Inclusive Education YES, Special ALSO

The following data comes from the update of the Study on the situation of Sociosanitary Needs of people with Rare Diseases in Spain (ENSERIo Study, 2018). Some facts about the rare diseases offered by the Spanish Federation of Rare Diseases: 

- Current situation and perception of discrimination
75% felt discrimination, at least, on some occasion due to their illness.
Main areas of discrimination: enjoyment of leisure (32%), healthcare (32%), education (30%) and activities of daily life (30%).

- The diagnosis of rare diseases
A patient with a rare disease waits for an average of 5 years until a diagnosis is made, in 20% of cases 10 or more years elapses until an adequate diagnosis is achieved.
While the diagnostic time is delayed:
The patient does not receive any support or treatment (40.9% of cases).
He has received some inadequate treatment (26.7% of cases).
His illness has worsened (26.8% of cases).

With all these data, among others, parents and relatives live in a continuous struggle because nobody listens to them. Now they have created the Inclusive Education YES, Special ALSO' Platform and a manifesto that I share:

People with disabilities, their families and teachers are here deeply concerned about the intention of some political parties and sectoral organizations to eliminate Special Education that serves thousands of boys and girls in Spain.

Different autonomous communities are discussing at this moment, through propositions of law, the convenience of disappearing Special Education under the argument that it is "segregated and discriminatory". Thus, they advocate "UNA ONLY modality of schooling where ALL the students would be schooled in an ordinary center ".

In addition, a report issued by the United Nations Committee on Human Rights of Persons with Disabilities has raised the alarm, interpreting that the existence of Special Education and the coexistence of "two systems education "would constitute discrimination against persons with disabilities, making an extensive and, at least, debatable interpretation of the UN Convention.

In 2017 two members of the aforementioned Committee moved to Spain, where they stayed ten days. They interviewed more than 165 people belonging to the central and regional governments, and to academics, jurists and representatives of different entities. In its conclusions, the report recommends: "Eliminate the educational segregation of students with disabilities, both in a unit within the same school or in special centers. "

The document does not show that the members of the Committee visited any center of Special Education, which, undoubtedly, would have given them a vision and a more complete assessment and adjusted to reality. In this same line, Spain already has presented his allegations, stating his "disagreement and his firm rejection" report.

From this Platform we believe and defend the right of all people with disability to enjoy real inclusion in society in all its areas. By
that, we ask the governments to guarantee a sufficient endowment of resources to assist students with disabilities in ordinary schools and in Special Education centers.

Likewise, we advocate that the schooling ruling of each child and each girl is performed once their families are heard, so that the opinion of these prevail when choosing educational modality for their sons and daughters, as way to guarantee the necessary educational resources.

The reality is that, at this moment in Spain, there are no two systems ("of first and "second" or "parallel systems"), but a single school system where the pupils and students with special educational needs are served under various types of schooling: Ordinary Education, Special Education, Specific Classrooms, Combined Schooling...

Therefore, Special Education centers are one of the possible modalities to attend to the diversity of the students and a legitimate way for inclusion. A) Yes, Special Education colleges are specific and specialized centers that give a personalized response and that guarantee the necessary supports to each child, every girl and every young person.

People with disabilities have very different abilities and needs, therefore, educational inclusion involves contemplating each situation and each student and student in particular, as has been done in Special Education in our country and in others of the European scope.

The right not to be discriminated against does not mean treating everyone equally, but treating each one as you need. Although some children adapt very well to school ordinary, others require an individualized education, with very specialized, adapted spaces, classrooms with few students and rhythms of concrete learning. Why destroy educational structures that are functioning and that guarantee the right to a quality education of this student body?

To achieve social, labor, family and leisure inclusion, from Education Special work is carried out and the maximum development of all the capacities of the student and the student, not only of their curricular competences that, in some cases, can be very far from those of other children of the same age without disability. 

From this Platform we demand that none of the modalities be excluded educational support providers that are currently in the education system Spanish.

For all this, we ask that you reject the proposals of law that try eliminate Special Education under the erroneous premise that an ordinary school It is always the best for all children and all girls.

For this Platform, Special Education guarantees the elementary rights of persons with disabilities who are entitled to this option within the education system. To suppress it would be to violate very seriously rights enshrined in the laws European and Spanish that protect this group.