The school system undergoes changes

The school system undergoes changes again

In 1968, Finland’s parliament introduced legislation to create a new comprehensive school system. The law had its roots in the calls for a more equal and democratic education system that would also bring schooling for special groups under the same system. Discussion on the integration of deaf children in the hearing society began as early as early as the 1950s, and boarding schools for deaf students were thought to slow down this process.

According to a report issued by the Ministry of Education in 1968, basic education for children with disabilities should be primarily organised in local mainstream schools. In the report, it was proposed that municipal schools with classes for children who were deaf and hard of hearing be established in 13 municipalities.

Parents were happy with the proposal because their children would no longer have to be sent to another town to go to school. However, the Finnish Association for the Deaf stated that educational institutes larger than local municipal schools would be better equipped to arrange high-quality education. In addition, the integration of deaf children in classes with hearing pupils meant isolating them from the sign language community.

In 1972, the proposals in the report were passed into law. This enabled municipalities to set up regional schools for deaf and children hard of hearing if the number of pupils remained above 15 on a permanent basis. The state continued to run the schools in Jyväskylä, Oulu, Mikkeli and Porvoo. Deaf children and children hard of hearing were put in the same class. Children of different ages were also taught in the same group.