Centros de Educación Especial en el Sáhara y en España. Una perspectiva comparada.

Abstract

In the current educational approach of our country different modalities of schooling to promote educational inclusion of the students with specific need of educational support are established. Special Education is presented as alternative to the ordinary model, either in the totality of its schedule or as combined schooling. The present article aims to analyse and compare the organization, functioning and resources of two Special Education centres in very different contexts. On the one hand, Olof Palme school, placed in the middle of the Sahara Desert, in a refugee camp in the town of Tindouf (Algeria). On the other hand, the Puerta de Santa María Special Education School in Ciudad Real (Spain). It studies in depth the similarities and differences between these two centres that educate students with educational support needs. The comparison of both contexts supposes differences in the functioning or organization of the teachings. Firstly, the situation of each of these two centres is described, analysing their main aspects. Later the comparative study is carried out and the main conclusions are commented. Different data collection techniques have been used to carry out the study, mainly the interview, the direct observation and the bibliographic review. Pronounced differences between these two situations imply that the educational process of both schools is very different in terms of the available resources, both material and human, the organization and the possibilities of action.