Special needs education and special support in primary education

If your child is in need for support, contact the student's class teacher, class supervisor or subject teacher.

If the general support and subsequent planned intensified support are not sufficient, the school, in cooperation with the student and guardians, will carry out a pedagogical assessment of the need for special support.

All pupils are entitled to group-specific forms of support, which are based on planning and anticipation. The aim is to support the pupil's learning as early as possible and at a low threshold. Group-specific forms of support are:

• general remedial teaching to address support needs and challenges identified early at the group level
• remedial teaching in the language of instruction if the pupil does not have sufficient skills in the language of instruction to complete the required syllabus
• instruction provided by a special education teacher alongside other teaching that takes into account the needs of the entire teaching group

If group-specific forms of support are not sufficient, the pupil is offered pupil-specific support measures. They are regular and based on individual support needs. Pupil-specific support measures in basic education are:

• special education teacher's instruction partly in a small group alongside other teaching
• special education teacher's or special class teacher's instruction in a small group
• special class teacher's instruction in a special class
• pupil-specific interpretation and assistant services

Special education teacher's instruction provided partly in a small group means that the pupil is in an ordinary class, but in some subjects, they study partly in a small group led by a special education teacher.

Special education teacher's or special class teacher's instruction in a small group means that the pupil is in a small group led by a special education or special class teacher for more than half of the instruction in one or more subjects. In other subjects, the pupil is in an ordinary class.

Special class instruction means primarily full-time teaching in a special class in all subjects or areas of activity. However, the pupil can participate in general teaching in some subjects, if possible.

Pupil-specific interpretation and assistant services are support services that allow pupils to participate in education in general and help them achieve the objectives set in the curriculum. They are only used when other measures are not sufficient.