1. Introduction
This essay is concerned with the disadvantages faced by disabled students in UK secondary schools. The main ‘barrier’ I will focus on throughout is ‘negative labelling’ which often develops negative perceptions and stereotypes. This creates barriers to equity for disabled children as they are denied access to educational opportunities which their peers may have. In 2017, it was reported that there are around 13.3 million disabled people in the UK (Disabled Foundation Living, 2017). This high statistic highlights the need for more research into the inequitable experiences faced by disabled students.
Educational disadvantage is a complex issue which encompasses several extents such as gender, ethnicity, poverty and family life.
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However, complications arise when we attempt to put this attitude into practice within national contexts, where there are opposing opinions as to the priorities for educational policy. This is particularly challenging as progress is likely to require changes in practice and thinking within every level of the education system, starting from those responsible for policies through to school leaders and teachers. Therefore, policies must be well thought through, effectively implemented and monitored for impact over time. An example of this is displayed in appendix one which represents how teachers interpret policies and attempt to create an inclusive environment but fail in doing so. This seclusion may come from the label of ‘SEN’ mentioned above. Moreover, ‘Teacher education’ is an important aspect which will briefly be mentioned throughout this essay, in terms of ‘reproducing inequality’, perhaps lack of knowledge is a possible reason for this. Existing negative labels in education affect teacher perceptions and those perceptions inevitably have an impact on how disabled children are treated in
He shared the stories of a wide variety of people while he embarked on a journey across the country in a short bus. By revealing the common issues and judgment within society, Jonathon’s book advocated for the people who have any sort of disability, and he brought to light the beauty of each difference. For those who would want to learn about the thoughts and feelings of people who have experienced rejection because of a label, Jonathon Mooney’s book would be an excellent selection because of the real accounts and stories. The book offered an emotional connection that other texts could not provide. Therefore, The Short Bus: A Journey Beyond Normal should be a common read for everyone in order to learn about the real accounts of people labeled as having learning
There are a various people prejudicially placed into classrooms for students with disabilities because of their race, gender culture/ethnicity, social class, gender and sexual orientation. The way a person identifies occasionally determines if they will be assigned in a class for students with disabilities. David J. Conner discusses Michael’s story, a participant researcher who was placed in a class for students with disabilities; some factors that contributed to the Michael being labeled as disabled is his race and class. Connor came to a realization that there appears to be a high number black and Latino students in classrooms for students with disabilities and he explores some of the reasons through Michael’s story.
It is important not to stereotype a child with a disability, as this can lead to low self-esteem, for example a child with specific learning needs might be expected to do poorly in all subjects at school not just the ones affected by the learning need and this is not always the case. Since I have worked in our setting I have been introduced to quite a few children which have different types of disabilities. We aim to make sure that each individual is treated the same and included in all activities by adapting the activity to the child's individual
One of the strongest and detrimental effects of disability portrayal in literature on society is how it carries the capability to create stereotypes regarding the disabled community. The direct effect of the portrayal of disabilities in literature on society (or in this case young children) is shown in the article “Is Lennie a monster? A reconsideration of Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men in a 21st century inclusive classroom context” by Clare Lawrence. In this article, Lawrence quoted a research done by Heather Garrison where several adolescents were asked of their thoughts on disabilities after reading Of Mice and Men. In their responses, they “described disability as being ‘abnormal’ or ‘inferior’ and indicated that they were less likely
The video “Beyond F.A.T. City: Look Back, Look Ahead-Conversation about Special Education”is an excellent source to utilize for special education teachers, parents, and general teachers alike. Richard D. Lavoie has a direct approach on helping children with disabilities succeed. The in-depth discussion opens the eyes of teachers and parents regarding what is fair in the classroom, how to bring the concepts of fairness to the home environment, and the importance of not assuming things about individuals. Richard D. Lavoie defines fairness in the classroom as everyone gets what he or she needs (Beyond, 2005). Many children believe that fairness means that everything is equal, however, that is not the case, especially in an educational setting.
Individuals with disabilities are victims of bullying and abuse. Bauer uses the statistic from University of Massachusetts, which found that “Almost half of the young people surveyed wouldn’t want to sit next to a student like Margaret on a school bus” (Bauer 445). That statistic is appalling. Students wouldn’t even want to sit next to their classmate who has Down Syndrome or a different intellectual disability. Another shocking fact that Bauer uses is, “More than half of parent’s didn’t want such
English-language learners (ELLs) with special needs belong to a minority group and require specific direction for educators on how to help these students in the school context and how to help to improve their educational outcomes. This is one of the most important topics in the field of education in the USA. The main issue of the teachers is to decrease the achievement gap between ELLs and their peers. Though, the educational needs of ELLs are diverse and rather complicated. English language learners face many obstacles due to their cultural and linguistic diversity.
Stella young is a disabled woman who gives a Ted talk on why she is not your inspiration. In this talk she mentions how disabled people as a whole are seen as making huge achievements and being an inspiration to others when they are just living their normal lives. Stella goes on to explain how when she was younger her community wanted to nominate her for an achievement award even though she had done nothing out of the ordinary, but just because she is in a wheelchair. It’s common to idolize images of men and women who are “beating the odds” and are doing things “despite” their disability, when in reality they are “using their body to the best of their ability” (Young, 2014) I agree with Stella’s argument here.
In this case the larger role to achieving equity would be not depriving children with disabilities of the example and stimulation provided by high achievers which assigns them to low-achievement due to low expectations. Children with disability under this type of grouping will always be labeled as low achievers and be grouped as slow students. Once categorized, they generally stay at that level for their school careers, and the gap between achievement levels becomes exaggerated over time. The notion that students ' achievement levels at any given time will predict their achievement in the future becomes a self-fulfilling
The failure to implement full inclusion appropriately has numerous detrimental effects on the parties involved. One disadvantage for full inclusion is that the socialization part precedes the academic component, notwithstanding the fact that it should not be the primary goal of education. Inclusion movements aim to make disabled students look normal, overlooking the issue of whether they are undertaking educational programs or not. This can have a negative effect on the academic progress of students with disabilities because important skills are not taught for the sake of the learner making physical presence in a full inclusion classroom. Fox (2013) claims that there is a need for disabled students to reap maximum benefits from this integration.
INTRODUCTION Inclusion in education is the act of integrating and accommodating each student regardless of their learning difficulties, disabilities, or other special needs. That is why in our world today, parents, educators, and lawmakers are pushing for inclusion, for the right of each child with special needs to learn alongside their peers, to have the same access to opportunities and academic advantages, and to be able to take part and contribute in the community. In the field of education, inclusion has become a controversial topic, because of the ethical and legal issues that surrounds it. On one hand, it promotes equality and diversity among the student population and it is meant to accommodate each and every student despite their
In short, children with disabilities enable the regular teachers to keep always abreast of new development in
Inclusion is vital in helping to provide quality education for SEN pupils. “above all, inclusion is about a philosophy of acceptance where all pupils are valued and treated with respect” (Carrington & Elkins, 2002). Inclusion is often thought to be the location of your education but is more often than not about the quality of one’s education. The location has little to do with inclusion but more to do with where you feel you belong, some SEN children feel they cannot truly belong in a large mainstream school (Campbell, 2005). Sociological perspectives of inclusion often emphasis equality, respect, participation in decision making, rights, and collective belonging.
“Special Educational Needs” is defined as a restriction in the capacity of the person to participate in and benefit from education on account of an enduring physical, sensory, mental health or learning disability or any other condition which results in a person learning differently from a person without that condition... (Government of Ireland, 2004b, section 1) Aims and principles of Special Education The aims of education for students with special educational needs include (a) enabling the student to live a full life and to realize his or her full potential as a unique individual through access to an appropriate broad and balanced curriculum; (b) enabling the student to function as independently as possible in society through the provision
Disabled people are people who have mental or physical limitation so they depend on someone to support them in doing their daily life needs and jobs. Although disabled people are a minority and they are normally ignored, they are still a part of the society. The statistics show that the proportion of disabled people in the world rose from 10 percent in the seventies of the last century to 15 percent so far. The number of handicapped exceeds a billion people all over the world, occupied about 15 percent of the world's population, as a result of an aging population and the increase in chronic conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, blood and psychological diseases that are related with disabilities and impairments. Every five seconds someone