Special needs pupils

• howard mcsweeney1

  • Location: Dover
  • Registered: 12 Mar 2008
  • Posts: 62,352
  5 May 2012     09:56170420
  #1      
  rather a worrying with some parents and schools not coming out well.
  
  
  http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2139761/Bad-diets-late-bedtimes-Experts-blame-poor-parenting-surge-special-needs.html
• Guest 683

  • Registered: 11 Feb 2009
  • Posts: 1,052
  5 May 2012     10:26170422
  #2      
  Thank goodness for The Daily Mail. Today's world class expose is the news that an 'astonishing FIFTH of primary pupils are now classed as having 'special needs'.
  This level of investigative journalism is what marks our press out in a world full of lazy, cynical...........oh, what's this?.......Mary Warnock, IN 1978 (!!!!!), said that 20% of the school population could have special educational needs!!
  
  But a responsible, national newspaper would not print such a story without strong scientific research to support it would they? They back up their astonishing, ground breaking claims with a quote from..er.....'an experienced teacher of children with special needs'.
  
  
• Bern

  • Location: Dover
  5 May 2012     10:42170428
  #3      
  Gotta Love 'em.
• Brian Dixon

  • Location: Dover
  • Registered: 23 Sep 2008
  • Posts: 23,940
  5 May 2012     10:46170429
  #4      
  or hate them.
• Guest 725

  • Registered: 7 Oct 2011
  • Posts: 1,418
  5 May 2012     13:47170451
  #5      
  Talk about shooting the messenger. People's prejudice towards the Mail is an old perennial wheeled out when something they report doesn't quite meet expectations. Had the Guardian reported this may well have not had the reaction here.
  If the figures are to be believed then it's quite shocking really. Jean Gross is a champion of the cause to better the circumstances of children but strangely enough reading the reaction on sites such as mumsnet and other parenting sites the reaction to her views are to say the least rather scathing.
  Remember we are all dependent on the next generation for our fortunes and if something is wrong it is vital that things are done to address those wrongs.
  Sticking heads in the sand because one doesn't like the views of someone such as Jean Gross is dangerous and totally self defeating.
• Guest 710

  • Registered: 28 Feb 2011
  • Posts: 6,950
  5 May 2012     14:21170453
  #6      
  I am not sure about any prejudice, but mistrust there certainly is...
  
  "When Lord Northcliffe, died in August, 1922, the Daily Mail newspaper was taken over by Lord Rothermere.
  
  Rothermere became increasingly nationalistic in his political views and in 1929 joined with Lord Beaverbrook to form the United Empire Party. Rothermere urged the Conservative Party to remove its leader, Stanley Baldwin, and replace him with Beaverbrook. He also argued for a reform of the House of Lords to make it possible for peers to be elected to the House of Commons. This dispute divided conservative voters and this enabled the Labour Party to win the 1929 General Election.
  
  Lord Rothermere disposed of his shares in the Daily Mirror in 1931. He now concentrated on the Daily Mail. In the 1930s Rothermere moved further to the right and gave support to Oswald Mosley and the National Union of Fascists. He also had several meetings with Adolf Hitler and argued that the Nazi leader desired peace.
  
  Rothermere and his newspapers supported Neville Chamberlain and his policy of appeasement. He was therefore devastated when war broke out between Britain and Germany in 1939. Lord Rothermere died on 27th November, 1940. "
  From...
  http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/Jmail.htm
  
  But, who here on the forum would argue against newspapers or Government setting standards for:diets,bed times, curtailed TV broadcast hours and censored programme content and strictly regulated advertising?
  Ignorance is bliss, bliss is happiness, I am happy...to draw your attention to the possible connectivity in the foregoing.
• Bern

  • Location: Dover
  5 May 2012     14:31170456
  #7      
  #5. It is perfectly possible to take the p1$$ without actually dismissing something. The Mail is, of course, wheeling out old stats, but the underlying issue is serious. However, it is important to take a view in context. There have always been rubbish parents and out of control kids, crime, and abuse. We are simply compiling better stats these days.
• Guest 683

  • Registered: 11 Feb 2009
  • Posts: 1,052
  6 May 2012     09:40170594
  #8      
  Phillip
  "Sticking heads in the sand because one doesn't like the views of someone such as Jean Gross is dangerous and totally self defeating".
  I couldn't agree more. The newspaper seems to have buried its head so far (in the sand or elsewhere) that it completely overlooked views such as:
  
  England's communication tsar Jean Gross said the public understanding of children's communication difficulties remained worryingly low.
  
  "The automatic response seems to be to blame parents or technology. This just isn't right. We need to clear up the confusion and myths that exist around the subject."
• howard mcsweeney1

  • Location: Dover
  • Registered: 12 Mar 2008
  • Posts: 62,352
  6 May 2012     10:08170609
  #9      
  my reading of the report is that some schools are classifying some children as "special neeeds" when they or not so that it makes their overall results look better, which is very worrying if true.