Changing attitudes and beliefs through education

There will always be tensions between what is expected as curriculum contents and the decisions a teacher must make about priorities, whether on an individual or a group basis. Choices have to be made both by the teacher and the learner, and priorities will emerge for both. Any subject-defined curriculum will have its limitations but it is perfectly possible to interpret any activity in a number of ways. The most important factor is that the learner is motivated, exercising their analysis and judgement, picking up useful chunks of knowledge and is involving themselves in the subject. Special Educational Needs, for example, is still perceived by many as having to do with identifying the problem within the pupil or student. In fact, this is not the case. Knowing that a certain syndrome or illness has particular symptoms is necessary for health professionals because they hope to be able to treat the symptoms (i.e. find a cure for the problem or manage the difficulties). A person is described by a set of group characteristics and is then treated according to those group characteristics. One definition of discrimination has to do with judging an individual on the basis of some ill-defined, or inappropriately defined, set of group characteristics and then treating them in this way, regardless of their individual humanity, their rights or their unique characteristics.

The restrictions imposed on the use of language and the narrowing of concepts inherent in the process of diagnosing and labelling have only a limited use from an educational or social viewpoint. Teachers, teaching assistants, lecturers, psychologists and researchers (in education) are interested in the learning process and in ascertaining what learning has taken place. This can only be observed or measured by watching an individual’s reactions, responses and performance. In other words, it is concerned with the interaction between the individual and his/her environment. This would either be in specifically constructed circumstances or in the course of tackling problems and activities in real life. In other words, we should be looking at the interaction of the individual who is disabled and his/her (learning) environment, not at obscure descriptions or definitions of the seat of impairment or illnesses. When these physical or medical characteristics or statements about physical characteristics are overtly emphasized, they can radically change and even dictate a general perception of that person’s whole functioning or personality. It would be farcical to invent a special needs category of people who are over 7 feet tall, or children who have small feet or children who have freckles, or blue eyes. It is important to be clear about whatever purpose is involved in any kind of categorization based on physical or medical characteristics. Educators should concentrate on each pupil’s individual capabilities and capacities in order to support the development of meaningful learning strategies and plans.

Deficit teaching (or ‘symptomatic’ focus for planning) for example, which is the result of clumsy or simplistic labelling, can be very damaging to an individual. Not only can it ‘label’ an individual negatively but it can also make them jump through unnecessary hoops to limited ends. It can have more to do with the needs of the adult, teacher or trainer to be seen to be positively or professionally active, than any particularly effective teaching or learning strategies.