Inclusion at a Crossroads: Dismantling Ireland’s System of Special Education

Abstract

Ireland’s system of special education has undergone unprecedented change over the last three decades. Following major policy developments in the mid-2000s which emphasised inclusive education, there have been changes to special education school personnel and funding structures which seek to include greater numbers of students with disabilities in mainstream education. There is one anomaly however: Ireland continues to operate a parallel system of special schools and classes with an emphasis on special class provision for students with disabilities. The aim of this paper is to examine the evolution of Ireland’s special education policy over the past three decades and explore the extent to which it is compatible with its obligations under the United Nations Convention for People with Disabilities (UNCRPD) and more recent discussions around moving to inclusive education. It uses a systematic investigation of policy and administrative data on special class growth over time to highlight anomalies between the policy narrative around inclusive education in Ireland and the continued use of segregated settings. The current system, therefore, suggests confused thinking at a policy level which has resulted in the implementation of special education grafted on to the general education system. Any move to an inclusive system therefore, in order to be successful, would require a root and branch overhaul of existing policies.

Societal, systemic, school and family drivers for and barriers to inclusive education

“…Several quotes from the Disability Royal Commission highlighted that the DoE continues to support segregated, special education by building new special schools and undertaking improvements in existing special schools, which seems to conflict with the policy and strategic plan. Shevlin and Banks (2021) would describe this as policy confusion.…”

Universal Design for Learning: Is It Gaining Momentum in Irish Education?

“…Special classes fall under the remit of the school they are in. In the school year 2020/2021, there were 1836 special classes across primary and post-primary schools in Ireland, and each class can have a maximum of 6 students enrolled [41].…”

“…However, many argue, that the disability is within the curriculum in addition to the learning and teaching environment, not the student [8]. Thus, in recent years, education debates have begun to focus on moving towards more equitable systems of education and the use of innovative pedagogies such as UDL to enhance the school experiences of every student [6,41]. While there is a firm commitment to inclusive education at a policy level [5,42], in practice, the funding and provision of special education operates parallel to the mainstream education system [43,44].…”

Go-Green Introduction Program for Children with Special Needs

“…According to Evans et al, (2021) Special needs children face unique challenges in their education and development, requiring specialized attention and care to help them reach their full potential. The traditional approach to education for special needs children has often focused on addressing their learning difficulties and disabilities (Shevlin & Banks, 2021). However, an emerging approach gaining recognition is the implementation of green programs, which involve activities and education related to environmental sustainability and conservation (Specht et al, 2019).…”