The integration of children with disabilities in german schools: origin - development - current state and problems

Abstract

The article first describes the origins and justification of the German special education system.
Causes and legitimations from the end of the 19th century are named. Criticism of the special education
system has been emerging in West Germany since the 1970s, when the idea of inclusion
developed. This was influenced, among other things, by the integration development in other European
countries such as Italy and Scandinavia. The idea of inclusion has changed much in the
school landscape in Germany, but it has not contributed much to the quantitative integration of
disabled children in school. With the discussion about ‘inclusion’ and the adoption of the UN Convention
on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities by the Federal Republic of Germany in 2009, the
real situation has improved quantitatively. Despite everything, there are still major problems in
Germany related to the implementation of real inclusive paths.