Tamayo Fukakusa
Senior Specialist for Special Needs Education
Special Needs Education Division, Elementary and Secondary Education Bureau,
Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology

Introduction

In order to realize the philosophy of an "inclusive education system" based on the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) has been striving to improve learning opportunities for children with disabilities so that children with and without disabilities can receive education together as much as possible. At the same time, to provide the best possible instruction that meets the educational needs of each child with disabilities and with a view to their independence and social participation, we are developing a variety of learning opportunities with continuity. They are composed of regular classes, instruction in resource rooms, special needs education (SNE) classes, SNE classrooms, and SNE schools.

Among these educational opportunities, SNE schools provide an educational equivalent to kindergarten, elementary school, lower secondary school, or upper secondary school. The schools aim is to equip children with disabilities with the knowledge and skills necessary to overcome learning and living difficulties caused by disabilities and to lead them to independence. Moreover, SNE schools are expected to play a pivotal role in promoting SNE in the community. This paper outlines the function of SNE schools as regional support centers and discusses the future direction of SNE.

1. Function as support centers undertaken by SNE schools

Drawing on their respective educational specialties, SNE schools have functioned as a center for parents and teachers of local schools such as elementary and lower secondary schools to consult on issues pertaining to SNE. The SNE schools' function as support centers has been stipulated in Article 74 of the School Education Law since 2006 as below.

Article 74:

In addition to providing education to realize the purpose stipulated in Article 72, SNE schools shall endeavor to provide necessary advice or assistance with regard to the education of preschoolers, pupils, or students specified in Article 81 paragraph (1) at the request of kindergartens, elementary schools, lower secondary schools, compulsory education schools, upper secondary schools or secondary education schools.

In addition, the Points of Attention Regarding the School Management in the General Rules of the Courses of Study for SNE Schools are stipulated as follows:

Item 3：

SNE schools should endeavor to play a role as a center for SNE in the community by using the teachers' specialties, facilities, and equipment in each school. Specifically, upon the request of elementary schools or lower secondary schools, SNE schools should provide necessary advice or assistance to pupils or students with disabilities or teachers in charge of the education of those disabled pupils or students. SNE schools should also provide educational consultation to the parents based on the community situation or family requests. The schools should develop an internal system to enable systematic efforts as a school and cooperate with other SNE schools and local schools, including elementary and lower secondary schools. (Courses of Study for elementary and lower secondary departments of SNE Schools)

Specific support for local schools, such as elementary and lower secondary schools could include:

• support for the preparation of an Individualized Education Program and an Individualized Educational Support Plan,
• support for instructing activities towards independence,
• provision of accommodation in communicating with and information on teaching materials for children with hearing impairments,
• provision of teaching materials and equipment for children with low vision,
• specific advice on understanding and catering to the needs of children who have difficulty concentrating in class.

There are also activities to help parents and other stakeholders understand SNE practices by providing them with information about appropriate education for children with disabilities and their future prospects.

As for providing supports, SNE school teachers could also undertake outreach activities such as visiting elementary and lower secondary schools to advise and deliver specialists' information according to different types of disability and the use of facilities and equipment.

2. The Current situation of SNE Schools functioning as regional support centers

MEXT has surveyed the status of SNE schools functioning as support centers. The results of the 2017 survey show that more than 90% of SNE schools had provided consultation to teachers in elementary, lower secondary, and other schools, as well as to children not enrolled in their school and parents. The total number of consultations was 131,870 from teachers of such schools: 113,146 from children and their parents in the same year.

Reported support cases included the following, which involved cooperation between relevant schools, welfare, medical, labor, and other institutions in each support area.

Consultation to teachers of local schools, such as elementary, lower secondary schools, guidance and support to children with disabilities. SNE schools provided:

• training and consultations to teaching staff working at kindergartens, elementary schools, lower secondary schools, or upper secondary schools, and other schools located in its support area
• monthly study meeting for teaching staff, and other relevant institution staff
• lectures to enhance the understanding of persons with disabilities at an elementary school, lower secondary school located in its support area
• support relating to instruction provided at resource rooms in  upper secondary schools
• go around consulting and visiting local schools with children with special educational needs
• renting of assistive devices, teaching materials, and teaching aid

Liaison and coordination between relevant welfare, medical, labor, and other institutions. SNE schools involved in:

• case meetings with the relevant institutions relating to preschoolers and children with special support needs
• training for the relevant persons in the support area
• liaison meetings with welfare, medical, other institutions
• development of a local support system in cooperation with the Education Office and the SNE Center
• setting up a liaison committee of local SNE coordinators to share information on support situations at each school and to provide training

Consultation and providing information on SNE. SNE schools provided:

• Educational consultation concerning preschoolers
• Information on educational consultations to the Board of Education, the relevant welfare and medical institutions, and parents

3. For the Future

The report of the Expert Committee on the Ideal SNE in the New Era, compiled in January 2021, states that the function of SNE school as a support center should be strengthened as follows:

• As the provision of a continuum of diverse learning opportunities progresses, it is necessary to strengthen the SNE school's function as a support center and clarify the role of SNE coordinators, who are responsible for liaising and coordinating between schools and with the Boards of Education, etc. It is also necessary to consider allocating SNE school teachers in order to promote SNE during early childhood education and upper secondary education stages and set up an ideal system to facilitate cooperation between schools across the establisher.

• In some cases, there is only one SNE school for the visually and hearing impaired in a prefecture, and the number of teachers with disability specialties is limited. In addition, local schools such as elementary schools enroll children with disabilities including children with low vision and hearing loss. For these children to receive specialized instruction according to their disabilities, it is necessary to increase the number of opportunities for local schools to receive remote specialized instruction from SNE school teachers using ICT in the presence of local school teachers. At the same time, teachers in local schools need to receive advice from teachers in SNE schools. For this purpose, the support system provided by SNE schools to local schools needs to be enhanced.

It is also worthwhile for pupils and students with disabilities attending elementary and lower secondary schools to offer dual enrollment in SNE schools, thereby increasing their learning opportunities.

For SNE schools to fulfill their role as support centers for SNE in the community, it is necessary for each school to develop its internal system and to work systematically by improving the division of school duties and internal organization, as well as cooperation among teachers. Moreover, as the actual situation of children with disabilities enrolled in local elementary and lower secondary schools are diverse, it is essential to promote instruction and support utilizing the expertise of each SNE school in cooperation with other SNE schools and local schools.

In the future, it will be necessary to enrich the support system making the most of the high level of specialization among SNE schools together with local elementary and lower secondary schools so that children with disabilities can receive the education that meets their educational needs.