Children with intellectual disabilities are increasingly excluded from mainstream schooling across Europe - UK included

There are few areas which cause more heartbreak and distress for children with intellectual disabilities and their parents than education does. The statistics are clear - children with intellectual disabilities are increasingly excluded from mainstream schooling, and either isolated in special schools, or denied access to education completely.

In many European Union (EU) member states, such as Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, Hungary, Greece, United Kingdom, Lithuania, and Romania, the majority of students with intellectual disabilities and complex needs are referred to segregated schools.

This is a clear breach of the provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which was ratified by the European Union in 2010.

Therefore, the need for inclusive education for all children with disabilities is one of the points highlighted in the Alternative Report on the Implementation of the UN CRPD, a document developed by the European disability movement.

Go to: http://www.edf-feph.org/Page_Generale.asp?DocID=13854&thebloc=30214