[ARCHIVE] Provide better facilities for disabled pupils

Nearly one third of schools and educational establishments are organised into local inclusive support units (PIAL). These units mean that families do not have to wait for a support worker, instead the support worker receives the families.

The essentials 

Since 2005, the school system has accommodated a further 200,000 disabled pupils. In 2019, 23,500 extra pupils were welcomed. The support means increase by 7.2 % full time equivalent of learning disability support workers.

At the start of this 2019 school year, mainly thanks to the adoption of the law For a School of Trust, the national education sector is renewing the organisation to provide better facilities for disabled children and support the families better.

All departments are being given a specific inclusive education service to meet their demands better.

Nearly a third of schools and establishments are arranged in local inclusive support units. The Pial means that the learning support assistant welcomes the families, no longer the families who wait for a learning support assistant.

The learning support assistants are seeing an improvement in their status and their working conditions.

New organisation

Article 5d in Chapter IV of the law, which is totally devoted to inclusive education, is an essential lever in taking into account the unique features and particular educational needs of disabled pupils.

At this start of the 2019 school year, the law allows the support organisation for disabled pupils to be transformed and significant improvement in conditions for recruiting, training and the work of their learning support assistants. These are the two cornerstones of a genuine public inclusive education service.

Law for a School of Trust Article 25 : "The parents or legal representatives of the disabled child or adolescent benefit from an interview with their teacher(s) and with the person in charge of one-to-one or collective assistance. [...] It covers the implementation methods for educational adaptations and arrangements recommended in the individual education plan [...]".
Article 25: "Local inclusive support units are created in each department. [...] They constitute resource units intended for the educational community. [...] These systems aim to take the particular educational needs of the disabled pupil into account better with a view to developing their autonomy".

Roll-out of Pial

The Pial is a new way of supporting disabled pupils.

What is changing : until now, pupils needing an adult to support them in their schooling waited for the person to be recruited. Henceforth, the learning support assistants are recruited within the inclusive unit and assist the pupil as soon as they arrive in class.

The three Pial objectives are :

  • human support focusing on the needs of each disabled pupil in order to develop their autonomy and allow them to acquire the expected knowledge and skills
  • greater responsiveness in allocating learning support assistants
  • professionalisation of learning support assistants and improvement in their working conditions.

More than three thousand local inclusive support units will be rolled out for the school year 2019-2020. They will be distributed uniformly throughout the territory in both primary and secondary education.

For this purpose, 4,500 extra learning support assistants are recruited as full time equivalent. In addition, 29,000 subsidised contracts (CUI-AVS) are being converted into 16,571 AESH full time equivalent.

In total, the increase in means for AESH full time equivalent will be 7.2 %.

Improved job conditions

The learning support assistant is henceforth a full member of the educational team and teams monitoring the schooling of disabled pupils.

They play a major role in welcoming families. They thus attend the welcome interview between the family and the educational team.

AESH jobs are consolidated. With effect from the start of the 2019 school year, they are recruited under three-year fixed contracts. These can be renewed once before a permanent contract is signed if they are continuing with their activity.

The law henceforth allows the national education sector and local authorities to enter into agreements with a view to common AESH recruitment. This standardisation of the "second employer" principle will allow any learning support assistants who so wish to increase their average working hours and provide better continuity pupil support between school and out-of-school hours.

Reference ASEH are appointed in each department to support those starting out.

Their job adaptation training is guaranteed by the law For a School of Trust. They could benefit from this in the first year of practice and will thus be able to access training actions included in the academic training plans.

 
 
Law for a School of Trust Article 25 : "The competent State education authority and the local authorities can enter into agreements with a few to common recruitment of learning support assistants for disabled pupils. [...] Their on-going vocational training is fixed in accordance with a national benchmark and adapted to the diverse situations of pupils welcomed in the schools and teaching establishments. [...] They are recruited under three-year contracts, renewable once."

A departmental "inclusive school" service created in each department

The inclusive education service has a variety of missions :

  • educational, with the implementation, monitoring and assessment of the schooling of special needs pupils, including disabled pupils
  • administrative, with the implementation of support for disabled pupils
  • welcoming families, with the creation of a cell to welcome, listen to and respond to parents and guardians of disabled pupils.

Support the families better

Since June 2019, families have been assisted by a listening unit in all the departments. This unit will be open whenever necessary.

Its purpose is to advise families on the existing facilities and to respond to them on their child's case.

All families enjoy a first-line response within 24 hours of the call.

Support the teachers better

From the start of the 2019 school year, the Inclusive School Heading platform offers teachers educational resources that can be used immediately in the classroom, to support them in the schooling of all pupils and more especially pupils with special educational needs.

This platform also puts teachers in contact with experienced peers who may support them in introducing educational adaptations and arrangements, mainly of pupils with Autistic Spectrum Sisorders (ASD).

Increased number of Ulis (unités localisées pour l'inclusion scolaire - localised educational inclusion units)

At the start of this 2019 school year, two hundred Ulis have been created, including one hundred for secondary education.
By 2002, creation of 250 Ulis in upper secondary school.

Changes in numbers of disabled pupils in ordinary primary and secondary schools

As at 1 June 2019, 201,367 pupils had a prescription from the MDPH (Maisons Départementales des Personnes Handicapees - Departmental Centres for Disabled Persons) for one-to-one or collective support, i.e. an increase of 23,500 prescriptions in one year.

More key policies

Together for a School of Trust
Pre-primary school at three years old for all
Grade 1 and Grade 2 classes with twelve pupils : 300,000 children involved
Grade 1 and Grade 2 assessments to anticipate learning difficulties
Annual benchmarks in primary and lower secondary school to guide pupil progress better
Consolidate primary school in all regions
Support the most vulnerable families
Provide better facilities for disabled pupils
Homework done : work towards success of all pupils
Culture and arts at the heart of the school system
Mobilisation for Paris 2024 : boost sport at School
Guide pupils better and lead them to success
Stronger vocational pathway
Upper secondary general or technological school : new Grade 10 and Grade 11 classes
New dynamics for living languages through all school levels
Digital learning aids
A School at the forefront of ecological transition
The principle of secularism at the heart of School and the society of trust
The School of respect for others
Develop the culture of engagement : the UN system and the civic service
Boost initial teacher training
Support personnel throughout their career
Improve labour conditions for staff
Involve families better in School life
Wednesday plan and education cities : enhance out-of-school times
An ambitious boarding school policy serving pupils and territories
100 % success in primary school : strengthening French and mathematics instruction
Opening French schools to Europe and the world
Banning the use of cellphones in primary and lower secondary schools
Supporting books and reading
Enriching the lower secondary school curriculum
Promoting a culture of innovation

Mise à jour : septembre 2022