President Kiska signs law against segregation in schools

Special educational needs due to disability will no longer be legally on par with those based exclusively on the social background of a pupil, after President Andrej Kiska signed into law an amendment to the Education Act that contains measures against the segregation of children in schools. According to the Education, Science, Research and Sport Ministry, the drafting of the amendment was driven by the notion that the development of a child from a socially disadvantaged environment does not automatically mean disability, which is a key factor for assigning pupils to either special schools or classes. In addition, the amendment explicitly and directly stipulates that children from socially-disadvantaged backgrounds should be placed in classes with other pupils. "This measure clearly prevents segregation," emphasised the Ministry's spokesperson Beáta Dupaľová Ksenzsighová.