Return in education: Special schools are jeopardizing inclusion

Return in education: Special schools are jeopardizing inclusion

The new state government of Styria has amazed with its government program for frowning. The plan to maintain special schools as exclusive educational institutions for children with disabilities contradicts the United Nations' demands and represents an alarming return to segregation. Contrary for years of efforts to inclusion, experts are denied the step as a blatant violation of human rights. The Secretary General of Lebenshilfe Styria, Sandra Walla-Trippl, makes it unequivocally clear that there is no "uniform disability". Instead, she demands more investments in including education centers where diversity should be celebrated as a strength. At the same time, Dietmar Ogris from the association "Self-determined life" warned that the decision to maintain the special schools sends a deplorable signal and violated the UN Convention on the Rights of Disabilities.

The statement in the government program is particularly worrying that the need for individual support and care is higher than that of education. This blanket subordination undermines the right of children with disabilities to integrative education. Prof. Dr. Tobias Buchner from the independent monitoring committee describes the new regulation as an example of a fatal undesirable development, which not only endangers the progress in the field of inclusion in Styria, but also turns back, as it were. The refusal of contemporary education and development not only contradicts legal requirements, but also the practice of many schools in the region. The program is a sharp criticism of the current government orientation for education, such as "https://www.ots.at/presseaus-sung/ots_20241219_ots0169/sonderschule-stlechion-menschenrecht-im-- und--das--- new government program- der-steiermark"> ots.at .

criticism of disregarding human rights

The criticism of the state government's decision is increasing. Resistance is formed against maintaining the special schools, and Matthias Grasser, who is in a wheelchair, describes the current situation as a step back into the 1970s. "We won't put up with that," says Grasser, who also points to the need to lead dialogues with the new political managers. The official votes from disabled people and experts urgently postulate the need to create more inclusive framework conditions to ensure that the children have a good opportunities for opportunities, as steiermark.at impressively shows.