General News
Inspection: Czech schools treat healthy kids as mentally handicapped
Prague, April 2 (CTK) - A recent check showed that up to 34 Czech special schools taught healthy children as slightly mentally handicapped and unrightfully drew subsidies for the special lessons, Czech School Inspection officials said Friday, adding that the schools face a fine or even abolition.
Out of a total of 110 children who were found unrightfully taught as handicapped, more than one-fourth were Romanies.
The Czech Republic has been for a long time internationally criticised for a high number of Romanies in practical schools, until recently known as special schools, designed for handicapped kids.
"This amounts to a gross violation of the school law," chief inspector Olga Hofmannova told journalists.
A standard elementary school receives a subsidy of some 41,000 crowns for each of its pupils a year. If a child is handicapped and taught according to a special programme, the subsidy goes up by 50 percent at least.
The schools involved thus received at least 2.25 million crowns from the state unrightfully.
In addition, the inspectors said they feel doubt about the inclusion of another 173 pupils in the special classes.
The inspectors would not specify the schools involved for now. They said most of the schools are in Central Bohemia.
The schools have been given a deadline to explain all discrepancies or correct mistakes. If they fail to do so they face either a fine or abolition.
Before being sent to a practical school, a child has to undergo a psychological test. The testing centres, however, are often directly connected with the practical schools.
"In many cases the school's interest in admitting a sufficient number of pupils prevailed at variance with the pupil's justified interest in being admitted for standard education," the inspection report says.
On the other hand, the schools provide a top-quality care for pupils who really suffer from a slight mental handicap, Hofmannova pointed out.
Additional Information
Country: Czech Republic
Website: http://praguemonitor.com/2010/04/06/inspection-czech-schools-treat-healthy-kids-mentally-handicapped
Email: N/A
Phone: N/A
Contact Person: N/A
Source: Email from: MORI, Soya
When: 09/4/2010
