children with psychosocial problems and multiple disabilities. In the case of intellectual disabilities: for mild disabilities, some successes in inclusion can be noted in early grades (up to grade 3), but for significant and profound disabilities, inclusion is practically impossible. She presented letters and testimonies indicating that the idea of inclusion in mainstream schools is not beneficial for either the affected children or their "healthy" colleagues, especially concerning older children with greater disabilities.
She advocates for discontinuing inclusive training for specialist teachers and subject teachers according to the current program. She proposes the cancellation of higher education programs supplementing the special education — inclusive education path and the subject of inclusive education in specialized studies, as well as a shift from an inclusive to a rational approach, including a review of Disability Studies. Additionally, she encourages equipping school principals with the authority to intervene (in the case of unsuccessful inclusion processes) to refer a student to individual instruction, transfer them to a special school, or create a special class in the school—immediately. She also supports increasing the powers of psychological and pedagogical counselling centers to indicate appropriate institutions for students with special educational needs and to intervene in difficult cases, requiring parents to present assessments from counselling centers when enrolling their child in school and promoting the development of specialized education.
The presentation sparked a lively discussion among participants, with arguments both for and against inclusive education. It was also emphasized that individuals with disabilities do not learn practical skills and struggle in normal life after finishing school.
After lunch, an analysis of the situation in other countries took place, involving an exchange of experiences and good practices derived from the experiences of social partners, followed by a plenary discussion. The Italian system was presented first, which focuses on personalizing education for students attending mainstream institutions, including secondary, technical, and vocational schools, with the support of special education teachers. Schools have the autonomy to create their curricula, and special schools do not exist. All teachers receive the same salary. Preparing for this change, along with discussions in parliament and the teaching community, as well as changing mindsets, took years before inclusive education could be fully implemented in Italy. However, there are still some ongoing issues, and it remains a continuous effort. There are three teachers for three main subjects in classes of a maximum of 25 students.
In Serbia and Lithuania, classes tend to be large, with over 30 students, and 2-3 students in such classes have special needs, while there are too few special education teachers. After the break, there was a discussion about whether inclusive education is beneficial for children, and regarding the extent of social partners' actions at the local, regional, national, and then European levels. It was emphasized that this requires time and smart, adequate process preparation. It is important for EU funds to be properly utilized and targeted at the most needed areas. Cooperation with industry sectors is essential so that children can find employment after school, preventing social exclusion.
There is a difference between an educational institution that is supposed to teach and one that provides pedagogical care, and thus it is necessary to address the question of what school should be and for whom it is intended, rather than focusing solely on the concept of inclusion. First, it is necessary to define which types of disabilities can be accommodated within inclusive education, meaning to diagnose, and then determine the size of classroom teams. The opinions of the children themselves are also crucial—what do they want, and what is best for them? Inclusion can be applied to a certain extent, but not at every level or in all areas. The decision should belong to the parents, but they must be informed about the consequences of their choices, which also requires guidance, an area in which there is a lack.
What conditions must exist for this system to function effectively, aside from funding for personnel and technical support? Appropriate laws, raising awareness of inclusion issues, and ensuring a transition from education to work are essential. Salaries must be appropriate, not just slightly above the minimum wage. The role of unions should be to reassess the tasks and functions of special education teachers, enhance their status as the number of students decreases, improve education, and emphasize funding issues.
The third day began with identifying actions that trade unions could take in the future at various levels. The moderator proposed an analysis of the implementation of the vision for the development of the European education area in each country, with a particular focus on education quality, enhancing teachers' competencies, and elevating the status of the teaching profession. Topics related to the school of the future were proposed. The voice from Portugal highlighted issues regarding the integration of immigrant children and suggested inviting teachers with experience in this area. Other contributions addressed how to encourage young people to enter the teaching profession (a profession that is aging) and discussed the "School of the Future," which should be based on values such as solidarity, freedom, and respect for diversity. Currently, different values are dominated, such as competitiveness while schools need to be safe and open environments.