Resolution of the Council and the Ministers for Education meeting within the Council of 31 May 1990 concerning integration of children and young people with disabilities into ordinary systems of education
Date: 1990-05-31
Institutions: Council of the European Union, Representatives of the Governments of the Member States
Subjects: disabled person, education policy, educational system, equal treatment, special education, teaching method













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41990X0703(01)

Resolution of the Council and the Ministers for Education meeting within the Council of 31 May 1990 concerning integration of children and young people with disabilities into ordinary systems of education  


Official Journal C 162 , 03/07/1990 P. 0002 - 0003 





RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL AND THE MINISTERS OF  EDUCATION MEETING WITHIN THE COUNCIL of 31 May 1990 concerning integration of children and young  people with disabilities into ordinary systems of education (90/C  162/02) THE COUNCIL  AND THE MINISTERS OF EDUCATION MEETING WITHIN THE COUNCIL,  Being convinced that the education policy of all the Member States is evolving towards  integration, in all appropriate cases, of children and young people with disabilities into ordinary  systems of education, with the support as appropriate of the specialized sector and/or services in  varying degrees according to each state,  Taking into account the importance which Member States attach to the integration into mainstream  education of children and young people with disabilities, as stated in the Conclusions of the  Council and the Ministers of Education Meeting within the Council of 14 May 1987  (1), and  recognizing the specific positive contribution which integration can make both to children and  young people with disabilities as well as to other pupils and students in the various sectors of  mainstream education,  Taking into account the various conclusions and resolutions up to 1988 which have led to the  emergence of a comprehensive and coherent policy in favour of people with disabilities and the  setting up of a Second European Community Action Programme in favour of people with disabilities  (Helios)  (2),  Taking account of the various initiatives in education undertaken to date under the Helios  Programme and independently of the Helios programme,  Being convinced of the desirability of seeking to integrate into the ordinary systems of education  those pupils and students with disabilities for whom such placement is appropriate and being of the  view that the actions taken to achieve this aim in the framework of the educational systems of the  Member States should be more dynamic and, in particular, should ensure that provision appropriate  to individual needs and of the highest quality is made available,  HEREBY ADOPT THIS RESOLUTION:  1.    The Member States have agreed to intensify, where necessary, their efforts to integrate or  encourage integration of pupils and students with disabilities, in all appropriate cases, into the  ordinary education system, within the framework of their respective education policies and taking  due account of their respective education systems.  2.    Full integration into the system of mainstream education should be considered as a first  option in all appropriate cases, and all education establishments should be in a position to  respond to the needs of pupils and students with disabilities. In this context links should be  developed and fostered between the family, the school, the community, leisure activities and the  world of work. Educational provision of the best possible quality for pupils with disabilities in  mainstream education must be considered as an important and integral part of the promotion of the  integration and of the autonomy of people with disabilities.  3.    The work of special schools and centres for children and young people with disabilities  should be seen as complementary to the work of the ordinary education systems. It should take due  account of the individual needs of the children, young people and their parents, as well as of  educational choices made on the basis of full information about the available options.  4.    In addition the skills and teaching methods developed in special education should be at the  disposal of mainstream education for the benefit of the children and young people with special  needs who are educated there.  5.    To promote the integration of children and young people with disabilities into the various  sectors of mainstream education and so contribute to their acquiring autonomy and independence,  cooperation between all the bodies with an interest in and involvement with children and young  people with disabilities should be encouraged, whether these bodies represent school education,  preparation for work, leisure activities, health, (including psychological and paramedical  assistance) or the social services.  6.    Increasing use should be made of the educational potential of new technology  (computer-assisted education, word processing, development and use of educational software, special  adaptations, information technology and communication with the aid of computers in the learning  environment) to aid communication and the development of language skills.  7.    The Council and the Ministers for Education recognize that achieving improved school  integration requires a particular effort in education and consider it necessary, in the context of  the report called for by July 1992, in Article 8 of the Decision of 18 April 1988 on the Helios  Programme, also to report on the measures they have taken and the progress which they have made  to:    (i)  facilitate the integration of children and young people with disabilities into mainstream  education, with particular reference to the following areas: -  the initial and in-service training of teachers in the area of special needs, -the participation of families and social and community agencies, -the allocation of available resources for education, -the most comprehensive possible support for the global needs of the child and adolescent by the  implementation of an individual developmental, pedagogical, social and therapeutic plan, -the creation of new resources, -the availability of and access to suitable assessment services, -the introduction of curricular innovations, -the adaptation of the existing regulations and the organization of the education so as to do away  with structural barriers to integration;    (ii)develop the role played by specialized institutions and their teachers in promoting the  development of integrated education, for example: -by utilizing them, where they exist, as centres and resource teams for ongoing training of  teachers who need more information on disability and special educational needs, -by recruiting from them, where appropriate, peripatetic teachers to support children with  disabilities in ordinary classes, -by increasing the cooperation between mainstream schools and specialized institutions in  developing special teaching programmes,  -by developing individualized programmes and teaching methods, and where necessary other  educational strategies which meet the needs of the children and young people;  (iii)develop active cooperation between the education services and the other services such as  health services, social services etc. in preparing, promoting and ensuring continuity and  consistency in the integration programme;  (iv)encourage the formulation of comprehensive and coherent policies, with regard especially to  the organization of educational provision, the supply and management of resources, the monitoring  and evaluation of integration schemes and the dissemination of good practices;    (v)overcome difficulties which curricula in mainstream education may present for children and  young people with disabilities by developing individualized learning programmes and by promoting  the use of new technology as an additional means of stimulating communication and learning in  schools. In the report the most significant projects and plans aimed at reinforcing the policy of  integration into mainstream education systems in the Member States should be summarized. This  report will be presented to the Education Committee and the Council. Member States are invited to support the Commission in the preparation of an overall report on the  implementation of the Helios programme and on other developments on the integration of children and  young persons with disabilities into mainstream education.  8.    The Commission, in cooperation with the Education Committee and the working party on the  educational integration of children and young people with disabilities, will ensure that all the  activities and programmes which it supports in the areas of education, training and youth policy  and transition to adult and working life generally endeavour to take account of the special needs  of people with disabilities who wish to participate in them.   (1)  OJ No C 211, 8. 8. 1987.   (2)  OJ No L 140, 23. 4. 1988.