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Overwhelmed teachers and separation anxiety: the inclusive school polarizes.

Politicians decide that children with learning difficulties can be taught separately again.

From Alessandra Paone

Roland Stark sits alone in the audience gallery of Basel City Hall. With a notepad in his hand, he is attentively following the parliamentary debate on inclusive schools.

For the former Basel SP president and member of the Grand Council, a lot is at stake this Wednesday morning. As a special needs teacher and former small class teacher, he is a member of the committee of the special needs class initiative. Stark is fighting for more separation in the classroom out of conviction.

The Basel Grand Council now wants to go down this path too. After long and committed voting, the parliament voted unanimously, with four abstentions, in favor of the proposal of the Education and Culture Commission (BKK), which contains the main goals of the special needs class initiative. This is therefore superfluous and is recommended to be rejected by 76 votes to 18 with two abstentions. The SVP voted in favor of the initiative in particular.

_{Advocate of the special needs classes: Roland Stark. © Photo by pkn., OR}

In contrast to the previous counter-proposal from the Department of Education, the BKK solution provides for learning islands, support groups and double staffing in classrooms as well as support classes – but only for children with learning difficulties and not for children with behavioral problems. It also leaves it up to the schools to decide whether they want to introduce support classes.

Withdrawal of the initiative likely

Stark is pleased with the clear decision. The fact that the Commission's proposal was accepted is the best thing that could have happened to the initiators. Stark now assumes that the initiative will be withdrawn in the coming days as announced. This requires a majority decision from the nine-member committee. “But we should be able to manage that,” he says.

It is also an important day for Mustafa Atici. He has only been in office as Director of Education since May and is now able to represent one of the most important areas of his department. “The burden on schools has reached its limit,” says the SP government councilor. Measures are needed now – for the benefit of children and young people and society. “Our schools must be able to calm down again and develop further.”

_{“Equal opportunities”: Mustafa Atici. © Photo by jam., OR}

By including special needs classes in the law, the initiative's main demand has been met, says Atici. But because the problem areas of schools are different, individual solutions are needed. Schools should not be completely free, they must adhere to guidelines.

In this way, the Department of Education will ensure that special education classes are actually introduced and that the same thing does not happen as with the introductory classes. Although these are enshrined in law, they do not actually exist. After three years at the latest, the government will carry out a more in-depth evaluation of the measures implemented.

Resistance to a return to separation

The counter-proposal to the special needs class initiative was worked on by Atici's predecessor and current government president Conradin Cramer. The liberal was long considered an advocate of the current system and only reacted when the teachers' cry for help could no longer be ignored and the initiative was on the table.

During the election campaign, Atici showed sympathy for the idea of ​​special needs classes, but always stressed the importance of the idea of ​​integration. In the Grand Council debate, the new education director also underlined his position: “As you know, equal opportunities are very important to me.”

_{“Whatever bothers you must go” initiative: Heidi Mück. © Photo by pkn., OR}

Despite the unanimous decision, there are also concerns about a return to more separation. The special needs class initiative is quite bluntly calling for the reintroduction of small classes, says Basta politician Heidi Mück. She therefore speaks provocatively of the “Whatever bothers you must go” initiative. She herself is bothered by the fact that people are always trying to adapt children to the system, but are afraid to question the system. After all, the initiative has increased the pressure on the Department of Education and forced it to act.

The VPOD's elementary school group is also sharply critical – both of the special needs class initiative and of the BKK counter-proposal. Both approaches not only fail to solve “the pressing problems in the education system”, they also create additional hurdles, it says in a statement. The union also fears that equal opportunities for all students will be “massively” endangered. “The reintroduction of special needs classes is a serious educational step backwards.”

“Radical change of opinion”

Roland Stark is irritated by Mück's vote and says: “This is not for the faint-hearted.” As a special needs teacher, he feels personally attacked and vehemently defends himself against the accusation of stigmatization. “I can introduce you to a whole series of students with a history of small classes who have not suffered – on the contrary.”

One of these is SVP President and lawyer Pascal Messerli. He has never felt disadvantaged and sees no problem at all with children attending special needs or small classes. “It is actually a problem that a child who is overwhelmed remains overwhelmed in a regular class.”

Stark is surprised by Mück's “radical change of opinion”, as she herself taught rhythmics in small classes in Basel for several years and fought against the abolition of small and special classes as education secretary of the VPOD union.

They have actually had good experiences with small classes, says Mück when asked. In Basel, these were never seen as separate classes, but as additional offerings within the school. Nevertheless, the Basta Grand Councilor does not want to “turn back the clock”. Because society and its needs have changed over time.

18 September 2024

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