Barriers in Education - Case Study Example

Special Educational Needs in Primary Education Introduction Education is one of the fundamental right that all should have the opportunity to learn irrespective of ones gender or disability. Inclusive education was formerly based on the principle that all should have the opportunity to learn together.  This is not a universally recognized idea. But the subject is of active debate as it creates questions of a moral and educational nature. Moreover, there are practical concerns, particularly in developing countries with inadequate resources and teacher expertise. Disability and education engages a strong participation between community and parents in early childhood intervention, the relation between school and health, teacher education, school convenience and the ability to look at disability in a broad circumstance (The World Bank Group, 2007). There is a need to understand that barriers in education are not simply physical and that disability takes many forms. The diversity and implication of disabilities need to be learned and contained in the way education is designed, delivered and resourced. As per the code of practice for the assurance of the quality of learning opportunities for students with disabilities in UK point out that institutions should be conscious that disability covers a broad range of impairments those of physical and specific learning difficulties including dyslexia, medical conditions and mental health problems. These impairments may have implications for a students life or learning. Institutions must ensure that their requirements are taken into consideration, and the full range of needs which disabled students may have, and that their provision is sufficiently flexible to cater to individuals changing needs throughout their periods of study (Quality Assurance Agency, 1999). Ensuring Access and Equity for All The areas of early day’s children education and special education have long been apprehensive with topics of admission and justice for kids with special requirements. Federal consent which necessitate that kids with special needs are given services within ordinary settings and that kids are completely incorporated in the least restricted atmosphere build early childhood education programs more and more practicable. And also welcome condition for young children with special needs, derived from the principle that every one child fit in in all situations. What is the best to contain children with different developmental requirements is the most important anxiety of teachers, parents, and scholars within both educational disciplines. Inclusion stands for values that guide educationists since they put effort to sustain equity for all kids. Children are not illustrious through their disability, but the disability symbolizes a feature, one simple aspect who they are and how they interrelate with the world. Nevertheless, present arrangements linking the field of early childhood education and special education frequently describe children with their disability, and as a result serve to disagree with messages run on the basis that kids are, indeed, children first. The educational group to combine the areas of special education and early childhood education has taken place in reply to topics of equity and inclusion in addition to federal legislation. However a structure to sustain this combination is missing. From both areas information is supplied pertaining to teaching practices, syllabus, and environmental plan, however in the absence of an organized structure, these labours turn out to be remote. Think education system for early childhood professional. Textbook within the field of early childhood education often comprise the subject of children with special needs as an addition. The distinctive strategy is to give a chapter on special needs, or separate section set in within texts that tackle matters linked to inclusion. On the basis of this, learners are taught in a framework that maintains an altered but equal attitude, as against to an approach which stresses that all kids have unique needs (Darragh, 2007). The most important dealing with special education is the 1996 Education Act. A Special Educational Needs Code of Practice gives practical guidance on how to identify and assess children with special educational needs. All early education settings, state schools and local authorities must take account of this Code when they are dealing with children who have special educational needs. Health and social services must also take account of the Code when helping local authorities. This means that, when early education settings, schools, local authorities and health and social services decide how they will help children with special educational needs, they should always consider what the Code says. Special educational needs (SEN), has a lawful explanation. Kids with special educational needs all have learning problems or incapacities that cause difficulty for them to learn than other children of the same age group. Such kids may need additional or dissimilar help from that provided to other children of the equal age group. Children with special educational needs might require additional assistance as of a series of needs, for example in thinking and perceptive, bodily or sensory problems, expressive and behavioural complications, or problems with speech and language or how they communicate to and work with other persons. A lot of children may require special educational needs of various kinds, may be throughout their education. Concerned schools and other institutions can assist the majority of children to conquer the obstructions present, fast and without difficulty. However some kids may require additional assistance for some more time or all of their stay in school (Special Educational Needs 2009). The Disability Discrimination Act amended as the Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001 make it illegal for education institutions to discriminate against disabled pupils, students and adult learners. According to this (SENDA) the education providers such as Local Education Authorities (LEAs), Schools, Colleges, Universities, providers of adult education and statutory youth service must treat disabled people equally as their non-disabled peers. These education institutions are also advised to make proper arrangement to make sure that disabled pupils in education do not face substantial disadvantage when comparing to students who are not disabled. The publication of Special Educational Needs Code of Practice provides education institutions practical guidance on how to identify and assess children with special educational needs. All primary education settings, state schools and LEAs must ensure that this code is followed when they are assessing children who have special educational needs. Health and social services must also take account of the code when helping LEAs (Directgov, 2007). Special Education Needs and Discriminatory Act 2001 was introduced stage by stage and from September 2002 all institutions were required to change policies and practices and from September 2003 institutions were to give supplementary aids and services. It is vital to implement accessibility for disabled students in virtual learning environments in UK’s further and higher education. As it is pointed out that all in the crucial path of learning technologies such as Virtual Learning Environments is covered by SENDA and The Act and responsibilities under it affect the whole spectrum of those involved and those providing the information, those providing the medium for the information, and those concerned with IT services and strategy all have the same liability. According to UNESCO there are over 150 million disabled children in developing countries and only 2% out of these children goes to school. As per the education target set by the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) is that by 2015 all children will have minimum of primary school education. If this vision is to be realized it is absolutely necessary the inclusion of disabled children in the main stream of education system. Disability KaR Programme explored on this topic and viewed at various issues to bring disabled children into mainstream education. This approach towards inclusive education is that the learning and schooling needs of everyone is met and does not separate some because they might have different requirements or abilities. It is based on the thought that segregated education is more or less unequal education and the schools must transform in order to contain student diversity. This diversity, further, may enhance an enriched learning environment for all students. UNESCO emphasizes that mainstream education is a basic human right, resulting from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1949) and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989). This right is one of the important accesses through which to flee poverty and exclusion of so many disabled children. This is the reason why the promotion of inclusive education is so essential for progress in general and disabled people in particular. Even though promotion of inclusive education is so vital there are lot of challenges to inclusive education such as lack of policies, funding and government commitment, and negative cultural beliefs and attitudes. However, the promoters of the inclusive education program want to go ahead with very clear action plans to take the inclusive education schedule forward. The action plan include: developing a step-by-step framework of action for implementing inclusive education, suggestions for further research, ways to promote positive attitudes in the community and good practice strategies (Albert, 2005). It is estimated that 115 million children are currently out of school and 40 million out of that are disabled children. Planned and combined efforts must be made to ensure these children have access to a quality, relevant, and effective education. World Vision UK works with others on this issue as part of the Global Campaign for Education, appeal to UK government to develop, and provide the resources to implement, an elaborate strategy for bringing disabled children in developing countries into education. This strategy must identify the important role of teachers in bringing disabled children into education. Teachers are the key persons in bringing disabled children into education and in ensuring that they get the maximum benefit out of their educational practice. People think that children with physical, visual, hearing and intellectual impairments are unable to learn. If teachers can help to change these thoughts, disabled children can have an easy entrance into the schools. Children want teachers who are trained to work with the diversity of children. Hence these skills have to be a part of all teachers training. Teachers play an important role in moulding positive attitude in children and establishing expectations in them. Hence teachers can be key players in opposing discrimination and encouraging positive identity in disabled children. So children need teachers who are positive as role models for them. Further the parents of the disabled children see the significant improvement with their children and send them to school without any hesitation because they see significant positive change in their children (World Vision UK, 2006). Conclusion The Government’s educational guidelines are centred on enabling all children to discharge their prospective and are dedicated to developing an education system that offers equality of opportunity and high attainment for all children. Therefore the Special Educational Needs Code of Practice has got an important function in delivering that promise. It endorses a stability of strategy in realizing children’s special educational needs and places the rights of children with special educational needs at the centre of the procedure, permitting them to be heard and to join in resolution concerning their education. When considering at global level persons having disabilities, their families and their friends see education as vital to lives as full citizens of the future. Attention and honesty towards the idea of inclusive education has developed except this has been external of the vital discussion concerning education, where finally the idea of inclusion must be considered to have a valid possibility of achievement. Inclusion needs to become fundamental in strategy and planning at all stages, from the local school to Ministries of Education and local and global multi-lateral organizations. Think of children with learning disabilities in all educational scheduling, otherwise they will stay out of learning systems forever (Richler, 2005). Work Cited Albert, B. (2005) Lessons from the Disability Knowledge and Research (KaR) Programme. Department for International Development, Overseas Development Group and Health link Worldwide, UK. 28 March 2009. Darragh, J. (2007) Universal Design for Early Childhood Education: Ensuring Access and Equity for All. Early Childhood Education Journal, Vol. 35. 28 March 2009 Directgov, (2007). Disabled people:Your rights and learning 28 March 2009. < http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/DisabledPeople/EducationAndTraining/DG_4001076> Quality Assurance Agency, (1999). Code of practice for the assurance of academic quality and standards in higher education. 28 March 2009. Richler, D. (2005). Quality Education for Persons with Disabilities, UNESCO, EFA Monitoring Report –Commissioned Study. 28 March 2009 Special Educational Needs (2009) A guide for parents and carers Department for Children School and Families 28 March 2009 The World Bank Group. (2007) Education and Disability 28 March 2009 World Vision UK (2006). Education for all. 28 March 2009 Read More