Integration in kindergarten: yes or no? (teachers' and parents' views)

Abstract

The integration of children with special educational needs into mainstream education is currently a highly debated issue among both the professional and lay public in the Czech Republic. The research question for this study focused on identifying the opinions of parents and teachers on the integration of children with special educational needs into common types of nursery schools. The aim of the present study was to determine the degree of awareness among teachers and parents of the integration of students with special educational needs in kindergarten and to describe the positive and negative aspects of such integration from these perspectives. A questionnaire was selected as the basic research method, targeted at kindergarten teachers and parents of kindergarten students. The resulting data were analyzed using descriptive statistical methods. Questionnaire responses indicate that both parents and teachers have a substantial degree of knowledge on the issue; to speculate, extensive media coverage of the integration issue may be the source. The (deficiency of) material and technical equipment in schools as well as concerns about admission of integrated children are described as the main pitfalls. Both sides seem to agree on the difficulties of integrating children with special educational needs. However, the benefits of integration are described by both parents and teachers differently.