Kids to lose 'special needs' status.
Discussion
Almost 1.7 million schoolchildren in England - more than one in five - have some form of special needs requiring particular attention from teachers
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews...
1 in 5 is a little generous in some areas. In NW London one school we looked at had over 50% classified as special needs.
The school just down the road had around 5% and a policy which the headmaster outlined extremely bluntly as one which only gave assisted places to children who were 'genuinely' in need of them. There was some clear destinction between 'certificated' special needs and special needs seemingly given out as badges by the LA. So it was abundantly clear that head teachers are perfectly aware that the system is being abused.
There is absolutely no doubt that this is yet another part of the State which has gotten totally out of control.
It is obvious that it is essential to support children as best as possible but it is also obvious that like disibiloty benefits the state have just been handing out freebies as a never ending gift.
The vast majority of these children suffer from s
t or stupid parents.
I can't wait to see the headlines as all the people who want to pay less tax and see less of their hard earned money wasted get upset at the ending of another farcical practice.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews...
1 in 5 is a little generous in some areas. In NW London one school we looked at had over 50% classified as special needs.
The school just down the road had around 5% and a policy which the headmaster outlined extremely bluntly as one which only gave assisted places to children who were 'genuinely' in need of them. There was some clear destinction between 'certificated' special needs and special needs seemingly given out as badges by the LA. So it was abundantly clear that head teachers are perfectly aware that the system is being abused.
There is absolutely no doubt that this is yet another part of the State which has gotten totally out of control.
It is obvious that it is essential to support children as best as possible but it is also obvious that like disibiloty benefits the state have just been handing out freebies as a never ending gift.
The vast majority of these children suffer from s
t or stupid parents. I can't wait to see the headlines as all the people who want to pay less tax and see less of their hard earned money wasted get upset at the ending of another farcical practice.
I'm in 2 minds about this - on the one hand, there is certainly a problem out there with feral children being categorized as SEN to account for their wild behaviour. As per a recent thread, my son has suffered at the hands of an unruly child at school who has nothing wrong with him except a poor upbringing.
On the other hand, my son is also currently being assessed as he is lagging behind at school, despite all our efforts at home to give him that extra little push to help him catch up. He's an August child in a class dominated by girls (19 girls, 5 boys) - and is clearly far behind most of them. Any help would be welcome!
On the other hand, my son is also currently being assessed as he is lagging behind at school, despite all our efforts at home to give him that extra little push to help him catch up. He's an August child in a class dominated by girls (19 girls, 5 boys) - and is clearly far behind most of them. Any help would be welcome!
ascayman said:
If you want to apply labels then they should at least be accurate, the only thing the vast majority of these 'special needs kids' suffer from is 'special needs parents'
Exactly- it has become the norm to label badly behaved kids with all manner of dubious pseudo medical conditions, where previously words like "naughty" and "thick" would have sufficed. Your point about the parents is spot on.sinizter said:
More than three quarters of special needs children in this country would be called naughty or thick where I was schooled. They then get over it, or deal with it - mostly with no ill-effects.
1000% this.Aside from genuine medical problems, this "special needs" thing is just job creation for teachers.
My missus' Mum teaches some kid one to one who's been thrown out of school for being a tw at. He gets a cab to and from her house every day, paid for by you and me (see your payslip for details). He usually turns up stoned. He's 14.
What he needs, of course, is the workhouse, and regular beatings with a decent size piece of wood.
I got through 90% of school without special needs. Then in the last year, the new 'counselor' decided i was dyslexic. Obviously she got a fat cheque every week from the LEA to 'counsel' me. I didn't protest because I got extra time in exams.
It's little more than a scam to enrich already rich education consultant types. Money for old rope.
It's little more than a scam to enrich already rich education consultant types. Money for old rope.
A big factor in the increase in the number of children being assessed with special needs is the fact that it moves you to the top of the pile for school allocations. Hence, rather than view it as their child being labelled as a 'mong' many parents are actively encouraging it by exaggerating their childs behaviour.
ralphrj said:
A big factor in the increase in the number of children being assessed with special needs is the fact that it moves you to the top of the pile for school allocations. Hence, rather than view it as their child being labelled as a 'mong' many parents are actively encouraging it by exaggerating their childs behaviour.
I hadn't thought of that angle. I thought the main reason is that it's a passport to extra state benefits.They're also allowed to jump the queues at DisneyWorld.
I bet Mumsnet is exploding at the moment.
Bloody hell! When I was at school (going back 20 years) you were only special needs if you were actually disabled. Anything else and it was a case of "I'm sorry Mrs Smith but little Johnny is just a bit thick".
Nowadays every body need a fking label.
People need to accept that their daring Jocasta and Oliver might not be able to become doctors and lawyers and may be more suited to collecting shopping trolleys.
Nowadays every body need a f
king label.People need to accept that their daring Jocasta and Oliver might not be able to become doctors and lawyers and may be more suited to collecting shopping trolleys.
Deva Link said:
ralphrj said:
A big factor in the increase in the number of children being assessed with special needs is the fact that it moves you to the top of the pile for school allocations. Hence, rather than view it as their child being labelled as a 'mong' many parents are actively encouraging it by exaggerating their childs behaviour.
I hadn't thought of that angle. I thought the main reason is that it's a passport to extra state benefits.They're also allowed to jump the queues at DisneyWorld.
I bet Mumsnet is exploding at the moment.
I do agree that 90% of SEN children just require a good shoeing as do their parents.
pp
Pickled Piper said:
however, I am not aware that the parents get any direct monetary benefits. Happy to be corrected by those in the know.
pp
For my 'dyslexia' I got from the LEA a £2k computer and £1k of software and £500 to have some hippy with an NVQ who knew nothing about computers to set it up for me.pp
OK it was really a £500 computer, £200 of software and the hippy was basically a £25 delivery boy, but the former figures are what whoever does these things invoiced the LEA for.
Its an utter scam designed by education consultants for the benefit of education consultants.
My friends wife is a doctor specialising in autism, she did her PhD in it after having her first child diagnosed with it.
She reckons about half her time working is spent explaining to parents that their kids are not in fact autistic and have been mislabeled by whichever authority took it upon itself to do so.
It's become so frustrating for her that they are actually leaving the country to go and live/work somewhere more realistic. It's not the only reason they're leaving of course but it has certainly been a major factor in the decision to go.
She reckons about half her time working is spent explaining to parents that their kids are not in fact autistic and have been mislabeled by whichever authority took it upon itself to do so.
It's become so frustrating for her that they are actually leaving the country to go and live/work somewhere more realistic. It's not the only reason they're leaving of course but it has certainly been a major factor in the decision to go.
Greg_D said:
come on people, follow the money.....
fewer special needs kids = smaller special needs budget
and round and round the merry-go-round go we!!!
Not sure what you're saying here? If many kids don't really need the money then can't that money go to some combination of improved support for those that really do need it, more money for hospitals, deficit reduction or tax reductions. All of which are good things...fewer special needs kids = smaller special needs budget
and round and round the merry-go-round go we!!!
theaxe said:
Not sure what you're saying here? If many kids don't really need the money then can't that money go to some combination of improved support for those that really do need it, more money for hospitals, deficit reduction or tax reductions. All of which are good things...
Seem's he made be leftily inclined, thrown money at the problem. Gassing Station | News, Politics & Economics | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff