Education chiefs in Aberdeen believe the city could “lead the way” in Scotland with a planned overhaul of policies for integrating children with additional support needs into mainstream schools.
Two national experts have made 16 recommendations for improvement after conducting a year-long review of the 12 secondary and 20 primary schools in Aberdeen.
The findings will be presented to councillors next week, with an aim of ensuring that all children in the city are treated equally and educated wherever possible in their own community.
The Labour-led council’s new convener of education and children’s services, councillor Angela Taylor, said Aberdeen could be an example for other local authorities to follow.
She said: “I know that inclusion is on the agenda of other councils, but we will be way ahead of the game and will be leading the way in Scotland.
“This is something that I am really excited about, what we firstly have to ask ourselves is what kind of society do we want to live in?”
The council tasked two experts in the field of inclusion, Lorna Walker and Winifred Wood, to carry out the review, which concluded in August .
A international education expert was also asked to offer her input on teaching practices.
Professor Loretta Giorcelli, from Australia, has advised governments and the UN on how to tailor education to meet the needs of children.
The report that will be considered next week includes recommendations to establish a team of specialist management staff, offer more training to existing pupil support assistants and increase the level of “early intervention” for children with the most severe and complex needs.
The review team found “pockets of innovative practice” in the city and a “high level of commitment” among staff, but found room for improvement.
The report, from inclusion implementation manager Eleanor Sheppard, said: “As a city, we are not fully utilising inclusive practices to shape tolerant communities in our promotion of social justice.”
The report added that “full implementation” of the 16 recommendations could place Aberdeen “in an enviable position in terms of inclusion, both nationally and internationally.”
The education and children’s services committee meets on Tuesday, December 2.