COMENIUS PROJECT
XANTHI, GREECE
MAY 2013
1ST
1Ο ΕΙDIKO DIMOTIKO SHOLIO XANTHIS
SPECIAL EDUCATION PRIMARY SCHOOL
XANTHI
on our
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BARRIERS TO INCLUSION –
GREEK REALITY
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1. Teachers’ attitudes
 The vast majority of teachers believe that the role and
purpose of an inclusive school is the development of social
and psychomotor skills of the students and their acceptance
by the wider society. A very small number of teachers refer to
cognitive development and vocational opportunities.
INCLUSIVE POINT OF VIEW
 The objective of an inclusive school’s should not only be the
socialization and social acceptance of students, but also the
development to the fullest of his personality, talents and
abilities (article 29).
(Sideri – Zoniou Α., Karayianni P., Spandagou H.,Deropoulou – Derou E.,
Papastavrinidou G.)
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1. Teachers’ attitudes
 The vast majority of teachers have a clinical approach towards
disabilities and put on emphasis on the difficulties and the
degree of the disability of the students.
INCLUSIVE POINT OF VIEW
 The focus should be shifted towards the educational
objectives, educational practices and methods, i.e. the
educational system. (Sociocultural model approach to
disability, Oliver 1996)
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1. Teachers’ attitudes
 The vast majority of teachers, within a “politically correct”
framework of thinking, believe that having a student with
learning difficulties in the classroom, neither creates
difficulties to teaching, nor broadens the curriculum.
INCLUSIVE POINT OF VIEW
 Although the presence of students with disabilities in the
classroom obviously broadens the curriculum it creates
difficulties as well. Dealing with the difficulties shouldn’t be
left only to the specialists, because it is a matter of pedagogy.
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2. Curriculum
 Reality: The curriculum in Greece is so rigid that it leads to
exclusion of students with disabilities.
INCLUSIVE POINT OF VIEW
 Only a flexible curriculum that allows differentiation can
promote inclusion, so that all students and the quality of the
teaching process as well, can benefit. An effective curriculum
is the one that is differentiated, according to the heterogeneity
of the student population in the context of creative and
collaborative learning.
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2. Curriculum
 Preconditions for the success of differentiated
teaching:
• Knowledge of the subject to be taught
•Taking into consideration the learning style of each
student
• Ability to use a variety of strategies and teaching
approaches
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3. Funding
Inadequate funding is a major constraint to the practice of
inclusion. That is related to:
 Specialists and additional staff to support students’ needs.
 Supportive learning material and assistive technology devices
 Many students in the classroom (30 in secondary education)
 Some schools are still inaccessible to students in wheelchairs
or to those other mobility aides and need elevators, ramps,
and lifts.
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Cooperation - Empowerment
Promoting inclusion DESPITE external barriers requires:
 Finding “allies”
 Building on good practices
 Collaborative problem solving
 Being able to promote change and initiative in a centralised
educational system
 A great deal of fantasy and hard work
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