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Is inclusion in schools a nonsense strategy?

Arran

I was recently talking to a teacher who is highly critical of inclusion in mainstream schools. He mentioned cases of two Y10 students, one with Down syndrome and the other who started that year fluent in Arabic but not knowing a word of English, and strongly held the stance that neither student should have been at the school.

Although it might sound cold hearted, he believed that students should only attend mainstream schools if they are up to a sufficiently high level academically, socially, physically, behaviourally, and fluency in English for their age.

He also stressed that the purpose of school is to teach academic subjects and the purpose of a teacher is to deliver the National Curriculum, and schools do not teach life skills and social skills, and that parents should not fall into any illusions or delusions that schools should teach them. He praised the decision of a parent to home school their son with AS after admitting that if he had problems with literacy or numeracy then all the help in the world would be available at school, but the school could offer nothing to help with problems resulting from AS or teach him the required social skills.   

Is inclusion in schools a nonsense strategy?

Parents

  • The two students cited by the teacher are probably extreme examples.

    In the case of the student with Down syndrome, she was originally placed in the lower ability classes as this was commensurate with her own abilities but she ended up being bullied. A decision was made to move her to the high ability classes where she was much happier although the subject material went completely over her head. Her parents were happy with the arrangement as they were not interested in her sitting GCSE exams. The trouble started with Ofsted which insisted that ALL students must be brought into the lesson and actively participate, and none could just sit and watch like wet lemons. This forced the school to either move her back into the lower ability classes, where she would be bullied, or place her in an 'exclusion' class where she was taught subjects at her academic ability, but her parents did not want this as they did not consider it inclusion.

    In the case of the student who was fluent in Arabic but did not know a word of English, he was in lower ability classes for everything even though he was technically capable of much better as he read some quite advanced books in Arabic at home. The teacher thought that he was wasting his time at the school and should either go to a school where they taught basic English to foreigners or study academic subjects in Arabic instead of English.

    Both students caused nothing but a headache for the school and it was quite clearly evident that their parents were more interested in attendance and inclusion than in learning and qualifications.

Reply

  • The two students cited by the teacher are probably extreme examples.

    In the case of the student with Down syndrome, she was originally placed in the lower ability classes as this was commensurate with her own abilities but she ended up being bullied. A decision was made to move her to the high ability classes where she was much happier although the subject material went completely over her head. Her parents were happy with the arrangement as they were not interested in her sitting GCSE exams. The trouble started with Ofsted which insisted that ALL students must be brought into the lesson and actively participate, and none could just sit and watch like wet lemons. This forced the school to either move her back into the lower ability classes, where she would be bullied, or place her in an 'exclusion' class where she was taught subjects at her academic ability, but her parents did not want this as they did not consider it inclusion.

    In the case of the student who was fluent in Arabic but did not know a word of English, he was in lower ability classes for everything even though he was technically capable of much better as he read some quite advanced books in Arabic at home. The teacher thought that he was wasting his time at the school and should either go to a school where they taught basic English to foreigners or study academic subjects in Arabic instead of English.

    Both students caused nothing but a headache for the school and it was quite clearly evident that their parents were more interested in attendance and inclusion than in learning and qualifications.

Children
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