Includ-ed, red europea de educación inclusiva

In December 2013, the incluD-ed network actively supported MEP Rosa Estaràs Ferragut, member of the Disability Intergroup and co-organisator of the first Conference on Inclusive Education and Disability in Europe at the European Parliament on April 9, to find and formulate questions that are of interest to people with disabilities throughout Europe and that are directly linked to the topic of inclusive education.

The questions MEP Estaràs Ferragut asked the Commission under rule 117 and in whose formulation the incluD-ed network has been actively involved were addressed to EU Justice Commissioner at the time Viviane Reding who answered on 18 February 2014.

Viviane Reding is a Luxembourg politician, who served until recently as European Commissioner for Justice, Fundamental Rights and Citizenship. The EU Directorate General for Justice deals with a wide range of areas such as citizenship and fundamental rights, consumer protection legislation, equality legislation etc. Reding is also Vice-President on the European Commission since November 2009. She started her political career in 1979 as a Member of the Luxembourg Parliament. In the European Commission she held also the positions of Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth, Media and Sport (1999 to 2004) and Commissioner for Information Society and Media (2004-2009). Pushing the implementation of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union and measures to improve the rights of people with disabilities across Europe [see ‘European Disability Strategy 2010-2020: A Renewed Commitment to a Barrier-Free Europe’].

MEP Rosa Estaràs Ferragut also submitted two additional questions on the topic “Disability and the need for specialised staff”. Androulla Vassiliou, EU Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism, Sport, Media and Youth since February 2010, answered on behalf of the Commission. Ms Vassiliou is a Cypriot and European politician who is very active in social and cultural fields particularly within the UN and EU.

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The incluD-ed network feelt very honoured to have been asked by MEP Rosa Estaràs Ferragut to contribute to the development of these questions to the European Commission. We see it as a positive sign in the positioning of the European Network as a reference on the topic of inclusive education and disability in Europe, and aim to continue strengthening this leading role in the period to come.

incluD-ed will further support these kind of policy actions at European level since they form part of the network activities with the aim to raise awareness among European politicians about the importance of promoting inclusive education in their countries.

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Inclusion Inspired Dialogue with Commissioners Viviane Reding

MEP Estaràs Ferragut and the incluD-ed network: People with disabilities often find themselves disadvantaged and marginalised, particularly when it comes to work”. This is even truer for young people with disabilities who have only completed secondary education, or an even lower level of education. These young people are generally more likely to be unemployed, more likely to depend on welfare benefits and are at greater risk of social exclusion.

To improve employment prospects for people with disabilities their level of education needs to be improved. Among young people between 16 and 19 years-old, the rate of non-participation in education is 37% for considerably restricted people, compared with 25% for those restricted to some extent and 17% for those not restricted. Improving education facilitates access to employment and welfare systems; such systems must take into account the specific needs of individuals with disabilities.

What measures is the Commission considering to encourage inclusive education during the period 2014–2020?

EU Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding: “All EU Member States have signed and 25 of them have by now also ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which includes a commitment to inclusive education (article 24). As education is primarily a competence of the Member States, the action of the Commission in this field is mainly supportive. The Commission policy to promote inclusive education and lifelong learning is outlined in the European Disability Strategy 2010-2020. The Commission supports financially the European Agency for Special Needs and Inclusive Education (EASNIE) which provides information on inclusive education across Europe, policy recommendations and monitoring tools.

During the period 2014-2020, the European Social Fund will allocate at least 20% to social inclusion. One of the goals is to support more persons with disabilities and other disadvantaged groups when they integrate into society and the work environment.

MEP Estaràs Ferragut and the incluD-ed network: Does the Commission take the view that young people with disabilities need help to transition from education to the working or professional phase of their lives? What action does it intend to take to this end?

EU Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding: The Commission takes the view that young people with disabilities need help for their transition from education to work. A Commission report published in 2012 “Education and disability/special needs –policies and practices in education, training and employment for students with disabilities and special educational needs in the EU" highlighted some key barriers in this transition and provided policy guidance. Also, EASNIE has completed a project European Patterns of Successful Practice in Vocational Education and Training on the extent to which VET programmes for learners with disabilities prepare them to find a job.

MEP Estaràs Ferragut and the incluD-ed network: Does the Commission intend to provide additional funds to increase the mobility of students with special educational needs throughout Europe?

EU Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding: The new Erasmus+ programme will provide funding opportunities to promote inclusive education and to improve the employability of people with disabilities and will offer additional funding, targeted to their specific needs, to support participation of people with disabilities in all of the programme's mobility actions.”

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Inclusion Inspired Dialogue with Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou

MEP Rosa Estaràs Ferragut submitted two additional questions on the topic “Disability and the need for specialised staff” that have been answered by Mrs Androulla Vassiliou, Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism, Sport, Media and Youth on behalf of the Commission on 12 February 2014.

MEP Estaràs Ferragut based her argumentation on the fact that since the 1970s it has been proven that early intervention enriches the educational environment of children with disabilities and has very positive effects on children’s neuropsychological development.  In recent years, scientific research has focused on understanding the specific nature of each syndrome involving cognitive or developmental disabilities. These advances involve research into what mutations occur in certain genes in each type of disability, affecting health, memory, perception, learning and language. Understanding this makes it possible to design more direct and effective methods to understand health problems and address cognitive limitations, teaching individuals to think, speak, read, write, behave, etc.

For inclusive schools it is crucial that teachers and especially support staff are trained in the care and education of individuals with disabilities (Down’s syndrome, autism, cerebral palsy, hearing impairment, etc.). Up to now, a general lack of training among teachers and support staff for individuals with disabilities throughout the education system has been noted.

MEP Estaràs Ferragut: In view of Article 20 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the European Disability Strategy 2010-2020, what is the Commission’s opinion on the training of specialised staff to meet the educational needs of children with disabilities, in order for them to learn successfully and participate on an equal footing?

Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou: Member States are responsible for the content and organisation of their education systems; the Commission supports their efforts to modernise and improve them. In this context, the Commission supports financially and cooperates with the European Agency for Special Needs and Inclusive Education( http://www.european-agency.org/). The Agency provides analysis and evidence of good educational practices, makes recommendations and develops tools to evaluate and monitor progress.

As part of the European Disability Strategy 2010-2020, the Commission also promotes the education and training of people with disabilities within the general education system, complemented by individualized support. The communication ‘Improving competences for the 21st Century’ notes the benefits of teaching tailored to each learner’s needs in inclusive schools.

In 2012, the Commission's Staff Working Document ‘Supporting the Teaching Professions for Better Learning Outcomes’ acknowledged the challenge of preparing the teaching profession for inclusive education and underlined the need for action. Furthermore, the Council Conclusions on ‘Effective Leadership in Education’ (November 2013) stressed the importance of training educational leaders to improve their professional and pedagogical skills.

MEP Estaràs Ferragut:  What action does the Commission intend to take to facilitate suitable training and support for professionals who work with children and adults with disabilities?

Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou: The new Erasmus+ programme will expand the support previously provided under the Lifelong Learning and Youth in Action programmes to groups promoting the participation of disabled learners in education and training. Also in the period 2014-2020, EU Member States can mobilise resources from the new European Structural and Investment Funds to support the education, training and skills development of people with disabilities.

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Sources:

• > MEP Estaràs Ferragut questions on the topic ‘Inclusive Education’ http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-//EP//TEXT+WQ+E-2013-014044+0+DOC+XML+V0//EN
• > Answers of EU Justice Commissioner Ms Viviane Reding on behalf of the Commission http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getAllAnswers.do?reference=E-2013-014044&language=EN
• > MEP Estaràs Ferragut questions on the topic ‘Disability and the need for specialised staff’ http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-//EP//TEXT+WQ+E-2014-003059+0+DOC+XML+V0//EN
• > Answers of EU Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism, Sport, Media and Youth, Ms Androulla Vassiliou http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getAllAnswers.do?reference=E-2013-014042&language=EN