special education

1. 12. SPECIAL EDUCATION NEEDS AND STUDENT WELFARE – SHARED
RESPONSIBILITIES
“Finnish Educators believe that 90 per cent of students can succeed in regular
classrooms if they get the emotional, academic or health and medical help they need.
Critical emphasis is placed on early intervention.”
Pasi Sahlberg
In Finland, personalised support for a child at either specific times in their school life, or
throughout it, is not considered to be unusual and support is seen as an important
entitlement. Inclusion is viewed as a collective responsibility. Teachers have a wide
network of professionals with whom they work to identify need and help deliver
appropriate support for their pupils.
SPECIAL EDUCATION
In 2012 (the most recent figure available), intensified or special support was received by
13 per cent of comprehensive school pupils.
Support needs are picked up early and quickly and the importance of early intervention
is recognised. Children are monitored and assessed during their early childhood
education and their child health check at age four aims to pick up any early signs of
problems including with their language and mobility skills.
At school, a teacher who has concerns about a child would first arrange to talk to one of
the school’s special education teachers. These are highly skilled professionals with a
Master’s degree in special education. Following discussions and classroom
observations, an individual learning plan would be drawn up for the pupil which might
involve support from the special education teacher within the main classroom or support
outside the classroom on a one-to-one basis or as part of a small group. Further support
may be dawn on from within the student welfare team.
STUDENTWELFARE
Every school in Finland has a student welfare team comprising the Principal, the special
education teacher, the school nurse, the school psychologist, student counsellors and
classroom teachers. These teams meet weekly to discuss the progress of students who
have special needs or who are receiving extra help for other reasons.
The student welfare team meets regularly with each class teacher to discuss the
progress of students and pick up any problems that might not previously have been
identified. Problems can be wide ranging and might include any learning, social,
emotional or behavioural issues that are affecting the child. Finnish educators regard
such problems as a normal part of childhood, adolescence and wider society and social
life and as matters that children should be encouraged to learn to identify for themselves
and to feel able to talk about and seek help. Finnish educators see this approach as an
important ingredient of both the equity and quality of the Finnish education system.

2. INCLUSION
This emphasis on early intervention and professional support lends itself to a
presumption of inclusion that translates into practice in Finland’s schools. There are just
eight state-run special schools, serving mainly children with high dependency special
needs (three schools for children with physical disabilities, two for visually impaired
children and three for children with hearing impairment). A child would attend a special
school only if this was the clear preference of her/his parents.
Most children with special needs attend mainstream schools. Some are fully integrated
in mainstream class, other work in special classes with specialist support and many
move between the two. Special needs classes are small and are well supported by
specialist teachers and assistants. Children with special needs are expected to follow
the full curriculum and are provided with the support they need to do so.