There is no comprehensive understanding of the legal basis of inclusive education, its content and its binding nature in Finland. This situation puts the right of children with disabilities to inclusive education at risk.

In their statement, the Human Rights Centre and its Human Rights Delegation emphasise that inclusive education is a human right, not a matter of opinion. Inclusive education is a state obligation and a right for children with disabilities.

Practical problems related to inclusive education involve inadequate support for teachers and students as well as unhelpful attitudes and a lack of competence. Simply increasing resources without changing practices and mindsets does not solve the challenges of inclusive education. An extensive and multidisciplinary change in attitudes is needed in Finland in terms of inclusive education.

The Human Rights Centre and its Human Rights Delegation are calling on the Government, especially the Ministry of Education and Culture

• to strengthen the competence of teachers and educational staff in inclusive education and its implementation, 
• to provide schools with sufficient resources so that they can the take adequate support measures to organise inclusive education,
• to raise awareness of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and its binding nature.

Read the statement here

Further information:

Sirpa Rautio, Director of the Human Rights Centre, Chair of the Human Rights Delegation sirpa.rautio@ihmisoikeuskeskus.fi, +358 9 4321 (Switchboard of the Finnish Parliament)

The Human Rights Delegation functions as a statutory national cooperative body of fundamental and human rights actors and deals with fundamental and human rights issues of a far-reaching significance and principal importance. The Finnish National Human Rights Institution consists of the Human Rights Centre (HRC), the Human Rights Delegation and the Parliamentary Ombudsman.