The evolution of the schooling of students in Special Education in Spain: 25 years after the Salamanca Declaration

Abstract

The Salamanca Statement (1994) declared that the holistic learning and development of all learners takes place in mainstream classrooms without exception, including those with Special Educational Needs (SEN). Unresolved tensions are still recognized in this area, for example related to the modalities of Special Education. The main objective of this article is to characterise pupils attending special schools, and to analyse their evolution from the Salamanca Declaration (1994) to 2020. For this purpose, a longitudinal descriptive methodology has been applied to the statistics of the Spanish Ministry of Education by means of graphic and analytical techniques. The results show an increase in the diagnosis of SEN, mainly assumed by ordinary and public schools, highlighting notable differences across Autonomous Communities. The number of children enrolled in special schools, however, remains stable. Conclusions point to the risk of turning Inclusive Education into a rhetorical issue, requiring an intersectional perspective that allows progress to be made in educational policies that guarantee access, participation, and educational success for all students.