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The role of school special educators in supporting pupils with social disadvantages

Publication at Faculty of Education |
2019

Abstract

lusive education, the importance of the profession of school special educators, who provide support for pupils with special educational needs and their teachers in mainstream schools, is increasing in the Czech education system. Traditionally, the role of school special educators is mainly focused on the education of pupils with disabilities, but the role of school special educators in relation to pupils with social disadvantages, who according to qualified estimates constitute a numerically very significant group of pupils with special educational needs, remain unclear.

The article describes the results of a qualitative oriented study based on the content analysis of texts from six school special educators, supplemented by insights from group discussions with these professionals. The presendted results demonstrate the importance of the profession of school special educators in several specific areas of direct support for socially disadvantaged pupils, as well as in the area of counseling support for teachers and in developing cooperation between schools and non-school subjects (counseling facilities, pupils' legal representatives).

The research clearly suggests further personal and professional development of the profession of school special educators in relation to pupils with social disadvantages.