University for all

Abstract

For the past fifty years disabled students have steadily gained access to the education system and been recognized as active participants in society. Nevertheless, the inclusive education policy has had limited effect on post-secondary study opportunities for disabled students. For the longest time, post-secondary education has mainly been reserved for those who have completed a matriculation examination and people with intellectual disabilities have mostly been offered segregated adult or life-long learning education programs. In 2007, the Iceland University of Education offered for the first time a vocational diploma studies for people with intellectual disabilities. This was a response to the demand of people with intellectual disabilities for more education opportunities. The aim of the programme is, on the one hand, to prepare students for specific jobs within the field of education, in pre-primary schools (nurseries), after school clubs, libraries and within the field of disability and self-advocacy, which are the jobs School of Education provides training for; on the other hand, the aim is to give them an opportunity for post-secondary education. Furthermore, emphasis is placed on providing students with practical knowledge and skills in inclusive education settings to promote their participation in society. Since the start of the programme, much has been accomplished. The Iceland University of Education has merged with the University of Iceland as its School of Education and 102 students have graduated from the program (autumn 2021). Post-secondary education for people with intellectual disabilities challenges the idea of universities and critics have argued that inviting students with intellectual disabilities into the school risks reducing their quality. In this article we examine this critique by answering several questions: (a) What is a good university? (b) For whom is post-secondary education? (c) What is inclusive post-secondary education? (d) Does an inclusive university contribute to the ‘dumbing down’ of post-secondary education? In our attempt to answer the question what is a good university we divide the question into two: (1) Good in what? and (2) Good for whom or what? We reflect on the origins of universities and Humboldt’s ideas about what a university should be. In short, we come to the same conclusion as Humboldt and claim that a good university is both strong academically and a good community or society. However, both academics and society have changed drastically. We now live in a more inclusive societies with increased demands for participation of all, and the University of Iceland has obligations to society to support it to become a democratic community of learning. The second question about who the university should be for is closely related to what kind of society we want to live in. The university needs to answer the question of what kind of society it wants to belong to and take part in shaping it. It must stop focusing on the academic difficulties of students with intellectual disabilities and look instead critically on the systemic flaw of the school system, which places the main emphasis on standardized tests, performance measures and international comparisons, while it holds up beautiful promises of social responsibility and a democratic role. In the autumn of 2021, only the School of Education offered study opportunities for people with intellectual disabilities. Not all people are interested in education and other schools need to recognize their responsibility in creating a more just and inclusive society. The third question about what inclusive post-secondary education is has not been clearly answered before. We argue that inclusive post-secondary education does not exclude students from entering the university, on the contrary it promotes the full participation and recognition of all students. That means that students with intellectual disabilities are included in study programs as well as student life and organizations. They belong to the university community. That idea challenges the traditional conception that universities should be elite institutions – for a select few. Although universities worldwide have grown with and attract students from all spheres of society, disabled students are still relatively few. The post-secondary education system seems to be ableist and does not allow for the reasonable accommodation of disabled students. It is still designed and considered primarily for non-disabled students. Much of the original critique, that students with intellectual disabilities do not belong in universities, has quieted down and much of the student body appreciates the vocation diploma program. However, there are still some who fear the ‘dumbing down’ of education. We understand how this idea is challenging but conclude, based on the experience of the School of Education, that inclusive education demands en even higher quality of teaching and learning. Also, inclusive education opens the university and changes the conception of it – it should no longer be for the elite. Therefore, the University of Iceland needs to clearly define what kind of university it wants or should be. We can decide that the University of Iceland should be active in shaping Icelandic society. Or we can decide that the role of the university should solely be participation in the knowledge economy. However, we believe that the latter option is not a real option since it will make us lose the very idea of what a university is. The main building will remain, majestic in its simplicity, but it will not stand for anything.