The principle of mainstreaming means that people with special educational needs should neither use, nor receive exceptional services, except for situations and cases, when it is strictly essential and, therefore, should, the system of general community services should be made use of as far as possible.

Mainstreaming implies enabling people who have special educational needs to lead a normal life; it means that they are entitled to the same rights and duties as the other members of society.

The principle of integration means enabling pupils to participate actively and responsibly in all walks of life. Integration is applied, therefore, in the family, at school, in community, in the labour market, etc.

In this respect, integration cannot be considered only as a synonym of "putting together or being together". It is functional and has an impact upon all areas of a pupil's experience in outside of school.

The educational system establishes a Compulsory Basic Education from 6 to 16 years of age.

When pupils finish this compulsory stage, they face two possibilities according to the awarded Compulsory Secondary Education Certificate.

1. With the Compulsory Secondary Education Certificate
a) Baccalaureate: for those pupils who want to get to the University or to the vocational training (high degree). If finished positively, the Secondary Education Certificate (Baccalaureate) is awarded.
b) Vocational Training (medium degree). Pupils who want to get a specific qualification, in order to reach the labour market, choose this way. Upon finishing it positively, a "Technical" Certificate in the acquired speciality is awarded.
c) Vocational Training (High degree). For students with the Secondary Education Certificate (Baccalaureate). If they pass this stage, a certificate of "Higher Technical" is awarded.

2. Without the Compulsory Secondary Education Certificate
a) Social Assurance programmes: For pupils who are 16 and want to be prepared for the labour market. These programmes last one or two years. Pupils, schooling at this stage, are awarded the Certificate of "Assistant" in the acquired speciality.

b) Pupils with special educational needs can attend all these studies regardless of whether they have or don't' have a Compulsory Secondary Education Certificate. It will be need to adjust pupils' curriculum (in different ways) to enable them to attain the specific goals.

c) Apart from this integration regime, there exists another possibility for the pupils who cannot benefit from the advantage of this integration situation due to their handicaps or disabilities.

Presently there are the following possibilities available for those pupils:
a) Special Social Assurance programmes for students with special educational needs, who are sixteen and have been schooled during their compulsory education into mainstream school in an integration regime.
These programmes last for two years. When finished, a certificate is awarded. These studies are attended in the educational centres, which depend on the Educational Institutions, or in private centres financed by the State.

b) Supporting Employment programmes: they focus on adjusting the posts for disabled people through those people who are in charge of assisting the disabled workers in their posts until a the process of learning, adjustment or integration to the post is completed.

The duration of these programmes is variable.
In general, they are promoted by Parents' Associations or by Affected Associations. These organisations are provided with human resources (professional teams) specialising in selecting posts and workers for their better adjustment to the posts offered by the companies or by special employment centres.

They are financed fully or partially by the Ministry of Employment and Social Services or by the correspondent Ministries in the Autonomous Regions.