School for children with disabilities: The school models
Children with disabilities have to go to school because, like children without disabilities, they have to go to school. It is therefore the duty of schools to ensure that children with disabilities can attend school. You can find out here which school models are available for your offspring.
All in all, only about 13 percent of all children with special educational needs in Germany go to a normal school . While most other European countries have now closed their special needs schools and have most of the children educated in normal mainstream schools or integrative schools with the help of special education teachers, Germany continues to build on its special schools for disabilities. In Europe, 80% of disabled children now study in normal schools.
Is your child about to start school? Here you can find out everything you need to know for the first day of school:
The German state education system guarantees that children with disabilities can attend school and take part in classes. According to §§ 53 and 54 of the 12th Social Security Code, the social welfare agency has a subordinate obligation to provide benefits for this group of people. This can be used in particular by children with particularly severe disabilities and a high need for care. At the request of parents or other legal guardians, the social welfare offices provide “assistant help” in accordance with Sections 67 to 69 of the 12th Social Security Code to enable children to attend school. This can include, for example, accompanying you on your way to school or individual care for a child with a disability at school.
Which school for children with disabilities?
The federal states are responsible for the education system and thus also for how disabled children and young people are integrated into education. However, their rules and regulations are different. You can inquire about the applicable regulations for your place of residence in the ministries of education in the federal states. Below you will find an overview of some school models for children with disabilities:
Inclusive Schools
The integrative school has developed from the special school system. The concept provides for disabled and non-disabled children to be taught together in the regular primary and secondary classes.
The number of schools offering integrative classes is increasing because the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities came into force in Germany in 2009. The federal states have committed themselves to guaranteeing an integrative education system at all levels. This means that no child should be excluded from a mainstream school because of physical or mental handicaps.
integration into mainstream schools
In some regular schools, also called general schools, there are so-called integration classes. In these, children with special needs are taught together with students without disabilities. Usually there is an extra teacher in these classes, so that all students can be optimally supported.
special schools
Children with disabilities need special support at school. If your offspring cannot be taught in an integration class at a regular school, then they have the option of going to a special needs school. Children with disabilities receive individual support here and can thus better develop their skills. There are usually special needs schools for:
- blind people
- deaf
- visually impaired
- hard of hearing
- Mentally disabled
- disabled
- Illness – support for long-term illness
- learning disabled
- speech impaired
Children with disabilities receive targeted support in their development at these schools. Since the guidelines and curricula of mainstream schools are adhered to in the special needs schools, the pupils can even complete a Hauptschule or Realschule certificate.
Note: The special needs school model has been abolished in Bremen in favor of inclusive teaching at general schools.
Children who, despite their disability, can attend a school such as a grammar school or a secondary school should be taught in a regular school from the start. If the disability of your offspring does not allow this or if there is no appropriately equipped school near your place of residence, there are special secondary schools in some cities.
boarding school
In many dormitories there is a school for children and young people with disabilities. The home support schools also specialize in the support and education of disabled children.
If your child is already of vocational school age, then it has the opportunity to do its training in a national training center with a place at a boarding school. There are around 50 vocational training centers in Germany, which are usually run by non-profit organizations such as Caritas, Sozialverband Deutschland or Diakonisches Werk.