Special Education Needs A Change, Starting With You

Disability Rights in Canada has evolved tremendously from where it started off, but still has a long way to go by society acting on these rights. In Canada, someone with a mental or physical disability has the right to live free from discrimination, quality of inclusion, enjoy the same quality of service, quality of education, and the same quality of life as every Canadian (Canadian Human Rights commision, 2014). The rights of the education of someone with special needs is not being met by having a quality and equal education of any Canadian. Some problems that are occuring in special education are the lack of support, accommodation, services, funding, bullying, and exclusion (Canadian Human Rights commision, 2014). Special needs students are not getting the same quality of education than other students because society doesn’t include students with special needs which leads to the lack of support they need.

A survey was conducted for students and parents to fill out their opinions and thoughts of special education and how special needs students are treated at school. 90% of the people said that students with disabilities aren’t included as much as they are in their school. 75% of students said they have seen a student with special needs bullied and 95% said that they are excluded at school. 70% of people said students with disabilities at school don’t have all the accommodations and support they need. Half said that students in their classes with special needs are not their full days. 95% of the people that had experienced having a special needs student in their class said that special needs students were sometimes or mostly out of class with their E.As. Out of the 95% of voters, 50% voted it was because they weren’t at the level to learn what they were learning in class. 5% voted because the special needs student was overwhelmed and 10% voted because they didn’t have enough support and help in their classroom. The other 35% voted it was all of the above. When asked if they think students with special needs have the same quality of education as them, 95% of the people said no. When asked why they voted no, all the surveyors said because they are excluded at school, they don’t have the support and accessables they need, and students with special needs aren’t able to learn what is being taught in class, therefore aren’t learning anything. The final question the survey asked was if the surveyors thought that special education needs to improve and 95% voted yes.

The statistics showed in the survey of how long a student with special needs go to school during the day, relates to the fact that there has been an increase in principles recommending a student with special needs stays home for at least part of the day (McGuigge, 2018). Out of 1200 principles surveyed in 2014, 48% of high school principles made the request with some saying it’s because of the lack of resources (Mcquigge, 2018). This has a strong correlation of the voters in the survey saying that special needs students lack the support and resources they need in their education. If society supported the needs of special needs students, this would be seen as a huge issue and they would have more than enough support given to them. The survey questions on special needs students being excluded has correlation with the statistic of 35% of people with disabilities in Canada report being avoided or excluded at school because of their disability. The result of special needs students not being included in school show that society is still excluding special needs students (Canadian Survey On Disabilities, 2012). Special needs students being excluded is giving the students a different experience at school in a negative matter than a regular student. Very similar statistic results are shown between special needs students being in the classroom. 37% of people with disabilities in Canada report taking fewer courses because of their disability (Canadian Human Rights commision, 2014). Another 11% of students with disabilities report ending their education early because of their disability (Canadian Human Rights commision, 2014). These statistics are showing that special needs students aren’t offered programs and support to make them succeed to their best ability in their education.

The survey conducted and developed was answered by students and parents. What could make the survey develop more of an accurate understanding of the problems in special education could be having parents with a student of special needs, special education staff, siblings of special needs students, and students that help in special needs classes. Many students and parents that answered the survey don’t have as much knowledge and understanding of what is happening in special education as ones that have experienced it. By people more involved in special education answering the survey, answers may be more accurate as answers are from experience through special education which they deal with daily.

If society included and made sure that people with special needs had the support they need for their different challenges and needs, the education of a student with special needs would be equal. Society affects everything, with what are major issues in the world, how one is looked upon, to how a person thinks. By excluding students with special needs, those students aren’t getting the same social experience to develop, grow, and have a positive outcome in school. School teaches you many things and lessons socially which special needs students are lacking. With exclusion comes lack of support with special needs students. People choose to resolve the issues of support by excluding the students. They do this by keeping the students home for part of a day, leaving class with an E.A, and shut out having different programs and support available for students who can’t learn the content being taught in a regular classroom. The rights of a person with special needs is not being met in education and society needs to come together to realize this is a major issue that needs to be resolved.