«A warm welcome to our circle, to our circle, where everyone knows: I belong here, and you belong here too.» The children stand in a circle, singing songs by Andrew Bond and accompanying the lyrics with sign language – together, focused and fully in the moment.
«It was almost magical,» recalls Kathrin Rüegger, a lecturer at the Intercantonal University of Special Education (HfH) in Zurich, thinking back to that moment at the Schwamendingen ZH cooperative nursery. «All the children were able to join in and take part in their own way.»
Such examples of inclusion in practice continue to shape the former special needs teacher to this day. Collaboration between mainstream and special education is one of her key areas of work at the university. The focus is on the question: How can children with different needs learn together?
Inclusive support (IF) plays a central role here. It offers children with special educational needs targeted support in their day-to-day school life. IF teachers provide individual support, work closely with class teachers and advise parents and specialist services. The shared goal is to ensure that every child, regardless of their individual circumstances, is integrated into the class as effectively as possible.
Temporary stability
The transition from nursery school to primary school is a crucial moment for all children, particularly those with special educational needs. Kathrin Rüegger knows from experience just how vital the partnership between school and home is during this phase. What was established together with the parents during nursery school is now put to the test.
This change not only marks a fresh start, but is often also the beginning of a complex journey involving assessments, applications and decisions – a process that takes a great deal of energy, both in organisational and emotional terms.
We have to work incredibly hard to make sure our son can cope with starting school.
Claudia Emmenegger, mother of a child with special educational needs
Claudia Emmenegger* from Bülach, Zurich, knows this burden all too well. Her son has a global developmental disorder, a severe language acquisition disorder and a motor impairment. «We have to work incredibly hard to make sure he gets off to a good start at school,» she says. Special-needs schooling had originally been planned, but there were no places available. So he ended up in an inclusive mainstream nursery school.
«At first, we had hardly any special educational support – about two hours a week,» she emphasises. The boy disrupted lessons and sometimes bullied other children. «When you can't speak, you often express yourself through your body,» explains Emmenegger. Frequent absences and substitute teachers made the situation worse. «Small changes always have a huge impact on us. Our son then sleeps worse or wets the bed again.”»
Anxiety about starting school
Over time, things settled down. «The second year was much better; he felt at home at nursery. Now we have to say goodbye again,» says his mother. She is very worried about him starting school: «What will it be like for him if he's the only one who can't keep up? What if he sees that everyone else is learning to read and write, but he's the only one who can't?»
Social issues are also a concern for the family. Invitations to birthday parties or playdates became less frequent as early as their second year at nursery. With the upcoming transition to primary school, Claudia Emmenegger often feels as though she has to beg the school for favours: «We feel as though we're at the mercy of the school's goodwill – even if it's just to be allowed to see the classroom in advance.»
Framework conditions are crucial for inclusion
Although this case cannot be generalised, it does illustrate just how much parents of affected children have to cope with during this phase – both in practical and emotional terms.
Starting primary school is a big step for all children: a new environment, new teachers and staff, longer periods of learning, less playtime, and more structure. Some settle in quickly, whilst others need more time and support. For children with special educational needs, this transition can be particularly challenging – especially when familiar routines and familiar faces are no longer there and their daily lives change fundamentally.
Inclusion requires the attitude: We'll do this together.
Edith Niederbacher, educational researcher
But there are significant differences. «Some children cope very well with the transition, whilst others need intensive support,» says Edith Niederbacher, a lecturer and researcher specialising in inclusive support and parental involvement at the University of Teacher Education (PH) Bern. She explains that what matters is not the diagnosis, but the individual child with their own strengths and needs – and an environment that recognises and nurtures these.
Christoph Suter, Head of the Institute for Professional Development and System Development at HfH Zurich, adds: «From the children's perspective, the challenges depend less on their individual circumstances and more on the conditions they encounter in primary school.» What matters most, he says, is how well communication, time management and educational approaches work together in practice.
A litmus test for the education system
However, when there is a lack of time, clear communication or defined responsibilities, teachers too come under pressure. They want to make the transition as smooth as possible, but often there is a lack of reliable procedures or resources. The transition thus also serves as a litmus test for the education system: how well does it manage to ensure continuity when children move up to a new stage?
«At present, the shortage of qualified special needs teachers is the biggest problem,» says Suter, summing up the overarching dilemma. After all, even the best plans are of little use if there aren't enough specialists to put them into practice.
Admittedly, the training is practice-oriented and equips students with skills in assessment, support planning, counselling and collaboration – exactly what is needed in team teaching and at the points where different disciplines meet.
In reality, however, many teachers find themselves up against limitations: too little time, too many children per teacher, and expectations that are too high. Their skills are pitted against tight time constraints, a highly diverse student body and unclear expectations regarding their role. Without clear structures and a strong team culture, much of what was learned during their training is lost in the day-to-day routine.
School life as a reality check
How successful integration ultimately is depends on many factors – and is reflected in the interplay between structure and implementation. «The attitude of the teaching staff is crucial: how does the team work together? How are the available resources utilised?» emphasises education researcher Niederbacher.
She refers to the initial findings of the ongoing Swing study (2024–2028) being conducted by the University of Teacher Education Bern. «Schools with the same framework conditions show significant differences. In some, integration works well; others are under considerable strain.» What matters most, she says, are not so much formal structures as team culture, communication and shared responsibility. «It is not enough to support a child if the wider environment is not taken into account,» says Niederbacher. «What is needed is the attitude: «We'll do this together.»»
Structured handover procedures between nursery and primary school are important. This is the only way for teachers to respond in good time.
Laura Waldvogel, primary school teacher
Yet even with the best attitude, teachers come up against their limits in day-to-day life. Stephanie Zwicky, in her role as an IF teacher at a primary school in Zurich, found the start of the school year to be a period of major upheaval: «The children are literally inundated with new impressions and challenges, yet at the same time there are few places in the classroom where they can retreat. We need adapted learning spaces, places and time slots, especially for those who need more support.»
She also knows how limited time often is: «With just two to three hours a week, an IF teacher lacks the connection to everyday life, the continuity and the opportunity to address social issues in the classroom.» Children who need emotional or social support, in particular, receive too little support. «For many, losing their key adult is the hardest part.»
Involve parents
Laura Waldvogel, a class teacher and co-president of the Winterthur branch of the Zurich Teachers’ Association, emphasises the importance of good communication: «Structured handover procedures between nursery and primary school are particularly important. This is the only way teachers can respond in good time.»
For this transfer of knowledge to be successful, it takes time and clear agreements. If both are lacking, starting school can quickly become overwhelming: «Some children reach their limit after just one lesson and have used up all their energy reserves,» says Waldvogel.
In her view, successful integration also depends heavily on the overall conditions – class size, composition, structural requirements and the time available. And, crucially, on a dedicated and well-coordinated team of special needs teachers. «That takes a huge weight off our shoulders as class teachers.»
Last but not least, integration only works if parents and schools pull together. «It is essential to actively involve parents – for example, through round-table discussions with nursery and primary school teachers,» says special needs teacher Rüegger. HfH Institute Director Suter takes a similar view: «Involving parents is crucial. It is difficult to embed this within the system; what matters is putting it into practice on the ground.»
We don't need to change the children, but rather our understanding of collaborative learning.
Kathrin Rüegger, special needs teacher
What becomes apparent in the classroom ultimately reflects wider social issues. Families of children with special needs bear responsibilities that extend far beyond the school day – yet inclusion must not be their responsibility alone.
Kathrin Rüegger highlights one of the four UNESCO criteria for successful inclusion: acceptance. «We don't need to change the children, but rather our understanding of collaborative learning. Everyone is different, and that's a good thing.»
Christoph Suter adds: «Inclusion is central to the mission of primary schools. It is an essential social function of state schools to ensure that future citizens come into contact with one another and learn from one another – regardless of their background or circumstances.»
Inclusion is part of everyday life
Ultimately, the parents’ perspective serves as a reminder of what really matters. «In every nursery class, there are children who stand out,» says Claudia Emmenegger, describing her experiences with her son. «It's important to stay in touch with them so that they can be part of mainstream society and aren't seen as a disruptive influence.»
Because inclusion is not an abstract idea, but a daily practice – underpinned by a certain mindset, collaboration and the determination to include every child.
* Name known to the editors
