Lany, Central Bohemia, Feb 14 (CTK) – The inclusive education, which should be launched at Czech primary shools in September, will be one of many unsuccessful experiments that will harm children, President Milos Zeman said in a radio interview on Sunday.
“If the inclusion really starts, then it will be one of many failed experiments in our education system that will harm both children and teachers,” Zeman said.
He called the joint education of healthy and disabled children “a fashion wave.”
Jiri Rusnok, former PM and a member of Zeman’s team of advisers, called this “human-right madness,” Zeman added.
Zeman criticised the plan to integrate children with special educational needs into regular schools a year ago. He said the joint education of disabled and healthy children was “disaster for both sides.”
The critics of inclusion have expressed fears that its introduction would cause an inflow of a high number of children with special needs to regular schools that are not prepared for it.
Some MPs, including those from the government parties, therefore demanded that the implementation of the respective amendment to the school law be postponed.
The Education Ministry is defending the planned inclusive changes at schools, saying they would guarantee the same support for all children in need regardless of their region and particular school they attend.
Most of the children disadvantaged in a way have been attending regular schools already. Children with most disabilities are integrated into regular schools, the ministry argues.
The exceptions are only deaf or aurally impaired children and those with a slight mental disorder most of whom are educated in special classes, the ministry adds.
