Breaking down the divide
By Cynthia Guttman, UNESCO Courier journalist
Your turn now: a classmate in full swing, in a French school that puts integration into practice.
Getting ready to jump in with everyone else.
Europe is all for giving its different children a place in regular schools, but the debate over integration is far from sealed
E nrolling a child at the local public school is a painless exercise for most European parentsunless of course, their child happens to be different. In that case, where they live is still likely to determine whether the child is welcomed into a regular classroom or guided towards a special school.
Having a child with Downs syndrome, I realized that the school was not against the principle but was apprehensive because it lacked the means to welcome her, recalls Sophie Cluzel, a mother of four living in a Paris suburb. What ensued was a battle, via an association, with the Education Ministry to win the right to a special assistant, 80 percent financed by the state and reserved for the 18-to-26 age bracket as part of a pro-youth employment policy. Having been granted her request, Cluzel went knocking on company doors to come up with the remaining 20 percent. Now, as part of a collective of parents representing both physically and mentally handicapped children, funds for 20 more such assistants have been granted. If it werent for the drive by families, you wouldnt get anywhere. Even if school is compulsory, too much rests on the goodwill of teachers or inspectors. | |
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