Access to education for students with disability : Barriers and difficulties
- Part 2 -

Vijay Garg *

18. Teacher stress

There is a substantial burden on teachers of inclusive classes, due to inadequate professional support, inadequate training in teaching the adapted curricula, managing the class which includes students with disability, and inadequate understanding of a range of disabilities and what they mean in practical terms for the individual students in the class. Research shows that the teacher's feeling of confidence is by far the biggest factor for success for teachers of inclusive classes. Confidence only comes from a combination of training, support, experience, and the resultant competence.

19. Class sizes need to be reduced where classes are inclusive; shortage of teachers (cuts to numbers)

It is obvious that if a teacher at any level of the education system is required to provide teaching to a wider range of student abilities, it is going to take more time and create greater demands in the teacher's time and creativity and responsiveness. There is not sufficient reduction in class sizes in inclusive schools to facilitate this. Additionally, education budgets overall in a number of States have meant that class sizes are not reducing and the numbers of teachers have diminished substantially, particularly in Victoria.

20. Conditions and disabilities that are the most challenging for teachers to incorporate in the class

There is common agreement at all levels of the education spectrum that some disabilities are more challenging than others, These are: behavior problems, including Hyperactivity/Attention Deficit Disorder, Autism, learning difficulties (which often are accompanied by frustration in the student leading to behavior difficulties), Deafness(due to communication difficulties about the curriculum) and psychiatric problems. Some teachers find it challenging to incorporate students with intellectual disability in a regular class, because of the scope and amount of curriculum adaptation needed in the one class.

21. Access to buildings (costs and other problems)

Many buildings used for child care and pre-schools, schools, and premises used by adult and community education providers are not physically accessible. Many of these do not lend themselves to modification, or modification would necessitate enormous expenditure.

22. Transport: Barriers (functional and financial) to behaviours, which can be allowed for in class but which may create difficulties or embarrassment for the student in public. Many have physical and medical problems which make independent utilisation of public transport problematic for them. Some students with disability attend schools and vocational or academic institutions far from where they live, because those institutions offer support or accessibility others do not.

Cost of special transport is a difficulty. Parent availability to transport students is not always possible, particularly where both parents work. Some education providers say transport to and from pre-school, school, college, or university is the biggest problem in providing access to students with disability.

23. Transitional programs and procedures inadequate

There is a very great need for more services, and more comprehensive and appropriate services, to assist students with disability in three main phases of moving from one level of education to the next. They are all of major importance in the student's settling effectively into the next level. The first transitional phase is from early childhood services/pre-school into primary school.

This phase can make or break the young child's early entry into the formal school system. The second, a difficulty for all students, is the progression from primary school to High School. The third, a very vital stage, is the transition from school to work, training, pre-employment training, vocational education, academic course, or adult and community education. There is a need for far more services in this area, to enable people with disability to either obtain the means to earning a living, or providing meaningful activity tot the extent appropriate, to fill in their days in a useful fashion.

24. Attitude of teacher or Principal negative or resistant or deny obligations

There is much evidence reported at all levels from parents to Principals themselves, that if a teacher, or particularly a Principal of a school has an attitude that is either negative or totally resistant to placing students with disability in the regular school setting, there will be discrimination in either exclusion, or in difficulties for the student if enrolled.

This is the area most vehemently complained of, and most frequently, by parents of students with disability. There is a time-lag between changes in policy and practice towards inclusion, and the responses of those in charge of administering preschools, child care centers, or schools. Complaints are more commonly directed against Principals than teachers. Many Principals and some teachers are still denying that they have any obligations to accept students with disability.

25. Differences, difficulties or conflicts between parents and schools, including requests for placement, arrangements made at school, unattainable expectations of parents for their child

These three areas have given rise to many bitter conflicts and much injury to the future educational and social prospects of the student for settling into the educational environment and accessing education at an appropriate level with all supports required. There are constant hurdles and disappointments for parents of children with disability, leading to volatile emotions and many failed hopes and expectations. Calmness and practicality have to be at a premium. Often both sides are pushed to the limit in trying to reach a resolution which meets their needs and the appropriate educational needs of the child.

26. Discrimination by schools / other educational institutions, either conscious or unconscious, including lack of understanding of relevant issues

Both direct and indirect discrimination by educational authorities on the grounds of the disability of students occur regularly. In some instances, disability discrimination is overt and direct; in others, it is founded on lack of knowledge of disability issues and inclusion practices.

Until greater knowledge and understanding of disability and its effects, the law and human rights principles, and the experience and the practice of inclusion as the norm are achieved, individuals and institutions will continue to discriminate, knowingly or unknowingly. However, the education filed in general is supportive of a widespread movement towards equal access to education for students with disability.

27. Discrimination, social isolation, teasing, bullying, or harassment by non-disabled students

There is regrettably, an incidence of marking out and picking on students with disability by non-disabled students. This appears to occur much more commonly in the age groups from about the age of onset of puberty (12-13 on) than in the younger age groups, who tend to be far more accepting and helpful in their attitudes towards peers with disability. It is to some extent dependent on a supportive environment within the school, from Principal to teachers and clerical workers and ground staff, as to whether the teasing, bullying and victimisation are present, or if present, allowed to continue.

28. Prejudice and discrimination, or complaints, by parents of non-disabled students

Parents of students who do not have a disability are sometimes resentful that the class in which their child is learning includes one or more students with disability. This is particularly so in schools which aim at academic excellence. These parents are aware that the teacher's time and attention is split among students of differing ability.

Some parents are just outright prejudiced and do not like their child associated with students with disability, particularly those with obvious physical disability or with intellectual disability. Some such parents have requested that the school "get rid of" certain students with disability. Others have taken their child out of that school and enrolled him or her in another school which (at that time) does not have students with disability enrolled.

29. Tendency or plans to "cluster" similarly-disabled students in schools and other educational institutions which have developed expertise in particular disabilities

In a number of areas, different educational institutions (schools, TAFEs) have recognised that a particular school or college is well-equipped to provide education to students with a particular disability (for example, mobility, deafness, vision impairment, behavioral problems) and have directed enrolments to this particular education provider.

While that policy makes some practical sense, it is simply an indication that at present time, not all education providers are yet in a position to provide access to students with disability across the board, and leads to undesirable marginalisation of particular groups of students with disability.

The other sectors are all far more aware of the existence of the legislation and have either some or a fairly good concept of the overall requirements, but very few have a practical or detailed knowledge of what their obligations under the DDA are or of how to interpret this in reality.

31. Competition between schools, skills testing, rating of schools detrimental to promoting inclusive policies and practices.

There is an increasing demand from the public at large, spurred by political considerations and the mood of the times, to promote competitive academic achievement as the prime objective of the school education system. While this is already a narrow view of education for all students and is vocationally inspired, it leaves even the non-academically-gifted non-disabled students out in the margins, by not recognising the many other elements besides intellect that make up a whole education, like creative endeavours (drama, music, art,) or interpersonal skills and social issues.

When schools start excluding students with disability from taking art in skills testing because that would drag the ratings down, there is a matter for serious concern about the directions education in general is taking, and most particularly, what effects this movement is having on attempts to make schools more inclusive. As for the effects on individual students who know they will never "make it" in academic competition, great damage is done to their self-esteem and sense of worth as individuals with something of value to contribute.


Concluded....