The effect of special-needs teaching in Denmark – what happens after school-leaving age
Jill Mehlbye
Young people in special-needs classes/school
The study found that young people who had attended a special-needs class or school had experienced it as a relief to be placed there and had liked going to school. In the special-needs class or school, they were not being constantly subjected to demands which they were unable to meet, and were not exposed to the same degree of bullying as when they were in an ordinary class.
The young people themselves, their parents and the schools all experienced it as a problem that the same special-needs class contained pupils with very different types of learning difficulties and functional levels. Some children can cause a lot of disturbance for the others, and very varied demands are made on the knowledge and skills of the teacher. The schools also mentioned that they found it difficult to provide the teachers with sufficient creative dialogue and supervision in relation to the often very great demands that are made on their professional skills by a pupil group of such varied composition. The schools also found it difficult to obtain suitably qualified teachers.
The following matters relating to special-needs teaching in the Danish Folkeskole (primary and lower secondary school) system need to be discussed with a view to improving the teaching offered:
The assessment for special-needs teaching. Do the pupils assigned to special-needs teaching form too diverse a group in relation to the qualifications and skills of teachers and their scope for providing individually tailored instruction?
- How is thorough re-assessment to be ensured, so that the question of whether special-needs teaching is still the appropriate option for the pupil is reviewed at least once a year?
- How is it to be ensured that the teachers receive the necessary training and competence development appropriate to the very broad composition of most of today’s special-needs classes?
- How is it to be ensured that special-needs teachers receive the professional and personal supervision that they need?
- How is it possible to avoid the stigmatisation experienced by pupils because they are in a special-needs class?
- How is it to be ensured that the pupils enter into both social and learning relations with other pupils – something that can be difficult, given the very wide composition of the pupil population that we see today?
What happens after school-leaving age
After school-leaving age, the young people’s education, training and employment were predominantly characterised by instability and repeated or frequent change, with periods without occupation or other activity. That is not beneficial either to the young people, or from a socio-economic standpoint.
It is therefore needful to discuss how it can be ensured that:
- the young people’s reading ability is at least at an elementary practical level, or that they can compensate for lack of reading ability – by using a computer, for example
- the young people have a positive outlook and confidence in themselves
- the young people receive support and attention from their parents
- the young people receive continuous support and guidance from the same adult throughout the first two to three years after leaving school
- the young people obtain work experience placements with employers who give them comprehensive back-up.
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