Comments on: The Inclusive Education Action Group

By: Kylie Sanchez

Kylie Sanchez — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 01:14:39 +0000

i was home schooled too but i would still prefer regular schools.~”`

By: Ethan Thompson

Ethan Thompson — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 09:22:41 +0000

i was also home schooled when i was younger and it is also a great weay to get your education.`,,

By: Hilary Stace

Hilary Stace — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 00:14:01 +0000

‘They are free from bullying, unrealistic expectations and impatient teachers who don’t have the time, training or temperament to adapt the classroom programme’. Surely, that is the environment we want for all our autistic students. I expect this of all mainstream schools. Some manage it, so why not all of them?

By: Helena Watt

Helena Watt — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 05:19:15 +0000

Transferring my autistic daughter from a “good” mainstream school to a specialised unit has turned a withdrawn, isolated and unhappy child into an outgoing, confident and communicative one. Along with her teachers, my husband and I firmly believe that her only chance of gaining an education and ultimately becoming a functioning member of society is to be in a classroom environment in which she is fully supported, her needs recognised and met and is accepted for who she is.
Autistic children in this setting learn to communicate and interact with each other in a way which would not be possible with neurotypical children. They are free from bullying, unrealistic expectations and impatient teachers who don’t have the time, training or temperament to adapt the classroom programme for special needs students.
I oppose the inclusive education action group as I don’t believe that compulsory mainstreaming is beneficial for parents, teachers or, most especially children.

By: Madison Brown

Madison Brown — Mon, 24 May 2010 20:30:22 +0000

Home Schooling is also nice since you got to always see your kids.-~;

By: Origrargo

Origrargo — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 11:54:58 +0000

Coool site, greate design!

By: ursula cranmer

ursula cranmer — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 10:42:56 +0000

I totally agree Eoin. After experiencing a wonderful inclusive and supportive 7 years in a special-needs unit at our local primary school, we (special needs child/parents)are currently being ‘bullied’ out of our local state college. There is no special needs school in the Rodney district where we live. Home schooling will be the other option which means forfeiting my own professional freelance work.

The current education system is also failing the other end of the spectrum – gifted children are dropping out too for all the same reasons you have listed, and boys in general seem to suffer the whole way through the system – most never quite reaching their full potential and collecting heaps of low self esteem along the way.

It really is time educators revisited our Victorian classroom settings/uniforms/conformity emphasis/rigid protocols etc. and shift the focus to encourage a creative learning environment that celebrates individuality and inspires learning for all. Homeschoolers manage to achieve this – its my hope schools will too. Someday soon. (I am an ex-teacher)

By: Eoin Lawless

Eoin Lawless — Mon, 12 May 2008 22:24:53 +0000

If the IHC had its way and closed down special schools my son would not receive an education. He simply cannot cope in a mainstream school.

Our experience includes one private school, one state primary school, a state high school and a special school. While the attitudes of the two primary schools left much to be desired the high school could not have tried harder to fit our son in but he cannot survive in that environment.

No amount of philosophising as to how people should treat other people will change the fundamental nature of school children or the dynamics of a school.

My childhood experience taught me that children ruthlessly enforce conformity. My experience as a parent confirms that nothing has changed. I can only surmise that those who believe placing all disabled children (whether their disability is physical, intellectual, emotional or social)will miraculously transform neurotypical children and teachers into caring, tolerant people had a totally different school experience and didn’t observe what was happening around them.

Life, unfortunately, is not what your teacher’s college lecturers told you it should be.

To dump our children into the mainstream is to expose them to bullying by other pupils; noisy, uncomfortable, overcrowded classrooms; incompetent teachers and the prejudice of other parents.

If the ideal of every child being entitled to an education is to have any meaning in the real world we must provide places for those who cannot achieve their potential in the mainstream.

By: Hilary Stace

Hilary Stace — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 09:06:56 +0000

In the process of posting this a piece has been left out of the first line of the final paragraph. The very useful UK tool is the INDEX TO INCLUSION. It has been used in NZ by schools, local bodies and others to audit their practices and help them become more inclusive.