The potential of the National Action Plan 2022-2030 must be used urgently
Work is currently underway to finalize the action plan that will define the guidelines for the “disability policy” by 2030.
This process, known as the “National Disability Action Plan” (NAP), is intended to define a concrete and Austria-wide way to implement the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. I.
In the area of inclusive education, however, the republic has some catching up to do, because Article 24 of the UN Convention obliges Austria to implement an inclusive education system.
“We are still a long way from teaching all children together,” criticized Christine Steger. She is the chair of the Independent Monitoring Committee that monitors the implementation of the UN Convention in Austria.
“We have to assume that the new action plan does not provide for the necessary steps to guarantee all children, adolescents and young adults with and without disabilities a common and lifelong learning”, said Steger.
It is worrying if no strategy is pursued in the next 8 years to end social exclusion.
Tobias Buchner, Education Expert of the Monitoring Committee, points out:
In 2021, a large number of pupils with disabilities will still be taught in special schools – which does not meet the requirements of the UN Convention. In addition, the quality of inclusive education at mainstream schools is unfortunately often questionable.
However, this is not due to a lack of commitment on the part of teachers, but rather to the fact that the reforms required for 30 years have been outstanding and too few resources are being invested in building an inclusive school. On the contrary: the funds for joint teaching would be gradually reduced.
“The current education system disadvantages people with disabilities – from kindergarten to higher education. The NAP could finally take the necessary steps to get closer to the goals of the UN Convention, ”added Buchner.
The Independent Monitoring Committee thus underlines the need for the necessary measures for an inclusive education system up to tertiary education to be taken within the framework of the National Action Plan (2022-2030).
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