Special Needs Education by Numbers
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Systematically raised statistical details for the whole of Switzerland concerning disabled children and young people with special educational needs are only available to a restricted extent in Switzerland. In the school year 2006-2007, the educational statistics gave figures of around 46'383 pupils with a special curriculum, corresponding to a proportion of 5.8% of the total school attendance of primary and lower secondary level . Regional differences are however extremely wide. The proportion of children with a special curriculum varies between 1.9% of the total (in Canton Valais) and 9.2% of the total (in the Canton of Basle-Country) (Source: Swiss Federal Statistical Office.
The Financing
In the year 2007, according to statistic data produced by the Swiss invalidity insurance (IV-AI), around 42,000 disabled children and young people were receiving benefits for special schooling measures. Around half of such cases attended special schools. The other half, at pre-school age or parallel to school age, were claiming for the cost of disability and invalidity insurance financed educational-therapeutic measures. The benefits paid out by the Swiss invalidity insurance (IV-AI) for such measures amounted to around CHF 338 millions, corresponding to an average of CHF 8,048 per disabled child or juvenile. The Scheme was also co-financing the Swiss Cantons in addition in the areas of speech therapies with CHF 43 millions, and the orthoeducational schools and early pre-school educational services with CHF 414 millions, for the building construction- and day-to-day operating financial assistance (Source: Federal Social Insurance Office).
With the coming into law on 01 January 2008 of the 'NFA - Neugestaltung des Finanzausgleichs und der Aufgabenteilung' (New organisation of financial settlements and the delegation of assignments), the Swiss Cantons became responsible for the financing of special schooling for disabled children and young people, as well as for special educational measures.
In the year 2007, according to statistic data produced by the Swiss invalidity insurance (IV-AI), around 42,000 disabled children and young people were receiving benefits for special schooling measures. Around half of such cases attended special schools. The other half, at pre-school age or parallel to school age, were claiming for the cost of disability and invalidity insurance financed educational-therapeutic measures. The benefits paid out by the Swiss invalidity insurance (IV-AI) for such measures amounted to around CHF 338 millions, corresponding to an average of CHF 8,048 per disabled child or juvenile. The Scheme was also co-financing the Swiss Cantons in addition in the areas of speech therapies with CHF 43 millions, and the orthoeducational schools and early pre-school educational services with CHF 414 millions, for the building construction- and day-to-day operating financial assistance (Source: Federal Social Insurance Office).
With the coming into law on 01 January 2008 of the 'NFA - Neugestaltung des Finanzausgleichs und der Aufgabenteilung' (New organisation of financial settlements and the delegation of assignments), the Swiss Cantons became responsible for the financing of special schooling for disabled children and young people, as well as for special educational measures.
