Education: Breaking down barriers takes time

Inclusion in schools is easier said than done. Historically, but also in practice.

In Luxembourg, its beginnings date back to the 1960s. However, it was not until 1990 that the Grand Duchy set out on the path towards education for all. The National Observatory for Childhood, Youth and Quality in Schools (OEJQS) published this in a report in 2023.

In recent years, the country has taken a significant step towards greater inclusion, particularly with the abolition of the special school system. Both positive and negative reactions have followed.

This is shown, for example, in a report published by the Ministry of Education in January 2023, in which a majority (64 per cent) of school staff were in favour of the principle of inclusion. However, a good quarter (around 27 per cent) of respondents were against integrating pupils with special educational needs into regular classes. The nuance was even stronger when it came to recognising the benefits of inclusion. A third (around 34 per cent) saw no advantages for other pupils in the presence of pupils with special educational needs. This was contrasted by 45 per cent of the remaining school staff.

Results that give food for thought? Sandra Beck from the information and counselling service at Info-Handicap puts it this way: "Inclusion is simply a difficult topic in society. I have the impression that special schools, not only in Luxembourg but also in other countries, were created in good faith to accommodate children with special needs in order to offer them the best possible education […] The social consequence of this was that more and more people with disabilities left mainstream schools and we as a society simply lost contact with these people." According to the social worker, the same applies to the world of work, where more and more people with disabilities have lost their place due to increasing pressure to perform. It is a fact that there are many reservations about people with disabilities in society. "That's why I personally think inclusion is very important, because we learn to break down barriers from an early age." It should also improve young people's chances of gaining a foothold in the world of work later on.