Inclusion and education

BOX 7.1:
Poland is developing specialized centres to support 
mainstream schools
In its 2017 Strategy for Responsible Development, Poland 
committed to make its education system more inclusive. While 
the percentage of families opting for mainstream schools has 
been increasing, 34% of learners with special education needs 
were still taught in special settings in 2019/20. An audit found that 
such children and youth learning in regular settings faced multiple 
barriers (Supreme Audit Office, 2017). Among the key factors were 
the quality of initial teacher education and in-service training 
and the limited number of specialists in mainstream schools 
(Sochańska-Kawiecka et al., 2015), which result in lack of teacher 
preparedness and low confidence about working in diversified 
classrooms with learners who have special needs (Chrzanowska 
and Szumski, 2019). The support provided to schools by teacher 
training institutions, psychological and pedagogical counselling 
centres and pedagogical libraries has only partly filled the gap 
(Stronkowski et al., 2014).
Drawing on the expertise and experiences of specialists working 
in special settings might help in the transition (European Agency, 
2019). In line with recommendations of the Commissioner for 
Human Rights (Abamowska et al., 2012), the Ministry of National 
Education has worked on identifying systemic solutions to 
make special schools support inclusive education. Assisted by 
the European Agency for Special Needs and Inclusive Education, 
within the framework of the European Commission’s Structural 
Reform Support Programme, Poland has defined a new role for 
special settings. Between 2019 and 2022, it planned to establish 
specialized centres, co-financed by the European Social Fund, to 
support the transition to inclusive education. After a pilot phase, 
the project aims to set up centres operating in cooperation 
with other local entities, including special schools, as well as a 
coordinating hub and 14 regional centres.
Most mainstream schools cannot employ 
professionals who work in special schools; 
instead, they use resource centres for 
counselling
2 
References to Kosovo shall be understood to be in the context of Security Council resolution 1244 (1999).
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centres, respectively, to provide counselling, prevention 
and teacher development. In Slovenia, mainstream and 
special schools cooperate on programme adaption in 
mainstream schools’ special units, which are intended for 
children with special education needs.