Two teachers did not report, why the inclusion in Germany is working properly. Lisa Schiller* (*not her real Name. Changed), 52, is a special education teacher at an elementary school in Westphalia. Kerstin Ruth schroer, 41 years old, is an elementary school teacher. Both are engaged in the Association for education VBE and are faced as consultants with many of the problems of inclusion.
Mrs Schiller, ten years ago, Germany, the UN joined disability rights Convention. So, we have committed ourselves, the disabled and non-disabled children together to teach. What is wrong with this goal?
Lisa Schiller: Nothing! I think the goal is absolutely right and I think many teachers feel the same way. But the way we go, at least here in NRW, it is not a good one. The former red-green government has implemented the inclusion of the crowbar. Special schools were distributed in closed, the children in the mainstream schools, without they were prepared for it. It starts with such seemingly simple things such as accessibility for Wheelchairs, which was not given.
You are a special education teacher and have taught for a long time at special schools for disabled children. What is the need to develop well?
Schiller: I always had to help the dream of children who do not have it so easy with the Learn to. These children constantly get mirrored: ‘I can’s not as good as the others’, ‘I’m never the First’. Below, you suffer. When I studied at the University of special education, I have disabled myself to Learning and hearing-impaired pedagogy specialized. What all these children need is a close bond, a lot of time and intensive contact.
Were you able to implement your dream in everyday life?
Schiller: I taught at a school for the hearing impaired, as the conditions were almost ideal. Very small groups with eight to twelve children, thanks to well-insulated Ceilings and carpeted floors, it was also quiet. But of course, the children remained among themselves, they were not integrated, had little contact with other children.
How do you see the Situation today?
Schiller: teachers report that they teach in classes with 27 children, of which 9 children have a need to support, are so learning-disabled, mentally disabled, or emotionally-socially awkward. Aggressive, loud, loyalty, dependent incapable of the one, very cautious, and to help the others. Often I am scared also in my class, because I realize: you talk too fast, have too high a Tempo, you’re not a special education teacher more.
Why can’t you allow more time?
Schiller: The main problem is that we have too little personnel. We are special educators often like salesmen on the road. A few colleagues to teach to their old special-needs schools and are always seconded to more and more elementary schools or there. There are also special education teachers, to all children with special needs in a primary school responsible. The children who need so urgently time, and close contact, you see maybe one hour per week.
Kerstin Ruth schroer: I consult for the Association of education and many colleagues, and consistently report that the emotional-social-eye-catching children make to create the most. Of course we all know that there are good reasons why these kids freak out, why you are angry or lashing. Conditions often come from difficult family are traumatized. You have to meet. In the former special schools for these children there was twice occupied by Teams of teachers and therapists, or social workers, because they were separately funded. The group sizes are the Class sizes in primary schools are not comparable. But in the mainstream schools, the ladies usually stand alone in front of the class. And then have to do with children, they insult, spit at, with chairs after them, throwing over tables race. A Boy rammed his head into the belly of a pregnant colleague. Another stabbed his fingers into the eyes of a classmate. Cigarettes, drugs, even so, we are faced in primary school.
What are you doing?
Ruth schroer: First, the students and protect yourself. I’m going to send two students to the Secretariat, which is hopefully occupied, and leave to get help. Or in a neighboring class, I know that you can work for a short Moment alone, so that I can support the teacher of the class. Most of the time it helps a child disengages from the Situation to take out, to give him rest. It is important that these children remain under the supervision, in order to hurt themselves and others, or even run away. But since we are teaching alone, is the not-so-simple and sometimes not feasible.
Schiller: We had an extreme case, a Boy who came with a knife in the school and classmates has threatened. He is gone. Then I’ll call the police. The brings him home.
How to get clear, as a teacher with such a Situation?
Schiller: I already have many years of experience and can partially compensate quite well, I know how to organize the help or a Situation calm. But it also gave me a point because I have denied myself inwardly, and said: In this class, I won’t go in, because I teach.
Ruth schroer: especially for the young colleagues, it is very stressful. And even in the case of very experienced teachers, something that is not supposed to happen happens. You lose control, shouting at the children or, in exceptional cases, grip. Sometimes it’s pure self-defense. But of course this is wrong. The colleagues also know. You are desperate.
There is money to Fund integration aides. The provide no relief?
Schiller: Yes, for children who do not come alone, by teaching, there is the opportunity to provide you with someone to the page. However, it is not easy to get this help. The applications for this are very complex, as medical, psychiatric, social opinion must be obtained. This will take a year. And, even at extremely eye-catching to children, it is that the application will be rejected. And every six months he needs to be re-checked, even in the case of mentally disabled children, where no fundamental changes are to be expected.
The failure of the inclusion in Germany?
Ruth schroer: no, but it is at a standstill.
Schiller: we Say thus: That it is not a failure, is the commitment of the colleagues, who are convinced of the correctness of the inclusion. But a new perspective is missing. The schools are left alone. No one is willing to take the necessary money in the Hand. We do not hear from some of our sponsored children, that they come to secondary school, clearly, and finally back to the special school. Make there is also good stuff. But the children are not integrated then. They keep to themselves.
We have spoken so far only of problems. There are also experiences of success?
Schiller: Yes, definitely! The achievements of the weaker children are better than on the special-needs school, you will learn more and benefit from the common teaching. And the fit kids are also making important experiences: tolerance, for example, consideration for others, their language skills will be encouraged, because we ask you to help the weak children and to explain about a math task. And it is quite obvious that to stop the rolling drivers door and pushes. The social recognition is important. We had a learning-disabled boy who was in the fourth grade, only with difficulty to ten. But he was a super footballer, had a pleasant temperament, the children liked him and he was always chosen as the first in the teams. The want to be experience each child: first.
What it needs, so that disabled and non-disabled people learn easily with each other and life?
Schiller: Long before “inclusion” became the official political objective, I was allowed to make the common lessons with a primary school colleague. Like many other primary schools, a primary school established and a special education teacher had in common needs of a class with 24 children, about four to six of them a conveyor. We were almost always together, have prepared the lessons together and for the children of very different tasks developed, depending on the level of performance.
Have not bored the one candidate out there?
Schiller: no, we gave them more difficult tasks and required. The super delivery. If inclusion is to be successful, then there must be plenty of powerful children in a class. And in the case of some children with special needs, we have told you then: no, not up to it at the school, which can develop in the special school is better. Today, the parents decide alone. And to say it is almost frowned upon, that a child may not be repealed so well in a mainstream school. The whole climate is more ideological than in the past, less pragmatic.
