The Netherlands gets 2e inclusive:Shifting from multitrack toward inclusive education

The Dutch education system has a long history of segregating special education, but it has recently turned toward a more inclusive model. Policies such as the Salamanca Statement (1994), the Passend Onderwijs Act of 2014 (translated as“Befitting Education”), and the Incheon Declaration (2015) have offered a variety of responses to questions about appropriate programming for students with special needs. The number of students in special schools has slightly decreased over the last 10 years, and advocates continue to push for additional support and accommodation for special education students through a child-centered pedagogy. Toward this end, Evelyn Kroesbergen, Agnes Burger-Veltmeijer, Minnaert,and Lianne Hoogeveen obtained a three-year grant from the NetherlandsInitiative for Education Research in 2019 to explore questions about twice exceptional students’ characteristics and developmental challenges,in order to glean insights about possible identification processes.The investigators also seek to lay the groundwork for programs thatmore adequately accommodate the educational needs of 2e students, findfactors to reduce frustration, increase talent development, and contributeto a successful school career for these students