The inclusive school

Concerning integration in an inclusive school or how best to educate children with special needs

By Caroline Planchamp

Caroline Planchamp is a psychologist, with an occupational psychology master degree. She is specialized in group work and team building within organisations. She is also a teacher with 15 years of experience in primary year classes at a number of private schools in Geneva. She is the mother of three children, one with special needs. She is currently specializing in supporting inclusive education for students with special needs.

Contact : planchamp.caroline{at}gmail.com

We hear a lot about integration or inclusion with regard to the education of children with special needs in our schools. These discussions about providing for those with great learning difficulties can be traced back to the 1970s. Today we can see some of the limitations of integration, and specialists are moving toward a concept that is larger than this, that of the inclusive school.

What exactly do we mean by these terms, what are the ideals which support them and how, practically, can the concept of an inclusive school be developed in our schools in Geneva, either public or private?