Deri, you and I have had the same experience... Different country, but
same experience.
M

Deri James wrote:

> HI Lee,
>
> My experience of Education is based in the 60's and 70's, and a
> different country - UK. I know a lot has changed since then, maybe
> not for the better. Education is a perennial topic on this list, and
> I usually find myself out of kilter with the general consensus of the
> list, so I am only speaking for myself.
>
> I am against "the growing movement towards inclusion". My problem
> with this is that the primary goal of education should not just be
> academic qualifications, but fitting students for life after school.
> For people without a disability this seems to happen naturally
> between the ages of 11 - 18, parties, camps, friends made, arguments
> settled, gradual independence from Mum & Dad, a growing self-reliance
> which leads to a confident adult.
>
> Similarly, for a disabled person, this period is very important -
> however there's a lot working against them here. Pre-teen social
> interaction is generally organised by adults (teachers, parents,
> scout leaders, etc.) but from 13 up the "coolest" social events are
> organised by your peers - the mall, fishing trips, cinema, concerts -
> without adult involvement. And kids at this age are SO hierarchical,
> cliques abound, and people who don't "fit" have problems. This is not
> just a disabilty thing, it applies to the obese, the ugly, the
> clumsy, and in fact a disabled person who "looks" normal and speaks
> well (but maybe in a wheelchair) will probably do very well. However
> if your speech is slow and laboured, and you drool, and you make
> sudden (and inexplicable) movements, you may find yourself well down
> the hierarchy. How then do you build that confidence and fit yourself
> for adult life?
>
> I am a product of Special Education, boarding schools from 7 till 19,
> and because everyone else had physical disabilities, going fishing,
> shopping, cinema, you didn't get the feeling you were "tagging
> along". Alsp because everyone is in the same boat with you, you get
> the opportunity to "organise" things, confident in the knowledge you
> friends will be delighted to be invited. (I remembert, at 18,
> persuading the headmaster that 4 of us should go on an "educational"
> visit to Paris for a long weekend (with no staff accompanying us) - I
> never knew there were so many bars on the left bank - I certainly
> couldn't count them!!!).
>
> And so from each of us being a big fish in a little pond, we were
> fitted to dive into the big ocean of adult life.
>
> As I said at the beginning, my ideas on this are "unfashionable",
> inclusion is all!! And yes, there are bad Special Ed schools which
> are insular, but it doesn't have to be that way. This probably
> doesn't help you much Lee, since you are aiming at Elementary
> Schooling where inclusion is probably right for the majority (but not
> all!!).
>
> Just my two ha'porth.
>
> Cheers
>
> Deri