The government has approved a new system for teaching assistants. Critics fear it will undermine inclusion

Currently, a school counseling center may recommend a teaching assistant as a support measure for a specific student. The amendment replaces this principle in regular elementary schools with a system-wide funding model: the extent of a school’s support will depend, for example, on the number of students and classes and their educational needs. The principal will then be able to assign teaching assistants to individual classes or groups based on the current situation. The Ministry claims that this will make support more accessible even to children who need it only temporarily, while also reducing administrative dependence on individual recommendations from counseling centers. The government also links this change to its intention to “eliminate ineffective elements of inclusion.” 

However, it is precisely the removal of the link between an assistant and a specific child that is the main target of criticism. Opponents of the change point out that a child may lose the individually assigned support they currently receive, and the actual scope of that support will depend more on how many assistants the school receives under the new parameters and how the principal allocates them. Concerns center particularly on schools with a higher proportion of students with special educational needs and children who require longer-term or more intensive support. The amendment itself does not abolish inclusion, but it does change one of its most important practical tools—the way in which support through teaching assistants is allocated and funded.

Children’s Ombudsman Martin Beneš has also weighed in on the broader debate about restrictions on inclusion. On October 16, he warned against proposals being discussed in the media that would allow principals of mainstream schools to reject certain children with special educational needs in the future. He pointed out that, depending on the scope of any such change, this could affect not only children with more severe disabilities, but also, for example, children with dyslexia, those recovering from a long-term illness, or children needing support due to a difficult family situation. In his view, such a measure could conflict with the right to equal access to education and the prohibition against discrimination. At the same time, however, it is important to distinguish this warning from the recently approved amendment regarding teaching assistants: the ombudsman was responding to broader media speculation about changes to inclusive education, and Education Minister Robert Plaga has spoken out against the possibility of mainstream schools refusing to admit these children.

The government’s proposal also includes a catchment area system for educational-psychological counseling centers, which could limit parents’ ability to choose a counseling facility regardless of the school’s location or their place of residence. According to the ministry, the main part of the amendment is set to take effect in 2027, while the catchment area system for counseling centers will take effect in September 2028. However, the proposal has yet to be submitted to Parliament, and its final form may still change.