L’éducation inclusive en France

Abstract

In France, inclusive education constitutes a novel, although not yet widespread, approach. This paper presents the case of a nursery school deliberately organized with this perspective in view. The aim is to accommodate children in a situation of disability within a context of school practice promoting the participation of all pupils in school activities. Whoever the pupils might be, the same pedagogical principles guide the work of the teachers : allow each pupil to participate in activities according to his/her interests and capacities, encourage interactions between children. The arrangements that turned out to be necessary for some pupils correspond to these general guidelines. This transformation process is based on thinking together in a team, a team built gradually, starting with a pooling of observations about the pupils. The commitment of the members of the team in a dynamic collective process is favored by the creation of “balanced” relations, taking into account each individual’s viewpoint, experience and background.