During the recent paralympics, Gillian Ziegner, MA Autism Studies (Distance Learning) gave a lecture to the German Behinderten-Sportverbrand (Association of Sport for the Disabled) and disabled atheletes from Germany “Inclusive Education in England: present reality or utopian dream?” This outlined the implementation of inclusive policies in schools in England followed by a 40 minute discussion in German centred on the policies in North Rhine-Westphalia where it is intended to close a large number of special schools and to implement inclusive school policies over the next few years. Gillian currently teaches in an inclusive school in North Rhine-Westphalia and so was able to compare the two countries and see where the pitfalls lie.
Gillian was also lucky enough to attend the paralympic swimming events on the 1st September as the guest of Herr Keuther, Events Secretary of the German Behinderten-Sportverband Nordrhein-Westfalen.
