Markku Jahnukainen

Wherefore art thou, inclusion? Analysing the development of inclusive education in New South Wales, Alberta and Finland

Over the last two decades, moves toward ‘inclusion’ have prompted change in the formation of education policies, schooling structures and pedagogical practice. Yet, exclusion through the categorisation and segregation of students with diverse abilities has grown, particularly for students with challenging behaviour. This paper considers what has happened to inclusive education by focusing on three educational jurisdictions known to be experiencing different rates of growth in the identification of special educational needs: New South Wales (Australia), Alberta (Canada) and Finland (Europe). In our analysis, we consider the effects of competing policy forces that appear to thwart the development of inclusive schools in two of our case study regions.

An Analysis of Accountability Policies in Finland and the United States.

This study examines student achievement and prevalence of students with disabilities in Finland and the United States (U.S.), by analysing international test scores, national reports, and special education legislation. The variables of interest include institutional design of each country, resources invested in and values surrounding public education, disability policies, and student diversity. Our findings indicate that the quality of the teaching profession, access to materials, intensive early interventions, equitable resource distribution, and values grounded on equity versus access are related to both student achievement and the prevalence of students with disabilities. We discuss implications of institutional arrangements and early intervention for policy formulation.

Different Strategies, Different Outcomes? The History and Trends of the Inclusive and Special Education in Alberta (Canada) and in Finland

This study compares the strategies and delivery of education for students with special educational needs in the province of Alberta, Canada, and in the country of Finland, in the European Union. The rationale for comparing these two jurisdictions is grounded by the idea that both of these areas have high general standards of living, a well-developed public education system, and top results in international school achievement tests. The data consists of available educational policy papers, previous research papers, and educational statistics. This article first describes the special education system development and the current situation, followed by the funding system and discussion about the implications and outcomes of different policies. The historical analysis shows that while many similarities exist between Alberta and Finland, there are also some culturally-bound elements present that have strongly affected the progress and the decision-making process related to the organization of the education for students with special needs.

Experiencing special education

Abstract In this study 23 former students of special classes for the emotionally and behaviorally disordered (EBD) located in mainstream school were interviewed about their school experiences. The qualitative data were gathered in two in-depth interviews in 1991 and 1995 in southern Finland. The pros and cons of special education are presented as positive and negative elements of special class treatment.The most positive elements were the special teacher and the small teaching group. The most common and signi?cant negative element was the experience of being labeled. The placement of students with special needs in special classrooms has been criticized during recent years. The positive experiences of former EBD pupils shows that there is still need for this kind of intervention for some pupils and in certain phases of their school careers. However, the quality of education must be guaranteed with the help of individualized education plans (IEPs) in cooperation with the regular class teachers.

Disability or Learning Difficulty? Politicians or Educators? Constructing Special Education in Finland and the United States

This article examines institutional arrangements, disability constructions, and policy designs in Finland and the United States. In the US disability is constructed from a medical, diagnosis-driven discrepancy model, and politicians operating in an“equal opportunity” and“civil rights” framework shape policy. In Finland, diagnostic labels are rarely used, and students are referred to as experiencing academic difficulty. Policies are more strongly shaped by educators than politicians.

Experiencing special education: Former students of classes for the emotionally and behaviorally disordered talk about their schooling

In this study 23 former students of special classes for the emotionally and behaviorally disordered (EBD) located in mainstream school were interviewed about their school experiences. The qualitative data were gathered in two in-depth interviews in 1991 and 1995 in southern Finland. The pros and cons of special education are presented as positive and negative elements of special class treatment. The most positive elements were the special teacher and the small teaching group. The most common and significant negative element was the experience of being labeled. The placement of students with special needs in special classrooms has been criticized during recent years. The positive experiences of former EBD pupils shows that there is still need for this kind of intervention for some pupils and in certain phases of their school careers. However, the quality of education must be guaranteed with the help of individualized education plans (IEPs) in cooperation with the regular class teachers.

Risk factors and survival routes: social exclusion as a life‐historical phenomenon

Social exclusion is a popular and widely used concept in the social sciences as well as in current European policy rhetoric. However, there is no general agreement on the content and use of the term; it has been used differently and for different purposes in different historical and social contexts. In this article, the social exclusion is understood as life‐historical phenomenon. Two cases have been selected as representing the most extreme trajectories based on a larger follow‐up study concerning former students of residential institutions for young people with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties in Finland. The cases give us an example of a detailed life‐course analysis, with the emphasis on risk and protective factors and demonstrate that the process of social exclusion is a complicated issue that cannot totally be understood by analysing the statistical connections between certain risk factors and the life‐course.

Integration of Students with Severe and Profound Intellectual Disabilities into the Comprehensive School System: Teachers' Perceptions of the Education Reform in Finland.

In Finland compulsory education has been organised within the comprehensive school system since 1970. However, until August 1997, the students with the most severe intellectual disabilities were educated by social welfare authorities outside the school system. This study evaluates the transition from the social service system into the comprehensive school system one year after the reform. Nationally representative data was gathered in 1998 from 125 teachers who taught 591 (65%) of all school age children with severe and profound intellectual disabilities in Finland. The results of the study indicated that while physical integration had increased, individual integration into the full-time mainstream classroom occurred only seldom. Further, only a few teachers thought that the best placement for children with severe and profound intellectual disabilities was in full-time general education classes. About 80% of the respondents thought that the best placement was in full- or part-time special classes located in mainstream schools.

Inclusion, integration, or what? A comparative study of the school principals’ perceptions of inclusive and special education in Finland and in Alberta, Canada

This study explores the perceptions of school principals in terms of organizing inclusive and special education in two well-performing, western school systems in Finland and in Alberta, Canada. The interview data reveal that, in spite of the inclusive rhetoric within education policy documents, most of the principals were still defining their current practices using the language of integration, and the educational decisions were often based on the more traditional idea of the least restrictive environment. The principals’ views were surprisingly similar in both jurisdictions despite the different contextual and historical trends.

The Implementation of New Special Education Legislation in Finland

This article examines the implementation of new special education legislation in Finland among students with significant disabilities. The data consist of a nationwide survey and field observations. In the analysis, a policy implementation framework is utilized as a theoretical lens. The findings suggest that schools and municipalities that had participated in long-term development projects had more capacity and willingness to reform special education practices substantially, suggesting that learning in one policy area can transfer to other domains across multiple levels of national and local governments. The key findings highlight the significance of professional trust as a policy instrument in implementation.