An Equal Education for All

– Together We Make It Possible

National Agency for Special Needs Education and Schools

En likvärdig utbildning för alla – tillsammans gör vi det möjligt

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Other pedagogical activities

Preschool

Preschool class

Leisure-time centers

Compulsory school Compulsory school

Other pedagogical activities

Special School The Sami school Children with learning disabilities

Upper secondary school Upper secondary school Individuals with learning disabilities

Folk high school

University and university colleges Higher Vocational Education

Supplementary education

Adult education Basic adult education, Learning disabilities, Adult education, Swedish for immigrants (SFI)

Introduction to the Swedish Education System This is an information about special needs support. As an introduction the Swedish Education System is presented here. The Swedish education system includes compulsory and non-compulsory education. Most Swedish schools are public, run by municipalities, but an increasing number of schools are independent. The majority of universities and university colleges are public authorities. Universities and university colleges are self-governing and independent.

The Education Act – the foundation for education of children, youth and adults The Swedish Education Act constitutes the basis for all education from pre-school to upper-secondary level as well as the right to education for adults. It states that all children and youth shall have equal access to education regardless of gender, ethnicity, place of residence, or of social or economic factors. Special support shall be given to pupils who have difficulties in completing their education successfully.

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An Equal Education for All – Together We Make It Possible

With the Education Act as the basis, the Riksdag, the Government or the National Agency for Education gives the more detailed framework in curricula, ordinances, recommendations and national development initiatives. Other parts in the governance of the educational system are national tests, evaluation and inspection.

National evaluation The State’s responsibility for the national evaluation is carried out by the national agencies in their respective field of responsibility. Agencies in the field of education support the process of raising standards and achieving the goals of all parts of the educational system. The organisation comprises three authorities: • The National Agency for Education, • The Schools Inspectorate and • The National Agency for Special Needs Education and Schools.

Everyone has the right to learn on their own conditions At the National Agency for Special Needs Education and Schools (“SPSM” in Swedish), we work to ensure that children, young people and adults – regardless of functional ability – have adequate conditions to fulfil their educational goals. This is done through: • special needs support • education in special needs schools • accessible teaching materials • government funding We have broad knowledge of the pedagogical con-

”I feel secure knowing they have special needs skills. Excellent outreach programme!”

sequences of disabilities. The support we offer involves individuals’ learning and the work and activities of teachers as well as organisational issues. We believe everyone, regardless of functional ability, has the right to a well-functioning education.

Member of School board

The knowledge and skills we offer are a complement to the resources of the municipalities and schools.

An Equal Education for All – Together We Make It Possible

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Achieving goals with knowledge of accessibility The learning environment must be accessible to everyone. In order for all children, young people and adults in need of support to receive equal opportunity in education,

“There are constant needs for support.” Head in primary and upper secondary school

knowledge about accessibility is required. This could mean, for example, allowing pupils to read, write and do arith-

We act as a partner

metic on their own terms. It could also mean strategies for

Preschools, schools and adult education programmes are

how to adjust learning and teaching materials to fit each

welcome to contact us for advice on issues concerning

pupil. It also means having knowledge about how to treat

special needs education.

pupils, how to increase participation, the devices that are

We offer our competency and skills to municipal or

available, physical access and how to adapt physical activi-

independent preschools and schools through one of our

ties within the school organisation.

five regional offices. In most cases it is a person, or team,

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An Equal Education for All – Together We Make It Possible

who is in charge of these issues at a particular school who

We produce teaching material in fields in which the

contacts one of our special needs advisors. The questions

commercial market doesn’t satisfy the need. We also make

they ask may involve teaching strategies and attitudes,

adjustments to published textbooks and promote the deve-

competency development or the pedagogical consequences

lopment and choice of special needs education teaching

of disabilities. In other cases we may be the ones to initiate

material through financial aid and counselling support to

a meeting to discuss the needs of a municipality or school

publishers.

regarding more long-term special needs support. target groups for our courses, distance education program-

Supplementary support through special needs studies

mes, conferences and web seminars are teachers and heads.

At our national resource centre we conduct special needs

We also offer in-service training at no charge. Important

studies and analyses. These are made by teams of resear-

”Our dialog with them has been good and we’ve had good meetings about how to raise the competency of our staff.” Head in municipal adult education

chers, representing a number of competencies, in co-operation with teachers from preschools or regular schools and other people who are important to the child or pupil. The resource centre also offers courses for parents. The resource centre receives children and pupils with: • visual impairment with or without other disabilities • severe speech and language disorders • deafness or impaired hearing combined with severe learning disabiblities and/or autism

The right teaching material makes equal conditions possible Part of our counselling includes questions about textbooks and teaching aids. In many cases a teacher’s choice of such material is crucial to whether the pupil will be able to achieve his or her goals on equal conditions. We have several exhibits and information on our website about special needs teaching aids and material for

• congenital/early deaf-blindness

“Contact with them has been professional and we’ve received very good support.” Head in municipal preschool

pupils in different types of schools. Please contact us if you would like to see one of these exhibits. An Equal Education for All – Together We Make It Possible

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National special needs schools The special needs schools that receive pupils from around the country have several different target groups. The teaching, environment and means of communication are adapted to the needs of the pupils. • Åsbackaskolan in Örebro is for pupils with congenital deaf-blindness and pupils with impaired hearing in

Our special needs schools have alternative learning environments

combination with severe learning disorders.

Governmental special schools in Sweden – of which there are

with severe speech and language disorders.

five regional and three national – receive pupils who need an

• Ekeskolan in Örebro is for pupils with impaired vision in

alternative to regular primary school. It is the parents who

combination with other disabilities.

• Hällsboskolan in Stockholm and Umeå is for pupils

apply for their children to attend a special needs school. If the pupil doesn’t live within commuter distance, it is possible for him or her to live at the school and take active part in leisure time activities during the school term. Regional special needs schools Pupils with deafness or impaired hearing can attend one of our regional special needs schools. The teaching is bilingual, meaning it takes place in Swedish Sign Language, in spoken or/and written Swedish. There are five regional special needs schools in Sweden: • Kristinaskolan in Härnösand • Manillaskolan in Stockholm • Birgittaskolan in Örebro • Vänerskolan in Vänersborg • Östervångskolan in Lund 6

An Equal Education for All – Together We Make It Possible

”SPSM is an important govern- ment agency, both financially and in terms of competency.” Head at folk high school Funding provides well-functioning education to more pupils Education providers, producers of teaching material and in some cases, private people, can apply for government funding from us. For work in primary schools, special needs schools or upper secondary schools, for example, it is possible to apply for funding for what is known as SIS, Special Interventions in Schools. This is a grant provided by SPSM to encourage and develop good learning environments for pupils with disabilities. Other funding aimed at young people and adults, through education providers or directly to the student, is also available.

Research and co-operation in special needs education

Education. International contacts, including networks in our

We work to bring research and practice closer together.

less well-known disabilities.

fields of competency, are important, especially in areas of

One way is by spreading findings from special needs research to conferences, seminars and various websites and

In addition we have regular contacts with the Swedish

discussing them in our magazine, Lika värde (Equal Value).

National Agency for Education and the Swedish Schools Inspectorate.

We co-operate with universities and other institutions of higher education in networks and we participate in

(The quotes above are from a study of the familiarity among

educational programmes and courses.

municipal administrators and heads with the National Agency for Special Needs Education and Schools).

European co-operation takes place through our assignment with the European Agency for Special Needs and Inclusive An Equal Education for All – Together We Make It Possible

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PLAN2.NU

National Agency for Special Needs Education and Schools You are welcome to contact us by telephone: +46 10-473 50 00 Go to www.spsm.se for more information Head Office National Agency for Special Needs Education and Schools P.O.Box 1100 SE-871 29 Härnösand E-mail: [email protected]

Order number: 00378 ISBN: 978-91-28-00666-8 (printed version) 978-91-28-00667-5 (pdf)

www.spsm.se