Country information for Spain - Assessment within inclusive education systems

As with the Organic Act on Education (LOE), the Organic Act of Modification of LOE (LOMLOE, 2020) focuses attention on learners with specific educational support needs. This includes learners who require additional educational support because of special educational needs, developmental delay, developmental language and communication disorders, attention or learning disorders, severe ignorance of the language of learning, socio-educational vulnerability, high intellectual abilities, late entry to the education system or due to personal circumstances or past school records.

The LOMLOE establishes that learners with special educational needs (SEN) should attend mainstream schools and programmes that are adapted to each learner’s individual capacities. Education in special units or establishments, or combined education, will only take place when mainstream education cannot meet learners’ needs. This situation will be periodically revised to increase inclusion, if possible.

According to the LOMLOE, the education system must have the necessary resources for learners with SEN to achieve the learning objectives appropriate to their development. The principle of normalisation, with the aim of promoting school inclusion, underlies the Organic Act on Education.

The LOMLOE stipulates that teams of professionals with different qualifications will identify learners with SEN and evaluate their needs as early as possible, as determined by education administrative authorities. These professionals will establish performance plans for each learner’s educational needs. At the end of each year, the evaluation team will assess how far the objectives set out in the plan have been achieved. This will facilitate necessary adaptations and changes to the intervention plans, to facilitate learners’ access to or permanence in the most inclusive system possible.

The education administrative authorities are responsible for the early childhood education of children with SEN and for developing programmes to facilitate education in primary and compulsory secondary mainstream schools.

The education administrative authorities are also responsible for the education of learners with SEN after compulsory education, and for making the necessary adaptations to the exams, as stated by law, when required.

Last updated 09/11/2022