Education System

“A system where everyone can learn and grow.”

An inclusive education system ensures that students with support needs are not the exception, but the starting point. It starts with policies that deliberately take into account all students, and are implemented at every level of the educational institution – from administration to program. With every new measure or change, one considers: what does this mean for students who need extra support? In this way you work step by step towards equal opportunities for all.

Studying with a support need

Students with support needs include students who experience barriers due to a functional disability, chronic illness, mental and psychological symptoms, pregnancy, young parenthood, gender diversity or special family circumstances such as informal care.

Aspects of an inclusive education system

Governance, policy and agenda setting

Get inclusive policies in your institution
As an education professional, you have a say in how inclusive education is designed. It starts with good governance and clear policies. The board is committed to inclusion and making sure those policies are implemented throughout the institution. You can help by being actively involved in implementing and securing inclusive goals and adapting policies based on the needs of students with support needs.

From vision to action
Whether you are just starting out or have already taken steps: inclusive education requires clear choices, aligned processes and sustained commitment. ECIO supports you in every phase:

Develop a policy plan around inclusion, vision and ambition.
Drafting a concrete plan of action, focusing on student, learning pathway and educational environment.
Implement, monitor and secure policy according to quality standards and legislation.

With this approach you ensure that inclusive education is not only on paper, but is actually implemented and maintained. Do you want to get started quickly with a concrete improvement?

UN Convention on Disability in educational practice

Ensure compliance with the UN Convention
The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is the basis for inclusive education. It is important that you actively support compliance with this convention and contribute to its integration into your educational institution. This means ensuring equal opportunities, accessibility and full participation for all students regardless of their support needs.

Implement and secure the UN Convention on Disability in educational practice
In the Netherlands, more than 2 million people with disabilities cannot participate in society as a matter of course. Many students with support needs also experience obstacles in education. Think of students with a functional limitation, chronic illness, psychological complaints, pregnancy, young parenthood, gender transition or informal care responsibilities. The UN Convention on Disability, which has been in effect since 2016, obliges you as an educational institution to be inclusive.

What does inclusive education mean?
With inclusive education you make sure that as an educational institution you do not exclude anyone. Students must feel welcome, heard and supported. This requires policies and practices that take diversity as the norm.

Guidelines UN Convention on Disability
According to the UN Convention, education must:

Availability: sufficient supply of training.
To be accessible: physically, digitally and socially.
To be acceptable: of good quality for everyone.
Be adaptable: flexible in approach, testing and guidance.

What can you do?
As an education professional, you can contribute to a learning environment in which all students thrive. Consider:

Accessible buildings and teaching materials.
Flexible study planning and review.
Good guidance and support.
Attention to the transition to internship or work.

Do you want to work structurally on inclusion?
Commit to sustainable change: sign the declaration of intent for the UN Convention on Disability and work with other institutions in VET and HPE/UE in the national working group.

Student Participation

Involve students in the process. The experience of students who need support, this is called experiential expertise, is very important. You involve students by experience in the design of education. Listen to their ideas and involve them in making decisions. In this way, you make sure that education meets their needs and that they really feel involved.

More information on studenten participation >

” Nothing about us, without us”

Students are often full of good ideas on how things can be done differently or better at their educational institution. As you know, educational institutions have an interest in translating student needs into educational policy. This allows the policy to better match wishes and expectations. Students with support needs occupy a special place here.

The UN Convention on Persons with Disabilities requires educational institutions to promote active inclusion. The motto “nothing about us, without us” is leading in this regard. Students with support needs must therefore be actively involved in policy-making. This may raise the following questions among educational institutions and students:

What benefits does student participation have for our educational institution?
How does our organization actively shape student participation?
What is needed for students with support needs to receive accessible education?
What does “nothing about us, without us” mean for our organization?

Making use of students’ experiential expertise, for example by giving them a stage at trainings, workshops and symposiums, is important. Setting up peer-to-peer coaching and buddy paths contributes to providing low-threshold support among students. ECIO can help you with this. We are happy to explore the possibilities together.

Student platforms/student councils
On the help guide of Onbelemmerdstuderen.nl you will find an overview of the student platforms for and by students with a support need in hbo/wo and student councils in mbo. Is the student platform of your educational institution not yet listed? Let us know via algemeen@ecio.nl.

Quality assurance

Inclusive education policy ensures that new decisions and changes are systematically tested for impact on students with support needs. In this way, you as an institution not only comply with the UN Convention on Disability, but also actively contribute to sustainable inclusive education. You monitor the quality of education and adjust where necessary.