Segregation or Integration

A debate that recently made its way to the forefront of the media's attention is the argument between putting kids with special needs in "special" schools and leaving the children in the public school system.

Recently, the provincial government is proposing the idea of creating more schools to suit the needs of special needs students. The president of the BC Teacher's Federation (along with some parents and other professionals) is arguing that segregating children with special needs is detrimental to their educational welfare and with enough funding and properly trained teaching professionals, these children do not need to go to separate schools and stay in the public school system.

I can see the validity in her viewpoint, but having worked in one of those "special" schools, I can testify to why a special needs kid would benefit from attending a different school. Most of my students come from a background of learning differences ranging from low reading fluency to comprehension difficulties to Asperger's Syndrome. A lot of social and behavioural issues come with these learning differences, too. This combination often makes the student feel like an outcast among his/her peers. When the students come to our school, they usually come with very low self-esteem and in my four years of teaching here I have often seen these same students leave after only two years with their head held high. They will continue to struggle when they join the public school system, but at least now they know they are not alone in their learning difficulties and they are equipped with strategies on how to deal with them in the classroom.

Even if we integrate the special needs students in the public schools, we may still make them feel segregated because of how we treat them. Educating others is crucial, but if it worked 100% of the time we wouldn't have other issues like racism and the AIDS epidemic still existing. Educating others is not enough.

Funding is always a concern, but from where can we get more money? Out of one pocket into another. There is just not enough money to go around, unless we've got brilliant financial people working for the government who can balance a budget on which EVERYONE agrees. Fat chance.

Furthermore, I don't think all teachers are completely untrained to help these kids, but there are so few resources, too many other students to look after, the ministry-required curriculum to satisfy, and not enough time for these teachers to properly look after these kids. Resource teachers can only work with small groups at a time or one-on-one for only one or two hours a week. That's not enough for some of the students I teach. I also recall that the government has cut funding for any more resource teachers.

I don't know what the solution is. I still think that each kid requires individual care and what works for one may not work for another. There has to be a balance of providing a safe learning environment for the special needs kids while still allowing them to interact with peers to gauge their progress. Adults can blow all the steam they want on this issue, but it really boils down to how children learn (primarily) and socialize in a positive manner (secondarily) that is conducive to their roles in society.