Special Education in Sassari (Italy) and Vitória (ES, Brazil): a comparative study

Abstract

The study aims to understand the intersections between the policies of school inclusion/Special Education in Sassari (Italy) and Vitória (ES, Brazil), the theoretical framework being the assumptions of comparative research in education and the contributions coming from Education/Special Education theorists. This objective derives from the need to unveil how the movements of opening up inclusive space-time in regular schools within the educational context are conducted in different societies. Data collection was obtained through focus groups with both special educational professionals in Italian schools and Brazilian teachers of Specialized Education Service. The latter are those who articulate actions in regular schools intended to include students with disabilities, pervasive developmental disorders, and high skills/giftedness. As final results, the study shows that international agreements have driven the realities investigated to compose more inclusive school scenarios through various educational public policies and that the Italian and Brazilian reality can learn from each other. After all, considering the historical, economic, political, structural and educational differences, it can be argued that there are advances concerning the enrollment of students in the regular schools; the setup of support networks to prevent drop-out; and a set of concerns and attempts to guarantee the access to systematized knowledge.

Special Education; Comparative research; Educational policies