1. Introduction

1. Levels of public education in Hungary

There are three levels of public education in Hungary.

1. Pre-school education which is carried out in kindergartens, the kindergarten attendance may start at the age of three for children, and it is obligatory from the age of five. By this time the child is liable to attend kindergarten four hours daily from the start of the school-year. The educational processes running here are of basic importance for the beginning etap of school.
2. Basic education-teaching goes on in the 1–8. grades; the 1–2. grades are the introduction phase, the 3–4. grades are the beginning phase, the 5–6. classes are the grounding phase and grades 7–8 are the developing phase. – The lower inetrmediate phase in some European countries corresponds with the etap of the 5–8. grades . The etap of high school education and teaching starts at the 9^th grade continuing in trade schools till the end of the 10^th, in high schools till the end of the 12^th or 13^th grade.
3. As a result of the changes in the past years, admission to institutions of secondary education was possible at different ages, such as 10, 12 and 14 years. Secondary educational programmes have a broad offer, the programmes of gymnasiums, vocational and apprenticeship training schools are completed with educational programmes ensuring different corrections, as well. Secondary educational programmes are differentiated according to specialized or general education, or wether they prepare for maturation, or not.

General Movements

• The number of students attending vocational secondary schools ending with maturation significantly grew in the last years, and the number attending vocational schools (not preparing them for maturation) has decreased with nearly 50%.
• The number of students involved in the higher (13-14.) grades grew – in different degrees in different professions – by increasing of the start of specialized education to after the age of 16 and by the teaching of professions registered in the National Education List.

1. 2. Children with Speacil Learning Needs within the System of Public Education

Statement for special education needs

• Physical, sensoral, mental and talking disabilities are stated by professional committees at county and national level. National professional committies are committies investigating vision, hearing, talking and learning abilities.
• There are professional and rehabilitational committies both in the capital and at county level, these consist of a teacher of special education as the leader, a therapeutic teachers, psychiatrists and specialist physicians. They hand down an opinion on the children investigated, the child is placed based on their advice in kindergarten or school, they also give suggestions on any special requirements concerning the education and teaching of the child. Placement of children in special classes, and their integration to the classes of the mainstream schools is decided by the professional commities. According to the law of equal chances, parents of students needing special education have a voice concerning the attendance of their children in different institutions.
• There are educational counselling services in all of the districts of the capital and in larger cities of the country. these are responsible for discovering any disabilities a child may have, they provide diagnosis and manage the behavioural, educational and teaching problems of 3-18 years-old children and youngsters growing up in families. This service functions on an ambulatory basis. The advice after establishing the diagnosis is based on primarily concerns related to the further tasks of the teachers and the parents.

Development and Institutions of Chidlren Needing Special Education

• The established system of specialised institutions ensuring the choice of the parents is maintained by the law of public education and its modifications. The educational teaching institution is chosen by the parents based on the professional advice of the professional and rehabilitational committee investigating learning abilities, or that of the national professional and rehabilitational committee, according to the law. The law says that students needing special education may attend an educational teaching institution possessing the personal and material conditions ensuring the special education and teaching needs.
• Based on the diagnosis established by physicians, neurologists or audiologist, the development of the skills and abilities of the children of special education needs and supporting them by helping tools and instruments (hearing device, glasses, sticks, crutches etc.) starts as early as possible – this is all depends on the type of disability.
  The purpose of this early stage development is counselling focusing on the problems in the children’s and parents’ environment and the development of the specific disabilty of the child.
• The children with special learning needs between the age three and sixteen attend special education institutions among which are: kindergartens, elementary schools, special vocational schools and apprenticeship training schools where students" skills are further developed. Special schools work under the governance of local governments and authoroties of different levels. Their district of acceptance depends primarly on the frequency of the occurance of th especific disabilty and the number of students in a city, district of a city, in the capital city, in a district of the capital, in a county or even country-wide.

• Where Special Education Meets the Mainstream

  • Mainstream and special education has a number of meeting points. Institutions conducting education for children with special learning needs must consider the published guidelines on special education starting from kidergarten when developing their programs.
  • The basically common curriculum at elementary level of the special and majority schools enables children attending special schools to acquire the same elementary education and therefore the chance to continue their studies at secondary and higher levels. Each school and special education institution may decide individually what methods and practice they find the most suitable for their needs. These methods are different according to each disability, but fulfil the contential requirenments set by the National Core Curriculum. When applying these methods at schools the subject based approach is common. Children with special learning needs acquire the same certificate as their mainstream colleges upon succesful completion of the school.
  • The approach to questions dealing with disability considers integration as the key solution to establish a community, where people with disabilities take part in the active society. Today the question is no longer if education of children of special educational needs should happen together with their healthy fellow students or in separate specialized institutions. The question is modified to: how?
  • The formation of the best special (formerly segregated) institutions into sources (educating-supplying institutes) has been accelerated in the last two years, this way the formation of the system of professional support institutes, the support of the practice of joint education may be realized. Expertise of teachers of special education – e.g. creation of developing programmes, application of therapies, counselling – will be demanded by the spread of integrated education in the integrating institutes. Active integration of the schools educating separately gives opportunity for in-service teacher trainings, helping to develop the quality and content of the communication with parents, and fulfilling the tasks of professional and special duties.