I refuse to respond this argument as you continue to imply, as you
state: "It is just totally unacceptable to me that anyone can say that
one type of school is sufficient for all needs - it is not, and can
never be." By holding this position you have effectively squelched any
intelligent debate about improvement and progress in education...you
obviously feel that there is no way schools can meet the needs of all
students despite many models in the UK and U.S. that have proved
otherwise. By holding the position that you state you perpetuate the
hegemonic thinking that has created sectarian/tribal/racial/ability
divisions and conflict. Separate facilities, schools, neighborhoods,
etc. do nothing to break down the social and attitudinal barriers that
create discrimination and oppression and, according to social geography,
reify the differences between diverse groups. Your argument merely
disengages from any rational thinking about future progress in favor of
the status quo.
In closing it is also important that you understand that my comments
never implied that "all can be neurotypical if we are exposed to it
enough". That's like saying all could be woman if we were exposed to
femininity enough, or all could become African or Asian if we were
exposed to it enough. I think you will agree that this is a ludicrous
argument. My core argument is that we can't learn to be a truly
interdependent society if we aren't willing to change our institutions
and attitudes to be more accepting of all varieties of diversity. This
doesn't mean everyone becoming neurotypical, rather it means that
neurotypicals need to acknowledge and accept that there are other ways
of understanding and interacting with the world and society and then
accepting that as another variant of human diversity. This can never
happen if there are schools for neurotypicals, schools for Asians,
schools for behavior disordered kids, schools for women, schools for
men, schools for Muslims, schools for whites, schools for blacks etc.
This just leaves us back in the same old self-involved sectarian society
that has defined, and continues to define, our modern world.
--
*Matthew Wappett Ph.D.*
Assistant Professor & Interdisciplinary Training Coordinator
University of Idaho Center on Disabilities and Human Development
129 W. Third Street
Moscow, ID 83843
"/I get up every morning determined to both change /
/the world and to have one hell of a good time. Sometimes,/
/this makes planning the day difficult./" ~ E.B. White
Jeremy Wickins wrote:
> I think I can see how my comments might have the interpretation that Matt puts
> on them, because to an extent, he is correct about them. I don't actually care
> what the reason is behind a child is exhibiting "challenging behaviour", or
> whatever we are calling it this week. I do care that where the child's ability
> to understand or communicate their horror as a result of whatever the
> underlying reason is, the situation can only be made worse. The answer is NEVER
> "Sit on them until they stop shouting/responding/breathing/whatever".
>
> There is no doubt that teacher training is significantly flawed, and one reason
> why I think that specialised facilities for specialised needs is not a bad
> concept. However, that does not, Matt, mean that "problems" should be hidden
> away, and I never said that. There are, however, some situations that are
> caused by inclusion - on the few occasions I needed to "act out" at school (and
> since), it was because of the sheer uncontrollable, noisy, thoughtless mass of
> humanity around me. Fortunately I went to a school (ordinary UK secondary as
> people were not segregated for being "odd" at that time) where the
> pupil/teacher ratio was sufficiently small that I could be dealt with
> individually. Usually, all it took was being told to go and stand in the -
> blessedly quiet - corridor for a while.
>
> Diversity needs to be recognised as important, and the current situation in
> which all are expected to behave in a stereotypical/neurotypical manner is
> degrading to all. It is just totally unacceptable to me that anyone can say
> that one type of school is sufficient for all needs - it is not, and can never
> be. Until people like Matt, who seems to be a well-meaning, intelligent person,
> come to see that, we are stuck with the idea that all can be neurotypical if we
> are exposed to it enough.
>
> Jeremy
>
--
*Matthew Wappett Ph.D.*
Assistant Professor & Interdisciplinary Training Coordinator
UI Center on Disabilities and Human Development
129 W. Third Street
Moscow, ID 83843
Ph: (208)885-3038
Fax: (208) 885-3628
www.idahocdhd.org <http://www.idahocdhd.org>
"/I get up every morning determined to both change /
/the world and to have one hell of a good time. Sometimes,/
/this makes planning the day difficult./" ~ E.B. White
________________End of message________________
This Disability-Research Discussion list is managed by the Centre for Disability Studies at the University of Leeds (www.leeds.ac.uk/disability-studies).
Enquiries about list administration should be sent to [log in to unmask]
Archives and tools are located at:
www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/disability-research.html
You can VIEW, POST, JOIN and LEAVE the list by logging in to this web page.
|