Education and Social Exclusion of Children with Chronic Diseases: The School Reintegration

Abstract

This research attempts to identify the conditions under which children with chronic diseases are reintegrated into formal education after they have been hospitalized for a long period. In addition, it attempts to probe the conditions under which the children are being taught during the home schooling period. Educational inequality is a thorny issue that concerns every education system. Many important social vulnerabilities affect the equal distribution of educational opportunities, but the education of children with chronic illnesses creates a double vulnerability, the results of which are most often truly tragic for the affected students and their families. The research data was collected after a series of interviews with parents whose children had been hospitalized with a serious illness and teachers who had worked in hospital schools and in formal education. The findings of the research show that the reintegration of hospitalized children who have been absent for a long time from school is difficult and often causes anxiety due to the abusive behaviors they receive from their classmates. It is also emphasizes that the teachers of the formal education have serious lack of training related to the reintegration of children with chronic diseases as well as a holistic cooperation plan that should prevent the stigmatization related to the disease is necessary.