Young Views on Inclusive Education – European Hearing, 7 November 2011, Brussels - final press release

Final Press Release

Young Views on Inclusive Education: “We are all different colours and together we can make a rainbow and make the world brighter” (Dagur, 16, Iceland)

Brussels, 7 November 2011: European Hearing, European Parliament

90 teenagers (from 14 to 18) from 27 European countries met at the European Parliament, Brussels, on 7 November to express their views on inclusive education. After arriving in Brussels on 5 November, the young delegates met each other on 6 November to present and discuss their views on Inclusive Education in seven working groups. This event was hosted by the European Agency for Development in Special Needs Education.

Three questions had previously been addressed to the participants:

1. What is inclusive education?

Leaving aside the official definition, let us hear the thoughts of some of the participants.

For the afore-mentioned Dagur, “Inclusive education is about ending segregation and promoting participation in mainstream classrooms. It is about being together with our friends and belonging to the same community”. And for Alexandra, Greece “Inclusive education is the right to be accepted and integrated without discrimination”.

2. Why do we need inclusive education?

For Claudia, 16, Rome, Italy: “One benefit of Inclusive Education is to create a better society, starting from school. It allows us to get a better job and have wider opportunities in life. It allows us to make more friends, to be part of the community and to feel like everybody else.”

Francesco, Malta, is very precise: “The benefits of inclusive education are good social relationships and possibilities to get at job. It gives you the possibility to study and not have the feeling ‘I am different’.”

3. How could we achieve inclusive education?

Inclusive education is not always easy.

“There is often not enough staff to help and supports to learn. And sometimes teachers do not understand our life and what we need”, said Ingre from Estonia.

For Mirjam, Netherlands: “Teachers, students and parents should work together. Students should not be discouraged by anyone in anyway. Some people need more support than others. Everyone's rights should be met.”

Many participants pointed out that the starting point is teacher awareness and teacher education.

Let us give the final word to Lucie from Prague, Czech Republic: “Inclusive education is a good idea, a new world is opened.”

On 7 November 2011, the European Agency for Development in Special Needs Education hosted a European Hearing at the European Parliament in Brussels. The event aimed to provide young people from across Europe, both with and without disabilities and/or special educational needs, the opportunity to make their voices heard. They expressed their views on inclusive education based on their own experiences and highlighted challenges and their requirements and hopes for the future.

The objectives of the Hearing were:

• to fully involve young people both with and without disabilities and/or special educational needs from secondary and vocational education. They are all concerned with what inclusion means;

• to listen to the young people and see what progress has been made in practice since 2007 with regards to inclusive education in their respective countries;

• to highlight important issues raised by all the young people regarding benefits of inclusive education and challenges still to overcome.

Thirty-one delegations – each delegation comprising of three young delegates, two of whom have disabilities and/or special educational needs – from 27 countries attended the Hearing, as well as official representatives from the Ministries, the European Institutions and key European and international organisations.

At http://www.european-agency.org/agency-projects/european-hearing-2011/young-views-european-hearing-2011-brussels you will find:

• more information and conclusions,

• posters: each delegation at the hearing created a special poster illustrating their views on inclusive education,

• photos of the event.

A photo presentation is available: http://animoto.com/play/wKphl5yKsOymcdnaWTBYLg

This European Hearing was organised with the support of the European Commission and the European Parliament.

For information:

European Agency for Development in Special Needs Education
Brussels Office
Av. Palmerston 3
B-1000 Brussels, Belgium
Tel.: +32 22 80 33 59
brussels.office@european-agency.org