This book describes the recent and current changes taking place in the small Nordic welfare state of Iceland. The author takes the reader into the school system, the movement to integrate students with special and psychological difficulties into general schools and the pattern of inclusive schooling where Iceland -- along with other Nordic countries -- has gone far. For those who are interested in the changes which have taken place in relation to disabled people this is a remarkable story that provides a wealth of data and insights from an author well placed in terms of her teaching, research and personal experiences. This book tells the story of Benedict (and that of his mother -- the author) and is the remarkable experience of a young man, typical in many ways but unusual in others. He does not speak, he suffers from insignificant impairments -- both intellectual and physical-and needs support twenty four hours a day. This is Benedict's and Dora's experience. Readers cannot fail to be moved, perhaps to tears, by this life story.

The educational systems of the Nordic countries are based on a common set of fundamental values, such as democracy, social justice and inclusion. However, when it comes to the treatment of diversity, especially in education, many issues remain unresolved. This edited volume presents Icelandic research on the challenges and opportunities of diversity in education at several levels, including preschool, primary, secondary, vocational and higher education in Iceland. The chapters shed light on school experiences of students and parents of immigrant or refugee background and their teachers, and explore attitudes and values of young people with regards to diversity, human rights and multicultural society. This book also addresses the issues of the professional development of teachers and inclusive practices, and will primarily appeal to classroom teachers and academics, teacher education students, social educators, and education policy makers. While set in the Icelandic context, this volume will serve to contribute to current global discussions on diversity and social justice in education.

Nabo is a project launched under the Swedish presidency in the Nordic Council of Ministers 2018. The project is run by the Swedish Agency for Youth and Civil Society over the period 2018-2020 and seeks to make the youth perspective visible through the words of Nordic youth. Young people’s voices will be heard in questions regarding their lives. And based on that knowledge they will be given the opportunity to participate and influence political decisions. Young people are asked to describe their everyday lives and how they perceive their opportunities and obstacles. From their stories Nabo builds a framework of success factors for social inclusion in the Nordic region. This study is based on six focus group interviews with youth in different places in Iceland. In this report you find the result from the Icelandic study. Similar studies are carried out in the other Nordic countries and in the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Åland.

This edited volume emanates from a Nordic research project which was conducted in Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden in 2013-2015. The main objective of the project was to draw lessons from success stories of individual immigrant students and whole school communities at different levels that have succeeded in developing learning contexts that are equitable and socially just, thus turning attention to good practices and what can be learnt from these. The book presents and discusses the main findings of the Learning Spaces project on the three school levels—pre-, compulsory and upper secondary—and contains chapters on research methodologies applied in the project, relevant educational policies, leadership and implementation of the project. While set in the Nordic context, this volume will serve to contribute to current global discussions around diversity and social justice in education. It will primarily appeal to educational practitioners and academics interested in issues of diversity in schools.

Based on in-depth analysis of inclusive practice in eight countries, this book addresses the issues that arise when students with disabilities are educated in local schools.

Inclusion for immigrant students with special educational needs (SEN) is a neglected area of research. This edited volume addresses this problem, providing up-to-date insights into the provided support and special needs education (SNE) for immigrant students in different contexts of the Nordic countries. This important book explores the diversity of student experiences, addressing both compulsory schools and vocational education, and examines how different Nordic countries conceptualise and approach support and SNE for immigrant students. Readers will get an opportunity to read various studies that address gaps in the realisation of inclusion and special need education. This book initiates a dialogue on generating new knowledge, approaches, and methods to expand the flexibility necessary to implement a fully inclusive education. The book offers research that includes strong theoretical and practical frameworks, interviews, interventions, assessments, case studies as well as offers future directions for inclusive and special needs education. By exploring the process of inclusion and special needs education in the Nordic countries, this book is an essential read for those who intend to deepen their understanding and to enact inclusion, and the development of special needs education for immigrant students.

This open access book provides a current view on education, equity and inclusion within the lens of education for a sustainable North. The first book published by the University of the Arctic Thematic Network for Teacher Education for Social Justice and Diversity (Including the North: A comparative study of the policies on inclusion and equity in the circumpolar North, 2019) highlighted policies of inclusion and equity in education in national and regional contexts. This new book explores in more depth the provision of education across the north, focusing on challenges and innovations in meeting the needs of diverse learners in remote and rapidly changing contexts. While many texts address issues of equity, inclusion and diversity, they are almost all focused on the global South, and miss the lessons that can be learned from Northern regions. This book offers an extended essay on teaching and learning through various perspectives and experiences with the aim of creating a more sustainable North. It is structured around two main themes: 1) Supporting Teachers for Diversity and Inclusion in the Classroom including consideration of language and identity issues, 2) Engendering community solutions to structural and geographical challenges in education in the circumpolar north.