Annals of West University of Timişoara, ser. Biology, 2012, vol XV (1), pp.101112 101 STUDY ABOUT PUPILS WITH SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS Nicoleta IANOVICI 1 , Kristina KALMAR 2 1 West University of Timisoara, Faculty of ChemistryBiologyGeography, Department of Biology and Chemistry, Pestalozzi 16, Romania 2 Pişchia General School, Timiş County Corresponding author email: nicole_ianovici@yahoo.com ABSTRACT The children with multiple physical, mental and learning difficulties are now integrated to regular schools with inclusive orientation. Inclusive schools are designed after principles that believe in human rights, social justice and equity. Inclusive schools follow flexible curricula that would respond to the diverse needs of all children. The field of special education in Romania has developed relatively recently. Romania is a country where there have been significant moves to integrate children with special needs into regular classrooms. It provides an alternative curricular route to pupils who are not able to cope with the rigid curriculum and fixed timeframe of the traditional school system. Our research showed that pupils face barriers within schools and classrooms owing to organization of curriculum and teaching methods. For many children their attendance at school is a largely unsatisfying experience, leaving them despondent about their own capabilities and disillusioned about the value of education to their lives. Curriculum is not friendly or relevant to the needs of children. The main way of learning is memorization. Other areas of intelligence remain unexplored. This analysis suggests certain barriers to progress, including attitudes within communities towards certain groups of children, traditional practices and the effects of the depressed economic situation. Attitudinal change takes time and is often difficult to evaluate. Educational improvements of any kind are dependent on the skills and confidence of teachers in taking decisions into their classrooms. For the case studied, grouping pupils with SEN in a separate class gave a better school performance. KEY WORDS: inclusive schools, special educational needs (SEN) INTRODUCERE Provocările lumii contemporane precum şi realitatea vieţii sociale, economice, culturale au impus ample schimbări în proiectarea şi implementarea proiectelor şi strategiilor educaţionale din majoritatea statelor lumii (Booth & Ainscow, 1998; Nemeş & Ianovici, 2010). Pe fondul acestor schimbări, problematica incluziunii/integrării şcolare a copiilor cu cerinţe educative speciale a devenit un domeniu prioritar de acţiune şi pentru specialiştii din sistemul românesc de învăţământ (Kalmar & Ianovici, 2010). Tendinţele actuale în domeniul educativ sunt bazate pe principiul includerii şi integrării elevilor cu CES. în învăţământul de masă. Atât elevii cu potenţial intelectual redus, disponibilitate scăzută de a desfăşura activităţi de