Teachers opt for pragmatic approach
One evening, my colleagues and I were allowed to enter the dorm building of the Fengcheng Special Education School in the city of Dandong, Liaoning province.
At one point, we were shooting some footage in a corridor when a teenage boy approached Jiang Ru, a teacher, and asked for a bath towel.
“Haven’t you got one already?” Jiang asked. “I lost it,” came the reply.
“All right, I’ll get you a new one on bath day,” Jiang said.
The student left, but returned shortly after and repeated his request. Jiang repeated what she had said just a while before. The student left, but then returned and said the same words again.
The scene “replayed” three times before Jiang gave in. The student attempted to dash away with the new towel.
“Excuse me, what are you supposed to say to me before leaving?” Jiang asked, running after him. “Thank you, Ms Jiang.”
This is common practice for Jiang and her colleagues: making use of small moments to help the students cultivate good behavior and habits.
Among some 2,200 special education schools nationwide, Fengcheng is by no means a shining star. What makes the school stand out, though, is the fact that most of its students are from the rural areas, where resources and people’s expectations of education are usually limited compared with those of urbanites.
That explains why some parents would rather leave their mentally disabled children at school for as long as possible.
Some refuse to send their children to school, even though the tuition and accommodations costs are covered by the government.
What is the use of special education, if the students never understand what they are taught?
“Special education does not necessarily prioritize intellectual development,” said Wang Guozhen, who has been teaching at the school for 26 years.
“But it can help people like my students behave properly through training and gradually help them differentiate right and wrong,” said Wang, the only male and one of the most senior head teachers in the school.
Wang cares more about the students’ progress in developing morals and a conscience.
He is never disappointed when a 17-year-old male student incorrectly says six multiplied by seven equals 48. However, he takes it seriously when the student gets angry at seeing his favorite female classmate play with other boys.
In such a situation, Wang cautiously talks with the student, trying to help him understand the meaning of showing respect to others.
Li Hong, 30, expects her students to be able to do the right thing in the right place through intensive training.
“It’s not possible to pull them out of their ‘inner world’, nor necessary to leave them behind. Let’s meet somewhere in the middle,” she said.