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Prof. P. Bennett: Inclusief onderwijs moet dringend in vraag worden gesteld!
Teacher Stress: If Class Composition is the Problem, Is More Money the Answer? May 6, 2014 by Paul W. Bennett in Educahtters blog :
Abstract: Years ago, when the inclusion policy was introduced, it was a wonderful concept but it has never been fully funded and thats where a lot of the issues arise from, she sai...d.We dont have the proper materials and the funding is not there for the human resources that we need.
If class composition is the heart of the problem why beat around the bush? Whats so sacrosanct about the current Special Education model based upon inclusion for all in a one-size-fits all classroom system? Its time to ask whether inclusive education, implemented as a whole system approach, is either affordable or effective in meeting student needs along the full continuum of service.
The latest Canadian Teachers Federation (CTF) survey reveals that public education is in a sorry state and its impacting upon teacher effectiveness in the regular classroom. Over 90 per cent of the 8, 096 teachers surveyed online in February and March 2014, identified class composition as a source of work-related stress. In general, teachers feel they do not have adequate supports and services to address the broad range of special needs in their classrooms, CTF President Dianne Woloschuk stated upon release of the Work-Life Balance study.
TeacherStressCTF14Teachers certainly feel stressed -out even though public school enrollment, except in a few high growth school districts, is mostly in decline and more educational tax dollars are being spent to educate fewer school children. Their biggest concern is the changing composition of the regular classroom and, in particular, the constant demands to provide individualized support in that classroom for every type of special needs. Given those broad trends, making the case to spend more money to sustain the all-inclusive classroom model, especially after Grade 6, is difficult to fathom.
The CTF findings do point to a stressed-out teacher force and this is worrisome for those of us committed to improved education, sounder policies, and better schools. They also raise serious questions about the state of education and effectiveness of current policies. Here are the most glaring examples:
- meeting the individual needs of all special needs kids in an inclusive classroom is next to impossible;
three out of four educators cited interruptions to teaching by students;
student absenteeism concerns 71 per cent of teachers;
-over six out of ten reported challenges in dealing with students personal or health-related issues.
Special Education services have turned regular classroom teaching into a virtual paperwork ordeal. Lack of time to plan assessments with colleagues was reported as a stressor by 86 per cent of teachers surveyed, while 85 per cent indicated marking and grading as a source of stress. Other stressors include increased administrative-related work and outdated technology.
The five policy changes proposed by the CTF all involve pouring more money into the ailing school system. They appear, once again, in predictable fashion: lower class sizes, improve SE supports, expand prep time, reduce non-teaching tasks, and increase teaching resources. None of them, except possibly creating smaller classes, really address the fundamental problem class composition under the current inclusive education regime and the undercurrent of resistance to providing alternative special needs programs and expanding the range of specialized intensive support schools.
Given the daily classroom challenges and complex needs of todays kids, its fair to ask Is more money really the answer?
The CTF is a national political action organization, representing teachers unions, and claiming to speak for nearly 200,000 elementary and secondary educators from 17 organizations (15 Members, one Affiliate Member and one Associate Member), from coast to coast to coast. Most of the constituent union groups produce Teacher Stress studies on a regular basis, usually in advance of province-wide bargaining sessions.
Among regular teachers, especially in junior and senior high schools, inclusive education is widely seen as desirable but next to impossible to implement. It was invented and implemented over the past two decades, but never intended to accommodate the number of children now coded or designated for special education supports. Even though class sizes have been declining in most provinces, managing let alone teaching those classes has rarely been more of a challenge.
A recent report produced by the Ontario funding lobby group, People for Education, is not helpful at all. Its founder Annie Kidder and core membership support the status quo in the all inclusive classroom, constantly pushing for more money and more student supports for every conceivable classroom problem. Appointing a Special Education Ombudsman, as conceived by P4E, would only solidify the existing student supports regime.
The odd teacher union leader breaks the faith and speaks out-of-school. That happened again this week when Shelley Morse, President of the Nova Scotia Teachers Union, attempted to explain why more funding and supports were needed, once again. Years ago, when the inclusion policy was introduced, it was a wonderful concept but it has never been fully funded and thats where a lot of the issues arise from, she said.We dont have the proper materials and the funding is not there for the human resources that we need.
Teacher stress, real and perhaps embellished for effect, is a legitimate educational workplace issue. Yet the proposed policy changes advanced by Canadian teacher union advocates dont really address the elephant in the schoolhouse. If class composition is the heart of the problem why beat around the bush? Whats so sacrosanct about the current Special Education model based upon inclusion for all in a one-size-fits all classroom system? Its time to ask whether inclusive education, implemented as a whole system approach, is either affordable or effective in meeting student needs along the full continuum of service.
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