Stand by for a injection in to this section. I'm mulling over a verity of topics to mouth off about but if you've got any suggestion or would like to put you opinions up here permanently (as the discussion board is still not working!) thensend them in!

Special Education 

    My first topic to be put under the spotlight is whether those with special needs should be educated in dedicated schools or whether they should be integrated in to mainstream schools. Now I'm probably the best and worst person to give my opinion on this because, as you've probably read, I've been in special education and am now thoroughly loving mainstream. But that doesn't stop me... 

    One of the most obvious advantages of a special school is that it is usually intended to offer easy access. Those in wheelchairs or using other aids to help them with their mobility don't need to worry about getting to where they need or want to go. Students at a special school also have access to many more services to meet their needs. For instance, those requiring physiotherapy or speech therapy can have their needs met in school. These advantages apply mainly to the purely physical disabled student, and it is such students who can argue the case of mainstream of special education. Those with a mental disability will find it far harder, and in the majority of cases impossible, to gain advantage from mainstream education. It is for this reason that from now on, I will discuss this argument for physically disabled students.

    This help and ease which may be advantageous to some pupils, is also the root of the problems in later life for others. To phrase this another way, the protection which those in special education receive also protects them from the good, the bad and the ugly of the 'real' world. Students who have been in special education all of their school life find it extremely difficult to cope with the norms of the able-bodied society when they leave this safe environment. This means that even if they do attain the grades at their special school which would allow them to go on, they often do not do so because of immense emotional difficulty. This therefore leads on to the logical conclusion that special education can, for a percentage of disabled people, lead on to a limited future. 

    Whether or not they attain good grades or qualifications is also arguable. Because they are being taught in small classes, disabled students are often being educated alongside those who are at a lower and higher academic level. This results in everyone being taught at the most accessible level which often pulls the more able down and over-stretches the less able. The factor of fewer numbers means that those who are brighter may appear to be even brighter still because they have no one to challenge them and so get an incorrect impression of their abilities.

    In the mainstream environment there are many educational advantages compared to the special education environment. The higher number of students results in classes being split up by academic ability which is of advantage to all students as it offers an increased quantity and, more importantly, quality of fair competition. Another benefit of having more classmates is the opportunity for greater social interaction which helps in prepared disabled student for later life.

    However, a special school offers to those who may already have problems with their disabled status, a chance to relieve themselves of such problems. The fact that every single pupil at a special school has one common denominator - a disability of some description - means that they need not worry about ‘being disabled’. 

    I feel that although the positive and negative aspects of both special and mainstream education can be clearly put forward, no definite decision can be made as to which is ‘best’. In my opinion, and from the evidence above, it must be concluded that those who are academically able to attend a mainstream school (at any level within that school) must also ask themselves whether they are emotionally able to attend a mainstream school. If the answer to both of these questions is 'yes' then a mainstream school is almost certainly the right direction for that person to take. The academic and social advantages offered by a mainstream school far outweigh the advantages of a special school. If, however, a person is not able to cope with the demands of mainstream education then a special school is there to serve their purpose. Ultimately, it is a very individual solution to a complex question.

Therapy & Operations 

    Sorry for going on a bit with the one above - I'll keep this one shorter! A problem that is faced by a lot of young people with Cerebral Palsy is whether or not to try as hard as they can to improve their physical condition. The problem lies in the fact that to devote yourself to a physical regime takes a lot of sacrifice and devotion, just like weight loss or body building. And sometimes the sacrifices are just too great. 

    I was approached a few years ago by my school doctor who asked me whether I'd consider having an operation to straighten my legs. Because I spend a lot of time with my legs bent, the muscles behind the knee have contracted which prevents my legs straightening completely. This operation would cut these muscles, allowing the legs to straighten, and then re-grow in the new position. This would have obvious benefits - being able to stand straight would make walking a few steps much easier and physiotherapy could be much more successful. However, it would also have downfalls. 

    The main problem with going through this kind of operation is the physiotherapy that would be required afterwards (this also applies to purely therapy-based treatments). I don't mean this in a 'I'm too lazy' sense, I mean in a time/effort-based sense. The amount of effort and dedication needed to make this kind of treatment a success would take up many hours in the day and could last for months, years, even the remainder of your life to make it effective and worth while and even then there are no guarantees. For a person who is trying to complete their education, this is simply not possible. Also, for someone who perhaps has a good social life or who mixes with others easily, this kind of treatment would have a great effect on their chance to maintain such interactions. What I am trying to get at is if someone is happy with their life, even with an extensive physical disability, this is a lot more than some people without such problems are able to say. If a person with any disability which is treatable through extensive surgery feels that they would benefit more by losing time and opportunities to complete such a task, then I say they should go for it and admire them for being able to put such effort in to a single goal. Again, like the point above, it is a very personal decision which must be made after much thought, and I hope what I have said may help in reaching the best decision.

    So there are a few issues for you to think about - I'm sure you'll have many opinions on the same issues and on many other issues. I will add other pieces to this section in the future but if you wish to comment on what I have said above privately, then please write to site_mail@softley.co.uk. 

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