Exclude Inclusion in UAE, Essay Example

Introduction

All students will benefit more academically if special education students were self-contained. Special education students being mainstreamed into the general education classroom causes many problems. Yet, in November of 2006,the UAE signed the optional Protocol to the United Nations which specified specific rights for students with special needs.Most teachers lack the training, resources, and other necessary supports to teach students with disabilities.  Teachers have to take more time when planning lessons in order to adapt the lesson to the students with special needs; thus making general educators special. Consequently, their main focus becomes special education students rather than general education students. Classroom management is more difficult because of the additional students-some with behavior problems due to lack of understanding. Special needs students may not feel comfortable because they learn differently and lack proper social skills. Many special education teachers are not servicing students-not reporting to the general education classroom or pulling students into the resource room for one on one instruction. Teachers are not giving specific strategies and accommodations to use with their resource students. They are being given generic strategies. For example: give students more time, seat near the teacher, read questions to the student, etc.

To Include or Not

The educational world has been in great debate about special education curriculum for many years. There are people who are passionate about what they believe is right on both sides of the argument. Many people are wondering if the inclusion classroom is the best way to educate students with learning disabilities. In the inclusion classroom, students with learning disabilities are included in general education classroom room with general education students. In most inclusion classrooms, there are two teachers-a general education teacher and a special education teacher. The goal is to not identify the special education student by making no direct distinctions between the students. The general education and special education teacher will assist students interchangeably. Special education students should be equipped with an IEP to lay out the foundation for the teacher to reach the student’s special learning needs. The IEP should details what specific accommodations the student needs to be successful in the general education classroom. Another goal within the classroom is to ensure that general education students do not know which students are special needs.  The term inclusion was coined to define a classroom that contained a mixture of students with various learning abilities. The above information would be relevant in the perfect classroom and school. Nonetheless, this is not always the typical situation. Most of the resource students really need one on one help. Inclusion is not working the way it was intended, and the general education teacher is left to try to close the gap. Likewise, the general education students are suffering just as much as the special needs students. In many situations, the special education teacher does not assist the general education teacher. Whether the administrators are using the special education teachers for other purposes or if the teachers are just not fulfilling their obligations, the students are being crippled due to lack of instruction. The general education students are left to find their own way because the general education teacher is too overwhelmed and improperly trained to assist the many needs of the special education population.

No Inclusion

Many people are against special education inclusion including educators, parents, and even some students. Special education inclusion remains a controversial issue. Consequently, there are adamant advocates on both sides of the issue. Many view inclusion as a policy driven by an unrealistic expectation that all students will meet standards at the same time. Likewise, there are those who believe that all students belong in the regular education classroom, and that effective teachers are only those who can meet the needs of all the students, regardless of what their needs may be. Somewhere in the middle of this are groups of educators, parents, and students who are confused by the concept altogether.  The most common complaint from general education teachers was that they were not supported by the special education teacher. The majority reported that they had received no support at all. Many teachers also reported never receiving and IEP for resource students. One very telling comment was that one teacher stated that she didn’t even know who her resource students were. All teachers would prefer knowing who their resource students are at the beginning of the year, rather than months into the school year. They also wanted specific strategies to help their students, not generic strategies like allot more time, give fewer items, etc. Many teachers also cited that special education students’ behavioral problems often got in the way of their learning and the general education students’ learning too. The frustration for many teachers was that their resource students are so low functioning that it was merely impossible from them to benefit in the general education classroom. Many of the special education students lack social skills to fit in with the general education students. A great deal of the special education students chose not to interact with the general education students and when they became frustrated they exhibited inappropriate behavior.

Conclusions

All of the articles and books examined seem to support the fact that most general education teachers feel they are unable to meet the academic needs of their resource students. They felt they had not been properly trained to address the students’ needs. The majority of teachers had received no special training to address the needs of the special education population. Many noted only having had one class in dealing with special needs students during their credential program. There are arguments for and against inclusion in the public school system. Some believe that putting the handicapped in a regular class is the only way to prepare them for a normal life, but ironically general education teachers do not all have the proper training for teaching special education. The arguments for and against inclusion is ongoing and does not seem to be finding much resolve amongst the different opinions. Integrating children with disabilities into regular classrooms, as well as all aspects of school and community life have lead to much controversy with sound arguments both for and against inclusion. Nonetheless, many veteran educators say they have watched the decline in academics since the beginning of inclusion. I firmly believe that all students will benefit more if resource students were self contained.