Definition of the target groups

The system of special education admits children and pupils who were in special medical, psychological, and pedagogical examinations diagnosed with such deficiencies in mental, psychosocial, and physical development that make it impossible to be successfully educated in regular schools and facilities even with the use of compensation-rehabilitation aids. 

the children with health disadvantages are differentiated within the framework of special educational diagnosis as follows:

• children and pupils with mental disability,
• children and pupils with physical disability,
• children and pupils with impaired communication ability,
• children and pupils with  autism or other pervasive developmental disorders,
• children and pupils who are sick or with weakened health,
• deaf and blind children and pupils,
• pupils with developmental learning disorders,
• pupils with activity and attention disorders,
• children and pupils with multiple disabilities,
• children and pupils with  hearing impairment,
• child and pupil with visual impairment,
• children and pupils with behaviour disorders.

The child with health disadvantage is recommended to be integrated into the special-educational care in the counselling system and the educational process as soon as possible − before starting compulsory school attendance.

For children and pupils with sensory and physical disabilities, special schools are established up to the level of upper secondary education, including kindergartens, primary schools, gymnasiums, and vocational secondary schools. The education obtained in mainstream schools and the system of special education for children and pupils with sensory and physical disabilities is considered equivalent. Graduates of primary schools for children with sensory or physical disabilities can continue their education in regular secondary schools, special classes within regular secondary schools, or in special secondary schools, after passing entrance interviews.

Special primary schools for pupils with mental disability do not provide a level of education equal to the education obtained in mainstream primary schools.

Separate special education of children and pupils with disabilities takes place

• kindergartens
• primary schools: primary school for pupils with hearing impairment, primary school for pupils with visual impairment, primary school for deaf and blind pupils, primary school for pupils with impaired communication ability, primary school for pupils with physical disabilities, primary school for pupils with autism. primary school for pupils with mental disabilities,
• secondary schools: 
  • secondary vocational school for pupils with hearing impairment, secondary vocational school for pupils with visual impairment, secondary vocational school for pupils with physical disabilities, 
  • gymnasium for pupils with hearing impairment, gymnasium for pupils with visual impairment, gymnasium for pupils with physical disabilities, 
  • conservatory for pupils with visual impairment,
  • practical school and vocational school (for pupils with mental disabilities)

Children and pupils who are sick or with weakened health are provided education by schools at healthcare facilities.

Admission requirements and choice of school

The request for integration of a child into the special education system may come from the child’s parent or guardian, physician, school head of the special school or facility, or head of a counselling or social facility.

The parent of the child with a disability is recommended to visit the special-educational counselling centre which mediates examinations and prepares documentation. According to the above examination, the school head decides on the enrolment of the child in the special education system. The proposal for admission into the special education system in school integration is reviewed by a team of experts that includes a pediatrician, psychologist, social worker, special pedagogue, rehabilitation or technical worker or other professional who assesses the child/pupil with disability.

Finally, a special pedagogue determines the final special educational diagnosis, namely, after the assessment of all examinations. At the same time, special education needs are defined by stating educational prognosis. The complex evaluation given like this is a part of the "Proposal for admission of the child or pupil with special education needs to the special school, special kindergarten, primary school and to secondary school".

The decision on admission of the child to the special education system is within the competence of the head of the school or school facility, always with the informed consent of the child’s guardian.

Unlike catchment schools, special schools are not obliged to admit a child. If a child is not admitted, the school will give reasons for not doing so and, in cooperation with a counselling and prevention centre,  propose where the child can be placed to fulfill the compulsory school attendance. If the parent agrees with their child being placed in another school, the school office will reimburse them for travel by public transportation to and from the school where the pupil was placed. 

The appeal against the decision is to be submitted within 15 days from the delivery of the decision. The school head will then consider the appeal and make a decision. 

Age levels and grouping of pupils

The levels of education of children and pupils with special education needs are analogous to levels of education in mainstream schools of the common population. Differences ensue from the kind and severity of the disability.

Kindergartens for children with disabilities are internally divided into classes which usually have children of the same age and the same type of disability. A class is founded for at least four and at most eight children. School heads can allow the maximum number to be exceeded by two at most.

Specific adjustments to the education of pupils with health disadvantages are implemented based on the recommendations issued by counselling facilities for the school in compliance with generally binding legal and sectoral regulations.

The number of children in a school class is defined by the Decree no. 322/2008 on special schools (vyhláška č. 322/2008 o špeciálnych školách) according to the type of child’s disability. 

Schools for pupils with disabilities are internally divided into classes according to the degree of disability or the dominant disability if pupils have more disabilities. Pupils are assigned to classes according to their age.

School heads may enable seriously disabled pupils to take part in primary education until the end of the school year when they reach the age of 18. 

Taking into account the specific needs of children and pupils with health disadvantages, schools may apply other methods of organizing instruction, such as dividing teaching hours into shorter time segments, scheduling and organising breaks, block instruction, and other organizational forms.

Children and pupils with mental disabilities can attend the following schools:

• special kindergartens,
• special primary schools,
• vocational schools, designed for pupils with mental disability who completed the primary school and are considered capable of completing training for a profession. After the completion of vocational school, the pupils can perform auxiliary services in simple professions and trades
• practical schools, designed for pupils who completed compulsory school attendance but are not capable of completing the vocational school. A practical school is a type of school that provides education and training for simple work activities – prepares pupils for family life,  independent functioning, and simple practical work activities under supervision.

Classes with individual educational programme are founded in special primary schools for pupils with a serious degree of mental disability and pupils with multiple disabilities.

Education in schools for mentally disabled pupils is provided according to schools’ internal differentiation in three variants

1. A (pupil with a minor degree of mental disability),
2. B (with a moderate degree of disability), 
3. C (with a serious and profound degree of mental disability).

Pupils receive education in classes with a lower number of pupils than in regular schools. The minimum number of pupils in a class of special school is 4; maximum numbers are set according to individual kinds and types of schools from 8-12, except for classes with an individual educational programme in which the highest number of pupils is four (pupils with autism and deaf-blind) and the maximum is 5-6  pupils in classes of the variant C.

Kindergartens, primary schools and special primary schools are established at the healthcare facilities. In these schools, the pupils are educated during treatment of their illness or health weakening for which they have been temporarily placed in the health centre. They are grouped into classes according to age with a maximum number of 6 - 10 (according to type of illness).

Curriculum, subjects

The education and training of children and pupils with special education needs are based on the educational programmes for children with health disadvantage (vzdelávacie programy pre deti so zdravotným znevýhodnením) for:

• children and pupils with mental disability,
• children and pupils with hearing impairment,
• children and pupils with visual impairment,
• children and pupils with physical disability,
• children and pupils with impaired communication ability,
• children and pupils with autism and other pervasive developmental disorders,
• children and pupils who are sick or with weakened health,
• children and pupils who are deaf and blind,
• children and pupils with multiple disabilities,
• children and pupils with behaviour disorders,
• pupils with developmental learning impairments,
• pupils with impairment of attention and activity,

These programmes are which are a part of the state educational programmes.

Pupils with health disadvantages (except pupils with mental disorders) meet the same targets as pupils without health disadvantages. General objectives of education in individual educational areas and competencies are adapted to the particularities of a pupil with health advantage to such extent that the pupil’s study results corresponded to the profile of a pupil who completed the respective level of education while taking into account the degree of disability or disorder.  Educational programmes for children and pupils with a sensory or physical disability, including informatics, correspond to educational programmes for mainstream schools in terms of the subject content and the number of hours. They are complemented by the educational area of 'special pedagogic support', which integrates compulsory subjects focusing on the development of skills with respect to the disability. 

Teaching plans for pupils with mental disabilities contain almost all subjects like in regular schools. However, there is more time allocated to the subject of Work education and the subjects are supplemented by special pedagogic subjects depending on the degree of mental disability (development of communication skillstherapeuticorientation/movement, graphomotor skills, social skills).  The content of education is adapted to the mental level of each pupil. Pupils with mental disabilities will obtain primary education after completion of 9 -10 grades of special primary school (depending on the degree of disability). 

Pupils whose health disadvantage does not allow other forms of education (e.g. blind and deaf pupils, pupils with multiple disabilities) are educated according to an individual educational programme in some or all subjects.

The  school can  exercise different ways of organisation of teaching which take into account pupils' health disadvantages, mainly 

• by dividing teaching hours into shorter time segments,
• by introducing breaks,
• block teaching and other organisational forms,
• other organisational forms.  

Creators of state educational programmes include experts in special education such as special pedagogues, psychologists, and professionals. The educational programmes are approved by the Ministry of Education.

Teaching methods and materials

Methods and forms used in special education are characterised by an individual approach. It is up to teachers to choose the form, teaching method, educational and compensation aid in the teaching process. Specific adjustments are implemented based on recommendations from counselling facilities, which prepare them for the school in accordance with generally binding legal and departmental regulations.

In kindergartens and kindergartens for children with special education needs, children with impaired communication skills are provided with speech therapy by speech therapists and teachers who practice correct articulation with children. Teachers lead all children to the development of communication competencies throughout the whole day as well as in individual activities with children.

Special pedagogy and other professional care for children with diagnosed special education needs and their parents are provided by the centres of special pedagogic counselling. Professional pedagogic and psychological activity for children of pre-primary age and their parents is provided by special counseling and prevention centres.  In the process of developing some of the children's personality areas, individual support programmes are used such as speech and graphomotor skills development programmes.

Education of pupils with special education needs is carried out with the support of special methods. These methods are aimed at overcoming, mitigating, or preventing disability. Special educational methods used in special schools may be summed up as follows:

• method of re-education - special educational procedures are aimed at the affected function,
• method of compensation - special educational procedures aimed at the development of compensatory unaffected functions,
• method of rehabilitation - special educational procedures aimed at socialisation - integration of the handicapped individual in the community.

Further, they are the methods using various compensatory aids, such as information and communication technology, hearing aids, various optic aids, etc. Bibliotherapy as a part of a therapeutic-educational intervention, a method of a communicative nature, proved to be effective too. These compensatory aids are used individually or collectively - special classrooms such as video studios, logopaedic workplaces, etc.

Professional and methodological support for teachers in special education is provided by the Research Institute of Child Psychology and Pathopsychology (Výskumný ústav detskej psychológie a patopsychológie) and the National Institute of Education and Youth (Národný inštitút vzdelávania a mládeže), which publish methodological guidelines, professional materials, and guides, organise professional events, training, and accredited courses of further education

Progressions of pupils

Pupils with disabilities progress to the next grade of primary school if their academic performance has been assessed as "passed" under current methodological guidelines for assessing and grading students. The assessment principles and methods are part of the school's educational programme or a specific pupil’s individual educational programme. The method of assessing individual subjects in each grade is decided by the school head after discussion in the pedagogical council (through grading, verbal assessment, combined assessment, or non-assessment of the subject).

Pupils without mental disabilities are assessed according to the rules for assessing academic subjects and behaviour in primary and secondary schools, taking into account the nature of their health impairment. Pupils with mental disabilities are assessed according to the Methodological Guidelines for Assessing and Grading Students with Mental Disabilities. The performance and progress of individual pupils are assessed continuously. Pupil's current psychological and physical capabilities and their individual characteristics are taken into account in the continuous assessment of partial results.

The possibilities of admission of school-leavers with health disability from mainstream and special primary schools depend on the level of achievements at primary school that the pupil had attended.

Pupils with physical and sensory disabilities integrated into the system of special needs education and training in special primary and secondary schools based on professional recommendations fulfill their compulsory school attendance and subsequently may continue their study in secondary vocational schools (special secondary schools or mainstream secondary schools).

If a pupil applies for a mainstream secondary school the application must contain the decision of the appropriate medical expert commission of social insurance on the ability to pursue the selected study field. The application form of the pupil with a health disability also contains pedagogical documentation that consists of psychological and special educational examinations.

If a pupil completes compulsory school attendance in a mainstream primary school and applies to a special secondary school, the application also includes a medical statement on the character of disability. The character of disability must correspond to the type of special secondary school the pupil applies to.

Pupils with mental disabilities can continue with their studies at vocational secondary schools or practical schools. Progression from a lower to a higher grade is conditional upon fulfilling school duties and assessment and grading of pupils’ results. 

The application is submitted by the pupil's parents. The application contains both a pediatrician's statement on the pupil's health fitness and the pupil's educational documentation. The special primary school's head sends the application to the vocational school or practical school.

The length of study in special schools is defined by the state educational programme and can be extended by up to two years.

After successfully completing study at secondary school the pupil with a health disability may further apply for higher education study only through an integrated form of education. All higher education institutions have coordinators for students with health disability.

Certification

Certification of education of pupils with health disability corresponds to certification of other pupils according to the relevant level of education. 

Primary schools at health care centres do not issue certificates, they provide material for the assessment and grading of pupils’ study results and behaviour in their parent school.

Pupils with mental disability are assessed and graded based on a written report on pupils’ progress and educational activities results. After completion of the educational programme in a vocational school, pupils with mental disabilities will acquire lower vocational education, which is divided into the following categories according to the degree of achievement in the respective educational standards and the qualification for work activities

1. Schooling; the certificate on achieved education is a Certificate of Schooling,
2. Training; the certificate on achieved education is a Certificate of Training,
3. Apprenticeship; the certificate on achieved education and vocational qualification is a Certificate of Final Examination and an Apprenticeship Certificate.