DEVELOPMENT OF INTEGRATION/INCLUSION

Views on inclusion

Compulsory school
Although the official policy has been included for more than 20 years, until 1992 Norway had 40 national schools for special education. Since 1991, a reorganisation of special education has been taking place. A main objective of the reorganisation has been to change from a system of special schools to a system of full inclusion. An important element of the reorganisation is that 20 of the former national, special schools have been changed into resource centres. Another important element is the five-year research programme (1993–98) that aims at defining measures and services to be developed in order to give all learners a high quality education in their own community. In addition, a research and development programme has been started with emphasis upon strengthening the educational-psychological service at the community level.

In 1996 and 1997, this reorganisation of special education was evaluated. In March 1998 the ministry presented a White Paper with suggestions to the Parliament on how special education should be organised in the future. The main question is how the support system outside mainstream schools should be organised to promote a continued policy of inclusion.

Deaf pupils
Most parents want their child to be included in the mainstream school system. Only a majority of parents of deaf pupils prefer segregation. The argument is that deaf pupils also have the right to be in an environment where they can communicate in their first language, sign language.

An evaluation study showed that most parents had a more positive view of inclusion than teachers did. They did not consider social inclusion to be as important a problem as teachers did. Their children felt comfortable at school.

Society has a mainly positive attitude towards inclusion. Most people are familiar with the principles of equality and participation. However, there are still some voices arguing for more segregation. One argument for segregation is the pupil's need to meet other pupils with the same problems. Another argument is that mainstream schools have limited competence and resources to include pupils with severe emotional and behavioural problems.

The Programme Board for the Research Programme (a research programme initiated by the Ministry of Education, Research and Church Affairs) has emphasised certain major problem areas concerning inclusion and participation in the mainstream school system for pupils with SEN.

Among others it was felt that the co-operation between the educational system and health care could be improved in Norway.

There are some voices that advocate more segregation in Norway; this is especially the case with pupils who are deaf and pupils with severe emotional and behavioural problems.

Routes to Inclusion
The main principle of Norwegian education policy is that pupils with special needs are to be integrated into mainstream school. The core curriculum states that:

The school shall provide room for everybody and teachers must therefore tend to the educational needs of each individual learner.

Special education is provided in accordance with the principles of inclusion, participation and decentralisation. The aim is to make sure that wherever possible, all pupils' needs are met within the mainstream school system.

This has been the official Norwegian policy for the last two decades and there are no indications of change