The present and future of inclusive education in Central Europe

A two-day international conference on the development of the so-called inclusive education projects in secondary schools is held at the Faculty of Education for Children and Special Educational Needs of the University of Debrecen in Hajdúböszörmény. At the event, which is attended by almost eighty participants including the hosts, experts from Slovakia, Poland and the Czech Republic are to share their experiences on this topic.

Inclusive education is a pedagogical approach that intends to make sure that all students, regardless of their physical, intellectual, cultural or social background, should be able to learn in a community with equal opportunities. In the increasingly widespread inclusive view, the focus is not on adapting the children to the school, but on shaping the school to meet the individual needs of every student.

At the two-day conference that began on Monday at the Faculty of Education for Children and Special Educational Needs (GYGYK) of the University of Debrecen (UD), education professionals and students seeking to acquire the relevant knowledge are focusing primarily on the achievements, challenges, and opportunities of this principle for expansion in secondary schools. In addition to those from the University of Debrecen, representatives from Ambis University in Prague, Czech Republic; the University of Prešov in Prešov, Slovakia; and the University of Silesia in Katowice, Poland, are participating in this English-language event.

At the opening ceremony of the Hungarian edition of the conference series, which is supported by the Visegrad Fund, Dean of DE GYGYK Erzsébet Gortka-Rákó announced that their goal would be to develop inclusive models that help educators adapt to a changing, unstable, and volatile environments.

- The expectation of the European Union is that all children should be educated in an integrated and inclusive environment, regardless of their needs. However, the necessary conditions for this are not available everywhere; so, improvements are needed. As we move forward, it is becoming increasingly more difficult to implement and reinforce an inclusive approach within the education system- said Erzsébet Gortka-Rákó.

At the event, presenters are intent to examine inclusive education from a number of perspectives, including the role of music and learning foreign languages in integration as well as best practices implemented in elementary and secondary schools.

Associate Professor at DE GYGYK Ildikó Pető added that these best practices would be presented by speakers who have earned their degrees at the Hajdúböszörmény campus and are now institution directors or deputy directors.