1. Introduction Malaysian government's formal involvement in special education began in 1948 with the opening of Princess Elizabeth School for the Blind. Education for children with special educational needs (SEN) was undertaken by community groups and religious-based institutions. Besides that, education for these children was further enhanced by the establishment of the Federated School for the Deaf in 1954. It offers both academic as well as vocational training. During the early years of Independence, the government's primary educational concern was to provide educational services and facilities for mainstream children without neglecting the educational needs of children with SEN. In 1961, The Education Act acknowledged that these children should receive free but not compulsory education. Special Education means specially designed instruction that meets the unusual needs of an exceptional student ( Huefner, 2006) and might require special materials, teaching techniques, or equipment and facilities. These special educational services cover the needs of school aged children with visual impairment, hearing impairment, learning disabilities and remedial education. Special education programs are implemented through programs such as the special schools for the visual impaired and hearing impaired. Moreover, the special school program provides educational programs according to the category of students that the school handles. For example if it is the school for the hearing impaired, only students with this kind of disabilities enters to this school. In Malaysia children with learning disabilities receive their special educational needs in the integrated and inclusive special education programs offered in the normal mainstream school... ... middle of paper ... ... disabilities ( Bateman, 2007). 5. Conclusion The controversial nature of special education makes it exciting and challenging. We would be worried (and we believe people with disabilities and their families would be worried too (if professionals in special education were suddenly in complete agreement on all important issues in the field. We should constantly strive to find better ways to provide education and related services for people with disabilities based on best evidence we can obtain ( Lloyd & Hallahan, 2007).In this endeavour, differences of opinion are inevitable. All children and young people with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) should be able to reach their full potential in school. They should also be supported to make a successful transition into adulthood, whether into employment, further or higher education or training.
This report aims to recognize the contemporary statutory framework for identifying and working with children with Special Education Needs and Disability in England (The SEND Code Of Practice). The report will pay particular interest in discussing the key elements which derives from the 2014 Children and Families Act practiced in relation to the Department for Education (DfE). The report will pry into the current changes of the SEND code of practice, its assessment framework, why these have been introduced and who these changes makes a difference to. To discuss this the report will be looking at a variety of sources to better understand the most important details also includes but not limited to newspaper report, recent research papers,
Hehir, T. (2009). New directions in special education: Eliminating ableism in policy and practice. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Education Press.
It is essential that all students have access to a quality education and an inclusive education system should meet their diverse needs. The Victorian Department of Education and Early Childhood Development [DEECD] (2014) stipulates that education providers must make ‘reasonable adjustments’ to support students with disabilities to comply with the standard. Graduate teachers should also demonstrate an understanding of legislative requirements and be able to identify teaching strategies that support the involvement and learning of students with disabilities (AITSL, 2014). They should understand the importance of focusing on what a student with a disability can do and work with the student’s strengths. A graduate teacher should know what resources, agencies and assistive technologies are available to support the learning needs of a student with a disability.
(The requirement of designing special education services to meet a student’s unique needs is also found within the IDEA’s purpose section and its definition of “special education”.) In many situations where a student’s special education services may appear to be ineffective, an important question to ask is whether the student’s educational program has been sufficiently tailored to meet his or her unique special education needs.
These children were now being seen as a group in which society had obligations to provide “normalisation” (Bowe, 2007, p.45) and would lead to a revolutionary law being introduced in America. The Education for All Handicapped Children Act was passed in 1975, of which Australia became a signatory. (AIHW, 2004). This Act mandated “that all school-age children with disabilities must receive a free appropriate public education” (Bowe, 2007, p. 101) “in the least restrictive environment” (Bowe, 2007, p. 5). For the first time in a century, Australia no longer segregated these children into an isolated “special facility” (Allen & Cowdery, 2012, p. 8). State governments established special education units within mainstream schools (AIHW, 2004). This is referred to as Integrated education and is described by Talay-Ongan & Cooke (2005), as an environment “where children with similar disabilities in special classes share the normal school environment, and utilise some classes (e.g., art or physical education) or the playground that all children enjoy.” In 1992, the Disability Discrimination Act was introduced in Australia which specifically covered the topic of Education and in 2005 a set of supplementary standards was passed which specifies the support schools are required to provide to students with a
The education system is arguably the most beneficial system in the world; however, it also contains many controversial practices. Proper funding, discrimination, and curriculum are just some of the problems in today’s education system. Everyone has a different opinion about what is best for our children and it is impossible to please everyone. As long as the educational system is in tact, then there will be confusion and debate within the system and its’ administrators. The only thing that can be done is attempting to make it so that everyone will benefit equally, but this is much more difficult than one would assume. I will focus on the aspect of discrimination on minorities within special education and more specifically the following questions: Does the special education system discriminate against minorities? If so, how? What can be done, if anything, to correct or improve this system?
My personal philosophy on special education begins with this firm conviction, I believe all children are “uniquely and wonderfully” made, and regardless of their disability, posse unique gifts and talents. My philosophy of special education has developed, not from just being a general education teacher for many years, and a graduate student in special education, but also from being blessed to be a parent of a special needs child. I believe that every child deserves to have the best possible education, regardless of their disabilities or challenges. It is our responsibility, as special education teachers, to not focus on a student’s disabilities and challenges, but rather focus and develop their personal gifts and talents, in an environment
Students with learning disabilities in the regular classroom may have challenges that require special attention. If the teacher is able to identify the disabilities and the features associated with them then the teacher can tailor the lessons to meet the needs of the students. These may include differentiated instruction and facilitating an inclusive classroom which will see inclusive strategies employed that will cater to the needs of students with learning disabilities. These inclusive strategies can range from individualized learning programs to team and co-teaching. In some cases, the teacher can arrange for a special education teacher or arrange for a pull out program to assist students who have learning disabilities. Strategies that will also cater to learning disabilities may also include the use of technology. According to Ford 2013 ‘In some situations it may be best for students with LD to be taught in separate pull out classrooms with a teacher who can provide targeted skill instruction in areas where a student is struggling.’ ‘When provided appropriate support within this setting, many of these students can achieve academically and develop positive self-esteem and social skills. (American Speech-Language-Hearing Association 1991). They also recommend that schools should ‘require in-service programs for all school personnel to give them the knowledge and skills necessary to provide education for students with learning disabilities in the regular education classroom.’ Schools should include activities to help participants learn strategies to meet individual needs of students, foster attitudes conductive to educating students with learning disabilities in the regular education classroom, and promote
Previous government legislation in the UK supported the medical model approach in regards to education of children with special educational needs (SEN). Children with SEN were seen as handicapped and placed in segregated educational provisions under the direction of medical professionals (Huge and Copper, 2007). However, with the introduction of the social model government legislations in regards to education began to change. Legislations and polices such as the Warnock Report (1978), The 1981, 1993 and 1996 Educational Acts and the 1997 Green Paper Excellence for all Children, all pushed for a more inclusive educational system. In the last 15 years further legislations have been put in place to strengthen the educational rights of children with SEN.
Under the 1944 Education Act children with special educational needs were defined in medical terms and categorised according to their disabilities. Many of those children were considered as ‘uneducable’ and were labelled as ‘maladjusted’ or ‘educationally sub-normal’, and they were given ‘special educational treatment’ in special schools or institutions. In these special schools (institutions) the rights of the children were not considered, as children were socially alienated from family and the society from where they lived. Though the grouping of children with similar disabilities looked positive in the past, such children were deprived their right to association with their peer...
During the late 1980’s and 1990’s the number of children with learning disabilities receiving special education services grew rapidly, but during 1998 and 2007 the number of children classified as having a LD has declined by 7% (Cortiella, 2009). “In 2007, 59% of students with LD spent 80% or more of their in-school time in general education classrooms. In 2000, that figure was just 40%” (Cortiella, 2009). In addition, students with disabilities are spending more time with students in traditional classroom settings. According to the Department of Education, “approximately 6 million children (roughly 10 percent of all school-aged children) receive special education services” (Pardini, 2011).
What is special education? The common belief is that it a program only dedicated to helping students with disabilities, whether physical or mentally. This is not entirely accurate in regards of what special education is. While special education does provide assistance to students with disabilities ns meet their needs in quality education (Küpper 2009)—the program extends to all students facing difficulties keeping up with the pace of learning (Huerta 2009). This brings the next question onto the table: the importance of special education. Before 1970s, majority of students with disabilities were shun into isolation with little to no education in general classes (Bradley 2016). However, with the passage of Education for All Handicapped Children
United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation. (1994). The Salamanca Statement and Framework for Action on Special Needs Education. Retrieved from http://www.unesco.org/education/pdf/SALAMA_E.PDF
To begin with, full inclusion in the education system for people with disabilities should be the first of many steps that are needed to correct the social injustices that people with disabilities currently face. Students with disabilities are far too frequently isolated and separated in the education system (Johnson). They are often provided a diluted, inferior education and denied meaningful opportunities to learn. There are many education rights for children with disabilities to p...
The right to have access to education is a concern for people with disabilities. They were treated poorly and often desegregated from society. The response to the concerns of parents and educators over the exclusion of children with disabilities created the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. The public law “guaranteed a free, appropriate public education to each child with a disability in every state and locality across the country”. In the 1970's children with disabilities entered schools and over the years, the number of students in special education has grown dramatically, from 4.3 million students in 1990 to 6.9 million students in 2003 (The Council of Chief State School Officers , 2007).