The Ultimate Parental Struggle for Mainstream Education and Schooling

It is often agreed upon that knowledge is power; as such getting a good education is very beneficial to setting one up for life, right? But if you’re a parent of a child with a disability; what would you do to help them navigate their way through the challenges of mainstream schooling? Well, for my latest blog I present two brave mums, Rima Shah and Nikki Ashton as they candidly voice their opinions on the issue of bullying. Both mothers took the opportunity to open up about the social challenges that children with disabilities may face in school environments.

While neither Rima nor Nikki had significant apprehensions about enrolling their kids into mainstream education, they both agreed that bullying was an issue of considerable anxiety. Arguably I’d suggest awareness is, and always has been the key, and where better place to start than in the classroom-the very place where one starts their educational journey. I suggest (having gone through mainstream schooling as a person with special needs) that ‘Inclusive Education’ would be a useful competency for those along the teaching spectrum.

When discussing her son Nikki Ashton noted;

“When Ben was in year 9 he was bullied by a group of 4-5 boys. The school asked me to come in and talk to them about Ben’s challenges, and educate them on CP. It was a successful strategy and they ended up being friends with Ben.”

Could we propose that the reason as to why people bully others is simply a symptom of ignorance that can be minimised or avoided with education and understanding of the individual circumstances of others….?

On the topic of inclusion and healthy interaction Rima Shah raised similar concerns about her son;

“I think it takes time for kids to accept a child with special needs. Given the right school environment this can be made easier but you will always have bullies that create trouble. Education of disability helps to minimise this. Most boys at the age of ten want to run around with their friends. Aaryan cannot do this–so he often struggles to [participate] at lunch time.”

While the subject of disability can sometimes be viewed as a taboo and a stigmatised topic of conversation, the need for education on it in our society has become a never-ending subject that is often spoken about in and of itself. but let me tell you that as I was writing this article, I was shocked and equally surprised at the fact that it is and/or can often be an issue for people to understand, perception-wise...even in the school classroom…the very place where one starts their educational journey.

‘Inclusive Education’ is an optional elective subject available for those studying Education at University which equips individuals with the knowledge and skills they need to confidently and comfortably engage students with a disability. Reflecting on the comments made by both Nikki and Rima, a case I believe, can most certainly be made that ‘Inclusive Education’ become a required competency.
 
If one argues the expense of mandatory ‘inclusive education’ training, it’s hardly comparable to the price paid for ignorance….