Focus on Special Educational Support in Swedish High Schools : Provision within or outside the students' regular classes?

• In a society that increasingly requires educational skills, academic success is fundamental to overcoming social exclusion and marginalization. The longer a child stays in school and the more opportunities he/she gets to finish high school education, the better chances he/she gets to be included in the labor market and also become a participating member of a democratic society (Includ-ED 2006). The Include-ED report highlights that there is a relationship between academic success and social inclusion, which means that schools themselves must be inclusive institutions that can provide opportunities for learning for all students. Inclusive institutions can be described in many ways and on many levels. However, one important factor that is decisive for inclusive education is where the educational support is provided (Includ-ED 2006).This chapter focuses on how special educational support is organized in Swedish high schools, and especially where the special educational support is provided, by the schools’ special educational professionals and other school staff, including how these issues are related to marginalization processes. Most research within the field of special education in Swedish high schools, targets specific schools and/or specific programs. This study is a contrast in that it covers all Swedish high schools and the data focused on here builds on 764 schools.The chapter starts with a brief description of the Swedish high school education system and policy documents appropriate to special education.This is followed by a section which focuses on the concepts of marginalization, social exclusion, social inclusion and dropout. Then the results are presented and discussed in relation to previous research.

Ämnesord

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Utbildningsvetenskap -- Pedagogik (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Educational Sciences -- Pedagogy (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Special Education

Support

Marginalization

Dropout

Upper Secondary School

Specialpedagogik

Särskilt stöd

Marginalisering

Dropout

Gymnasieskolan

specialpedagogik

Special Education

Publikations- och innehållstyp

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