Financing inclusive education in Iceland

Abstract

Inclusive education is a priority in European and international educational policy. It is based on ideas originating in the human rights movements, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (no. 19/2013) and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (2016). Understanding the concept of inclusive education has thus shifted from a focus on general schooling for students with defined special needs or disabilities to developing education that can meet the needs of a diverse group of students (Florian et al., 2017). Implementing school policy depends on those who work in the schools. Therefore, it is vital that a common understanding of the policy is at hand and the necessary knowledge and resources provided to teachers and other staff (Salamon, 2002).

European Agency for Inclusive Education and Special Needs carried out an audit of the system of inclusive education in Iceland in 2016 (European Agency, 2017). In its findings, three closely related priorities, or levers, are set out that are considered urgent to implement as soon as possible to ensure the success of the education system. The first is about reaching a common understanding of inclusive education and how to organize it. The second is the importance of reaching an agreement on minimum standards for the provision of services that support education for all in all schools. The third priority, which is the focus of this paper, is the need to undertake a review of the current policies of financing education in the spirit of inclusion and increased efficiency of the school system.

There are many indications that the medical view and emphasis on diagnoses are behind a certain part of funding for schools in Iceland, and in the findings of the European Agency's audit (2017) this arrangement is criticized, as it is considered weakness-oriented. This means that it is common to look for deviations or weaknesses in students, instead of thinking about promoting holistic measures within the school and appropriate support that enables all students to take an active part in education. In addition, it is believed that this arrangement works against inclusive education, as it directs funding to some kind of special resources for a specific group of students instead of using it to build a comprehensive education for all. This is a matter of concern, as the responsibility of municipalities and school administrators lies in making good use of and developing their resources, staff and study materials to implement inclusive education in a professional and cost-effective way (Hernandez, 2012).

The aim of the study was to shed light on the current allocation of funds to primary schools, with a view to examining what changes are needed for funding to support practices that characterize the ideology and policy of education for all. The study was a case study based on data from a collaborative project of thirteen municipalities, in which the current funding mechanisms are described, reflected on and future developments considered.

The main results of the study indicate that the allocation of funds to schools is comparable between the municipalities that participated in the project. Participants believed that compulsory school funding was based on outdated methods, e.g. emphasis on the classification and diagnosis of students, which need to be reviewed with the aim of increasing the autonomy of school administrators in allocating funds to better support schools as professional institutions that can solve most of the issues that arise in the day to day school practices. In this way, funding can support changes in school culture, teaching methods and the organization of support within schools.