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1. INTRODUCTION TO INCLUSION: The education of students with special education needs has undergone important changes in the last twenty years. The concepts of integration and inclusion, mainstreaming, education for all and education as a human right belong among the most frequently mentioned terms. This chapter offers an overview legislative documents, principles and development of the concept of inclusive education. Furthermore, it defines the concepts of integration and inclusion and offers an overview of widely recognized definitions of inclusive education. In relation to education, especially when speaking about pupils with special educational needs, the concepts of integration, inclusion, mainstreaming, education for all and education as a right are mentioned more and more frequently. After 1989, the Czech Republic, also joined other European countries in their actions towards inclusive education. Currently, individual countries approach this issue in various ways. However, it can be stated that all European countries at present are tending towards the integration / inclusion of pupils with special educational needs into mainstream schools. Developments in this direction are based on a critical analysis of the role of segregated education and its influence on the personality of a pupil with special educational needs and society as a whole, and not least the conviction that the integration / inclusion of pupils with special educational needs is beneficial for everyone. As stated by professor Susan Etscheidt: "Inclusion is based on the belief that people/adults work in inclusive communities, work with people of different races, religions, aspirations, disabilities. In the same vein, children of all ages should learn and grow in environments that resemble the environments that they will eventually work in." or in other words: “Children, who learn together, learn to live together.” |