Visually impaired pupils win court case
The Flemish Community is ‘discriminating’ against visually impaired and blind students, according to a judge who said that they require more hours of guidance during school
Standards needed
The judge said that the Flemish Community was “passing off an important part of its responsibility for the integration of blind and visually impaired children in regular education” to schools, and that pupils rely on “the voluntary efforts of their specific environment”.
The judge emphasised that the integration of students with special needs in regular schools – the goal of the M decree introduced in 2015 – requires sufficient GON (geïntegreerd onderwijs, or integrated education) support.
The three pupils each received a maximum of six hours of GON support a week, which the judge deemed far from sufficient. He ruled that the Flemish school system must offer between 10 and 17 hours of GON support per week, under penalty of a fine.
“This ruling recognises the lack of equal opportunities in education for children with a visual disability,” Ria Decoopman of the non-profit Zicht op Cultuur told De Standaard. The organisation went to court together with the families of the three children.
The ruling could be used by other students with special needs who require more assistance. Education minister Hilde Crevits said that she will examine the verdict and that the GON support system had already been improved.
Photo courtesy Exchange Photos/Flickr
