Dear Editor,
I am writing to express my concern on the implementation of inclusive education.
In an attempt to help special needs students to fit into the mainstream, the government has decided to put inclusive education into action. The proposal was born of noble ideals—trying to craft a brighter future for special needs students and to fully realize equality in our society—however, the reality is much harsher than wishful dreams. The society is obviously lacking three important components for the plan to run as smoothly as hoped.
The first thing is the lack of appropriate labour. The name “special needs students” clearly implies that these students need special attention. From behavioral issues like ADHD to study deficits like dyslexia, they need to be constantly looked after and assisted, and that requires special training on the teacher’s part. However, according to the Education Bureau, only about ten-percent of teachers have received appropriate training. These teachers would have to face big classes with thirty to forty students each. How would they be able to specifically look after the few special needs students when they have such a large class to balance on their plates, and with modern parents being so demanding of them?
Adding to the lack of appropriate labour is the lack of government support and monitoring. The government gives each special needs student admitted a 20,000 dollar subsidy to the school. But that is all the support schools get, there are no guidelines, quality checks and no free training provided to teachers. Schools that have never admitted special needs students before are now free to do so, without first having to prove themselves to be able to accommodate such students. That might lead to even more cases of special needs students not getting adequate aid, or even cases of schools admitting students for money, and then just leaving them to wallow in the mainstream education system.
Finally, there is the lack of acceptance from mainstream parents. While it is understandable that parents care about their children’s education, it is very insensible for them to complain about the noises made by students with special needs. There are even cases of parents complaining that special needs students are dragging down their class’s teaching progress. Obviously, such behaviour is discriminative against special needs students, and is completely against the aim behind inclusive education — equality for all students.
In conclusion, in order for inclusive education to fulfill its goals and mission, we need to provide support and acceptance. While the government should still play its part in providing support, we must do our part in offering acceptance. Everyone has to throw aside their “not in my backyard” mindsets and embrace special needs students in their or their children’s classes with open arms. Only then, will special needs students truly feel welcomed and be able to fit into the mainstream education system, lighting a brighter future for them.
Yours faithfully,
Pat Lee
Pat Lee
Tin Shui Wai