Education system needs an overhaul

Re: “Schools abandoned effective programs,” letter, June 15. This was an excellent letter. Many of the children who entered and progressed through the “special” programs designed to meet their needs were able to enter college or university. Others learned key skills for functioning in today’s communities. More importantly, many developed the confidence and self esteem necessary for life long learning.

Some “special” kids do thrive in the regular classroom, but thorough testing and observation is needed to determine if there is a negative impact. As a teacher, I welcomed parents and caregivers into my classes. It was not an invitation that many acted upon.

Often, not always, the most disruptive children were not those designated as having special needs. Many of the “special” children I taught were quiet but obviously not thriving. They were unhappy, with low selfesteem, because they were aware of the disparity between what they could do versus those around them. Many of the behaviorally challenged kids no longer received the “special” designation (with its attendant teaching assistant), as the bar was raised to save money.

It is a system that needs reviewing and overhauling with a no-nonsense perspective, not a “utopian” one. We continue to revert to a 19th-century model because that’s what we, as adults, are familiar with, but the world, children and learning have evolved. Education needs to up its game. Sally Barker Victoria