by Alan Watkins
In my days at school it was not unusual for the headmaster to wield a cane when someone stepped out of line.
It kept the rabble under his command in order and ensured that for most the lesson was learned in a way that was painful, but swiftly understood.
I was an ordinary, hyper child. Fortunately, I was also a coward. All it needed to control my misbehaviour was for me to know that he had the stick in his office.
We had a few “special children”. Pupils treated them with a mixture of care and toughness, while staff taught them with a degree of scepticism.
Something has happened in society since then. These days children with special needs have become a major cause for educational care. It is costly to care for them.
What has caused the explosion in the number of children suffering autism, ADHD and similar special needs is not clear. The genuine ones really do need support and help.
They frequently need their own transport (because some do not understand simple directions and safety, or are physically weak).
They need classroom care, covering everything from one-to-one support to basic cleanliness issues.
Specialist teaching assistants provide that support, and help to maintain peace when the child becomes excitable, over-awed or confused.
Today such care is under review. It costs millions to transfer Medway’s special needs children from home to school and back again.
It costs even more to have the specialists trained to provide the support, and to manage the individuals. One of the more go-ahead schools in Medway is now planning to get rid of the teaching assistants.
Delce Junior School’s head, Karen White, is concerned about the cost. Talking to her, she is also concerned about the school’s image, and its standing in the community.
She is also a lady on a mission.
She believes teachers will be able to plan ahead for Johnny’s trouser-wetting, Susan’s misbehaviour, and David wandering across the desktops.
The money Delce saves from getting rid of the 16 assistants will go towards the cost of four more teachers (the school is expanding just as the government is cutting its funding) and four support staff.
From my limited knowledge of the subject, I think a can of worms is about to open. Talk of close liaison with parents and pupils, of tackling problems before they reach the classroom, is fine.
But what happens if Johnny, David and Susan all misbehave at the same time? What about the teaching of the remaining 20 in the class?
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