National Trends and Equality Of Special Education In Finnish Compulsory School 2001 – 2010

Author(s):

Tanja Kirjavainen(presenting / submitting)Jonna Pulkkinen(presenting)Markku Jahnukainen

Conference:

ECER 2013

Network:

04. Inclusive Education

Format:

Paper

Session Information

04 SES 06 B, Trends in Placement in Special Schools

Paper Session

Time:

2013-09-11

15:30-17:00

Room:

D-501

Chair:

Stein Erik Ohna

Contribution

In this paper, we study the trends in Finnish special education at the comprehensive compulsory school level in 2001-2010. During these years, special education faced a quite considerable expansion as also students with milder disabilities were could be transferred to special education based on the substantial changes in Basic Education Act 1998 (e.g. Jahnukainen, 2011). Contrary to earlier studies (Kivinen & Kivirauma, 1989; Kivirauma 2002; Jahnukainen, 2003; 2006; Lintuvuori 2010), our main focus in this paper is on the differences between different cohorts and grade levels and in finding out if they have been treated unequally when it comes to providing them with special education. In addition to analyzing the participation rate of different cohorts by grade level we also study how the cohorts differ by place of provision of special education, by teaching arrangements and by the ground for decision of acceptance or transfer to special education.

Method

We use large register data compiled by Statistics Finland covering the years 2001-2010 and all Finnish comprehensive schools from grades 1 to 9. The data is at the school level and it includes information on number of special education students by grade level, by place of provision, by teaching arrangements and by ground for decision of acceptance or transfer. The structure of the data enables us to identify the development of different cohorts. Since the retention rate is very low (less than 0.5 percent in each grade level) the data captures quite precisely the rate of growth in special education of different cohorts. There are two cohorts, those starting the comprehensive school education in 2001 and in 2002 that we are able to follow through their whole comprehensive school career. For the other cohorts, the follow up period is shorter. We analyze the data with basic descriptive statistics.

Expected Outcomes

Our results show that the participation rate in special education increased from 5.2 percent in 2001 to 8.5 percent in 2010. It was, however, unequally distributed between different cohorts and grade levels. The participation rates were at the lowest in the lower grades and steadily increased with the grade level. As some 4-6 percent of the students depending on the cohort were transferred to special education in the first grade, the corresponding figures were 6-11 percent at the end of the comprehensive school. The differences between the cohorts were especially large in the final years, in some cases almost 1 percentage point. The growth rate was larger in the upper grades from 7-9. Depending on the seriousness of the disability, special education students can follow either the general curriculum or, follow a curriculum with some of the subjects individualized or have all subjects individualized. During the study period, the share of students with all subjects individualized has decreased whereas the share of student with only some subjects individualized has clearly grown. With the latter group, the differences between the cohorts were large at the end of the comprehensive school, in some consecutive cohorts some 5 percentage points.

References

Jahnukainen, M. 2003. Laman lapset? Peruskoulussa erityisopetusta saaneiden oppilaiden osuuksien tarkastelua vuodesta 1987 vuoteen 2001 [Children of the economic depression? Special education students at compulsory schools from 1987 until 2001]. Yhteiskuntapolitiikka [The Finnish Journal of Social Policy] 68, (5), 501–507. Jahnukainen, M. 2006. Erityisopetuksen tarve ja muutos [The need for and changes in special needs education]. Teoksessa Karvonen, S. (toim.) Onko sukupuolella väliä? Hyvinvointi, terveys, pojat ja tytöt. [Does the gender matter? Well-being, health, boys and girls.] Nuorten elinolot vuosikirja [Year book of the living conditions of young people] Nuorisotutkimusverkosto, Nuorisoasiain neuvottelukunta & Stakes, 119 – 131. Jahnukainen, M. 2011. Different strategies, different outcomes? The history and trends of the inclusive and special education in Alberta (Canada) and in Finland. Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research, 55 (5), 489-502. Kivinen, O. & Kivirauma, J. 1989. Special education as a part of the school system and as a classification system: The case of Finland in the twentieth century. Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research, 33 (5), 67–78. Kivirauma, J. 2002. Erityisopetuksen historialliset kehityslinjat Suomessa (The historical development of special education in Finland. In M. Jahnukainen (Ed.) Lasten erityishuolto ja -opetus Suomessa. 12. täydennetty painos. Juva: Lastensuojelun keskusliitto, 23–33. Lintuvuori, M. 2010. Erityisopetus muutoksen kynnyksellä. Tilastollinen kuvaus erityisopetusjärjestelmästä ja sen määrällisestä kehityksestä 1970-luvun lopulta vuoteen 2008 (Finnish Special Education in Change – A statistical description of the Finnish special education system from late 1970s to present). University of Helsinki. Unpublished MA Thesis.

Author Information

Tanja Kirjavainen (presenting / submitting)

National Audit Office of Finland, Finland

Jonna Pulkkinen (presenting)

National Audit Office of Finland, Finland; University of Jyväskylä

Markku Jahnukainen

University of Helsinki

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