Thoughts as a New School Year Approaches

By Gary Bunch

                                                          OPPORTUNITY LOST

                                                      The teacher mentally winced
                                                      and physically sighed
                                                      at the first sight of the one
                                                      they gave her this year.

                                                      Wide open, popping eyes
                                                      and metal-filled grimace,
                                                      writhing arms, head, and legs.
                                                      A total loss.

                                                      The learner fixed attention
                                                       on her new teacher,
                                                       her hope for learning
                                                       at school this year.

                                                        Offered wide, asking eyes
                                                        and a welcoming smile,
                                                        and noticed both wince and sigh.
                                                        Another year lost.

As the new school year begins little changes in education for students with disabilities in Canada with regard to inclusion. Every Canadian educational jurisdiction uses the terms “inclusive education” and “inclusion” freely. However, few educational jurisdictions, with the notable exceptions of New Brunswick, Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut, appear to be committed to replacing the Special Education Model with the more effective and socially just Inclusive Education Model.

What is the justification for this pessimistic analysis? Snippets of various policies follow. Note underlining of certain phrases

• British Columbia inclusive policy contains the following statements.

The practice of inclusion is not necessarily synonymous with full integration in regular classrooms, and goes beyond placement to include meaningful participation and the promotion of interaction with others.

What does this signify? here is the B.C. policy on student placement

A Board of Education must provide a student who has special needs with an educational program in a classroom where the student is integrated with other students who do not have special needs, unless the educational needs of the student with special needs or other students indicate that the educational program for the student with special needs should be provided elsewhere.

• Compare the B.C. policy to that of the Northwest Territories policy in its recent School Improvement and Reporting Directive and Framework of 2010. Also. compare it to Ontario policy following outlined in the succeeding section..

The Northwest Territories education system is committed to the philosophy and practice of inclusiveness that welcomes all students provides them with learning opportunities, appropriate to their diverse needs and strengths, in classrooms with their peers.

• Ontario’s policy document “Ontario’s Equity and Inclusive Education Strategy”  of 2009 is based on a broad definition of inclusion encompassing immigrant students, students at risk of suicide, aboriginal students, lesbian, gay, bisexual, two-spirited, trans-identified students, religious accommodation to ensure observation of students’ faiths without harassment or discrimination, as well as students with disabilities. It goes without question that these groups need to be supported in their regular classroom settings. It is important to note, however, that all these student groups, with the exception of students with disabilities, attend the same classrooms as peers with no suggestion of any other placement.

Recently I attended a two-day Ontario Ministry of Education conference on inclusive education. Participants from school systems all over the province came together with Ministry financial support to consider ways of "Closing the Gap" between learners. During the two days, except for one presentation by the Ontario Human Rights Commission, reference to disability was almost totally absent. The focus was on the other five student groups covered by Ontario's equity and Inclusive Education Strategy.

• Compare the following excerpt on Ontario policy, as presented at conferences in New York and Vancouver by a team led by the Assistant Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Education to that of British Columbia and the Northwest Territories.2008

Second among a statement of Ministry Vision and Priorities in special education was. "increased capacity of schools to effectively meet the needs of a variety of learners in settings ranging from regular to self-contained classrooms". In other words, to continue with the full special education model as B.C. policy also permits.

Given the above examples and the continuation, and even the growth of segregated special education in at least some Canadian school systems, it is useful to consider Canadian and international research findings regarding education of students with disabilities. The following is something that is known, or should be known, by those responsible for education of persons with disabilities. Not only do governments and educators need to know the following, they have the responsibility to ensure that parents know it as well so that they may seek the strongest education for their children with disabilities..

• The majority of research studies investigating the academic impact of inclusion in regular classrooms for students with disabilities indicate that educational achievement in regular settings exceeds or is no less than academic achievement in segregated settings
  
  
• The majority of research studies on social impact of educating students with disabilities in inclusive settings indicate that stronger relationships between the two groups are fostered in regular classroom settings than in special education settings.
  
  
• The majority of research studies on the impact of educating students with disabilities in the same classroom settings as their non-disabled peers indicate no negative impact on the learning of the peers.
  
  
• The majority of studies of professional preparation of regular classroom teachers for supporting students with disabilities in regular classrooms indicate that teachers believe their professional programs have not prepared them for this responsibility.

You can reach your own decisions on why most educational jurisdictions in Canada continue to support special education settings when research, and the experience of those pursing inclusion, indicate that academic achievement is stronger or on par with that in special settings, when research indicates that social relationships are considerably stronger, when there is no negative impact on other students, and when teacher preparation is behind the times in the midst of world-wide change to inclusion

There is something to think about.

Almost all Canadian governments retain the special education model for students with disabilities who are considered "unable to benefit from education in the same setting as their non-disabled peers".