TASK 3

 In 2020, El Proyecto de la Ley Orgánica (LOMLOE) was published to be implemented into classrooms across Spain. The purpose of this law was to improve upon the previously existing law, La Ley Orgánica de Educación (LOE), which was put into effect in 2013. The LOMLOE has the intention of improving attention to diversity through inclusion and wants to aid students with special education needs in being able to live in our globalized and technologically advanced society. However, there are many controversies surrounding this law and its implementation in Spanish classrooms. 

In theory, this law is amazing for all students, teachers and administrators within the Spanish educational system. However, the government failed to address the needs of implementing this law into the system. Primarily, the law continues the exclusion of students with special education needs, rather than contributes to their inclusion within the classroom. As we have learned in class, the inclusion of all students within the general education classroom can be beneficial to everyone. The students with disabilities are able to receive an education that is adequate for them to be part of our society, and students without disabilities are exposed to a level of diversity that they otherwise would not see. That being said, this law is said to promote the separation of students, rather than their collaboration which harms all students within the educational system.

On the other hand, immediate inclusion into mainstream schools or classes for students originally involved in special education programs can come with problems. As the article mentioned, educational needs are common to all students, but at the same time, they are specific to each student. Each students’ educational needs define what they need in order to succeed in the classroom. In general education classes, there is a lack of specificity in the instruction and presentation of information in classrooms, because the majority of the students don’t need additional help. When students with special needs are integrated into mainstream classes, this can become a problem, because the amount of additional help the special education students can receive is now limited. Although it is not known what exact implications will arise from the lack of attention to students with disabilities, it is clear that this can be a major problem when integrating all students into mainstream classrooms.

Another problem with this law is that it does not give proper resources to students, teachers or administrators to make the situation successful. In other words, the government approved a law without thinking about the implications or resources required to implement it. That being said, if the government wants to push inclusion they would have needed to provide proper resources for all teachers and students to insure that everyone was receiving a proper education. As we know, sometimes children with special educational needs require special attention or accomodations within the classroom, and teachers need to have the proper resources and help to make sure the students with special educational needs are being attended to, but also that students without disabilities are not being left behind.

From that point, teachers also need to receive proper training in a special education setting to make sure they are aware of the best practices within an integrated classroom. Teachers should be trained to deal with specific educational differences between students. For example, if there is a student with a learning disability that requires accommodations for tests like having one less option on a multiple choice test, the teacher needs to know how to implement that accommodation. Also, there may be situations where there is an activity presented in class and a student with a learning disability may have trouble participating and the teacher will need to be able to recognize this and implement the accommodations necessary to ensure that student's participation. 

To conclude, the LOMLOE is a law that was implemented into the Spanish educational system in 2021 with the intentions of promoting student inclusion and promoting attention to diversity. However, the law fails to complete a myriad of things that allow for a successful implementation of integration within the classroom. First of all, it fails to remember that some students may have disabilities too severe for them to be successful in a general education setting. They are not able to keep up with the speed of a general education lesson and therefore their education suffers when they are forced into these settings. Secondly, the law fails to provide the proper resources that would allow for all parties, students, teachers and administrators to have a successful classroom. Teachers are not provided with the proper materials and resources to ensure all students are receiving a fair and equal education and they are also not provided with proper training to establish an effective classroom environment for all students. Thirdly, the inclusion of special education students into mainstream classrooms will cause a lack of attention to these students with disabilities. This lack of attention can lead to a plethora of problems for the students in their educational journey. 

Although sad, this is not far from the norm. It is not uncommon that politicians will pass laws that look good on paper, but they fail to address specific needs for successful implementation. Teachers are often left to navigate these new situations on their own without the proper skills and abilities to do so. As mentioned, integration can be beneficial, but only when it is done correctly and with the proper tools. When done poorly, the only thing improper implementation of inclusive education can do is hurt the students. That being said, this law is great in theory, but it needs work, because it does not provide proper resources or steps to allow for proper implementation.