Uczniowie ze specjalnymi potrzebami edukacyjnymi w gimnazjach w Warszawie, Gdańsku i Lublinie

It has been known for many generations that a human's freedom is strongly connected to the possibility of satisfying personal educational ambitions. According to J. Lackowski9 it should be remembered that in the contemporary world education belongs to the group of the particularly desired goods, as attaining a good education is one of the most effective ways to the achievement of a significant social position. Taking into account equalization of the young people chances in respect to their access to education and attaining knowledge, there should be considered the situation of students with special educational needs, as they require support of both teachers and pedagogues, but most of all they need support at home from their families. The surveyed group of the youth, Year Three students in lower secondary schools, characterise a lot of variation. There are observed some disproportions between the cities, although they are not significant. Much more significant problem comprises territorial variation within the cities, which is clearly observed. However, it cannot be explicitly concluded that lessened educational chances of the youth are directly linked to the student's place of origins or living. Both local educational policy and schools as the place where this policy is being implemented play a huge role in the process of equalization of chances. Very important are the opportunities offered by educational programmes, teachers' attitudes, as well as financial resources of a particular school. The highest number of problems regarding the adequate satisfaction of educational needs of young people is connected with organizational and material barriers within this field.