24/05/2024 Culture, Science, Education and Media | Standing Committee
The PACE Standing Committee, meeting in Vilnius today, considers that the crises Europe has experienced – such as the Covid-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine – have highlighted the weakness of a narrow understanding of inclusive education, pointing out that children with complex needs have been sent to unprepared regular schools or exposed to digital environments which were not appropriate for them.
According to the resolution unanimously adopted by PACE, based on the report by Pavlo Sushko (Ukraine, EC/DA), member states must therefore adopt a “learner-centred and human rights-based approach” to the education of children with special education needs, by broadening the concept of inclusive education to focus on their individual needs, abilities and interests, rather than on their perceived limitations, thereby enhancing their potential.
The resolution emphasises that the standards set by governments should focus not only on curricula, teacher competencies and eligibility criteria, but also on “responsiveness to the diverse situations of children with special education needs”.
The adopted text also proposes a series of measures to address the very difficult situation of Ukrainian children with disabilities or learning difficulties, in particular by facilitating psychological support services for children and families affected by the conflict and displacement in Ukraine and in host countries.
Finally, PACE recommended that the Committee of Ministers develop Council of Europe guiding principles for a “learner-centred and human rights-based” approach to the education of children with special educational needs, stressing that disability assessments should be mutually recognised across national borders.