Independent Media Centre Ireland     http://www.indymedia.ie

Culture of bullying special needs children in school

category antrim | health / disability issues | news report author Friday November 24, 2006 22:30author by ASBO the holyland students

Surprise, surprise recent research by 'Save the children' and 'Childline', found bullying of children with learning difficulties, mental and physical disabilities by both other children and teachers was widespread within mainstream schools.

'Save the the Children' and 'Childline' discovered bullying of children with learning difficulties, including dyslexia, autism, ADHD and children with physical impairments such as deafness and partial blindness, cerebral palsy, was initiated by teachers.

Living within the highly competitive capitalism educational system this is inevitable, with children competing for educational resources and attention from teachers. It follows that those with imperfections will be picked on, bullied and discouraged from participating in the educational system.

Our capitalist culture dictates to us, survival of the fittest, weak to the wall, and unfortunately physically and mentally imperfect children, will not survive and do not progress educationally or emotionally within the mainstream capitalist educational system.

It is only natural for teachers, from generations of stable,perfect, middle class homes and environments to discriminate against physically and mentally imperfect children and children from poverty stricken environments. It is human nature that teachers favour, assertive properous children from similar stable, perfect middle class environments over children with low self esteem due to poverty and , physicaly and mentally imperfect children with learning difficulties.

One mainstream teacher actually said 'autistic children were a drain and she had no time for them'.

Recently the government focused on anti-social behaviour by working class/poor youngsters, whilst turning a blind eye to vandalism and anti-social behaviour perpetrated by the middle class student population of the holylands in south belfast.

IT REALLY IS ONE LAW FOR THE RICH


http://www.indymedia.ie/article/79868

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