‘Too special’ for the self-contained special-education programs in Icelandic upper-secondary education

The Icelandic Ministry of Education, Science and Culture established a segregated self-contained special education program at the Technical College of Reykjavik (upper-secondary level) in the year 2008. Originally, the program was only meant for two students who had not been allowed admission to the programs for students with intellectual disabilities in any of the local upper secondary schools. Although the upper-secondary education system is non-compulsory in Iceland, all students who have completed compulsory education or have reached the age of 16 have legal access to the school level until they reach the age of 18 years. Students with intellec–tual disabilities are entitled to complete a four-year-program at the upper-secondary level of education. Thus, the program was established as a response to the state’s recent obligation to these two students for further education at the upper-secondary level. Consequently, more students have been enrolled in this particular self-contained program named Starfsbraut – sérnám [Special study program]. The program is administered by the Ministry of Education in cooperation with the head of special education programs at the Technical College