In future, vocational schools will likewise allow young people with and without disabilities to study jointly. In Bavaria, this is a further step towards implementing the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The school trial run adds seven school tandems in the field of vocational schools to the existing number of 86 Bavarian schools offering inclusive education.
The trial was officially launched by Bernd Sibler, State Secretary for Culture and Chairman of the Executive Board of the Stiftung Bildungspakt Bayern (Bavarian Education Pact Foundation), during the launch event of the pilot scheme "Inclusive vocational education in Bavaria" in Regensburg. "Inclusion, that is, the joint learning of young people with special pedagogic support needs and of those without such needs, requires an education system that can adapt to the requirements of all people", emphasised State Secretary Sibler.
The pilot scheme by the Stiftung Bildungspakt Bayern is based on a joint initiative with the Bavarian Federal State Ministry of Culture and Education. The project aims at enabling young people with increased special educational needs in the fields of learning and/or emotional and social development to study towards successful completion of a vocational education and training course.
Within the school trial, vocational schools and colleges, technical schools and vocational schools for special educational needs will closely collaborate. The aim is to consequently support all students towards achieving a higher level of specialisation as well as towards developing their personal and social competences. "The co-operation between vocational schools and colleges, technical schools and vocational schools for special educational needs allows for increasing equal opportunities and participation for our young people with special educational needs", said the State Secretary.
Moreover, the school trial will examine how teaching staff can be further qualified towards optimally supporting the students and in how far the co-operation with partners in the immediate environment of the schools can be intensified. "Like the general vocational schools, our vocational schools for special educational needs are dependent on strong partners in fulfilling their task. Without these, our successful vocational education and training system would not work", Bernd Sibler highlighted the significance of the businesses providing vocational education and training. He thanked, amongst others, the initiative Zukunftsinitiative Aufbruch Bayern and the exclusive partner BMW AG for their financial support of the project.
During the school trial, seven school tandems, each consisting of one vocational school or college and one vocational school for special educational needs, will develop concepts for given professions and occupational groups.