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Teka Commission of Legal Sciences Polish Academy of Sciences Branch in Lublin

Vol. 18 No. 2 (2025)

Articles

The Right to Education of Children with Disabilities in Poland vis-a-vis the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities – Inclusion or Exclusion?

DOI: https://doi.org/10.32084/tkp.10235  [Google Scholar]
Published: 2025-12-29

Abstract

The article examines the Polish legal system in terms of the education for children with disabilities through the lens of Article 24 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which enshrines the universal right to education on an equal basis with others. In Poland, three parallel educational models coexist: segregated (special schools), integrated (integration schools and units), and inclusive (mainstream public schools), with the choice of educational path formally left to parents. The study critically analyses whether this pluralistic architecture fulfils the Convention’s requirement of inclusion as the primary model of education. The article argues for a systemic reorientation of educational policy towards full inclusion: strengthening public schools as the primary educational environment, removing structural barriers through accessibility and reasonable accommodation, and gradually phasing out segregated solutions. Such a strategy is necessary to ensure the effective implementation of Article 24 of the Convention and to guarantee children with disabilities equal and meaningful access to education.

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