The Challenges and opportunities in the structure of the education of students with intellectual disabilities at the secondary school level in light of theories of inclusive education and social justice

Abstract

Inclusive education is the official school policy in Iceland. It was first enacted in the compulsory school law in 2008. The policy aims to meet students’ academic and social needs in general schooling with human dignity, democracy, and social justice as guiding principles. Although the policy’s human rights approach is generally accepted, it has proved difficult to implement effectively, not least at the secondary school level, where the education of students with intellectual disabilities still takes place within self-contained programs in schools. In the recent Act on the Integration of Services in the Interest of Children’s Prosperity, a new emphasis regarding support for children is outlined. It calls for educational changes to support students with intellectual disabilities at the upper secondary school level. According to these laws, medical diagnosis is no longer a prerequisite for receiving support within the education system.

Inclusive education is a process. The emphasis on inclusion as a reform was supposed to enhance students’ possibilities of belonging and participating. It was intended to shift the focus from the placement of students by removing the environmental, attitudinal, or structural barriers to children’s participation. Emphasis is placed on a conceptual change in thinking about inclusive education, which entails shifting the focus from viewing inclusive education through the lens of students with special needs to viewing it as inclusive schools and inclusive learning environments for children with different social backgrounds and physical attributes. According to the national curriculum guide for upper secondary schools, the school system’s role is to promote the comprehensive education of students and offer an education suitable for each individual. This includes providing a wide range of studies about academic studies as well as vocational studies. Students who do not meet the admission requirements for general courses, such as students with intellectual disabilities, are able to study in separate programs for students with disabilities.

This article aims to shed light on challenges regarding the implementation of inclusive education and support for students with intellectual disabilities in upper secondary schools while pointing out opportunities for change. The article is partly based on the author’s doctoral research findings, which focused on educating students with intellectual disabilities at the upper secondary school level from the perspective of disability studies in education (DSE). DSE views disability as an instinctive form of human variation. The theories and concepts that inform this data analysis stem from Foucault’s discourse and power theories and Young’s social justice theories. The data comprises interviews andofficial data on educating students with intellectual disabilities at the upper secondary school level. A total of 22 participants were interviewed: eleven students aged 17–21, five mothers of disabled students, two school administrators and four supervisors of special education programs in upper secondary schools. In addition to this data set, the recent Act on the Integration of Services in the Interest of Children’s Prosperity was analysed, a bill on inclusive education, which applies to the new support system structure.

The findings reveal that current challenges lie not least in the lack of a clear vision regarding the concept of support for all students as well as the structure of support in the form of self-contained programs for students with intellectual disabilities. The Icelandic education system can be viewed as fundamentally ableist since its structure is based on ideas about what is considered normal. There is conceptual confusion about inclusive education and support, both of these ideas can be regarded as fundamental concepts of social justice in education. This confusion is detectable in the discourse and is further established through structural processes that contribute to, rather than hinder, social inequality. Findings further suggest that students who have been labelled as disabled are viewed as different; they are considered to have limited abilities, which can lead to lower expectations about their education. This view is rooted in a medical approach to individuals who need support. The view pushes students into special education. New laws on the Integration of Services in the Interest of Children’s Prosperity provide an opportunity to make changes needed to move towards a more inclusive and socially just education system. Improvements should consider equalising students’ opportunities when it comes to receiving support. It is also important to ensure continuity between school levels regarding support for all students.