The Dorner Commission to Examine Special Education in Israel submitted its findings to Education Minister Yuli Tamir on Thursday. The commission recommended changing to a system that would allow parents to choose which educational framework bests suits their special needs children.
According to the proposed changes, parents would decide whether to put special needs children into a special class with other children facing similar issues, or to integrate them into a regular class. Those decisions are currently made by Education Ministry committees.
The commission also suggested that children who are able to express their own opinions in the matter be allowed to have a say in their placement.
Another proposal related to the method of determining state funding for special needs students. Instead of funding children's special education according to their diagnoses, the state should fund each child individually based on an assessment of his or her needs, committee members said. The child's needs would be reassessed once every three years.
The Committee for the Child expressed opposition to the Dorner Commission's report on Thursday, calling the proposed changes “daydreams” that could cause more harm than good. “Integrating a child with special needs in a regular school without appropriate resources and full-time help won't only not be beneficial, it will hinder the teachers, the school and most importantly of all, the child himself,” the group said.
The Finance Ministry opposes the proposed changes as well.