Analysis of how & why I formed my view about one issue to do with Essay

Analysis of how & why I formed my view about one issue to do with equality - Essay Example Although there are provisions that would benefit learners with disability, the move for equality in education did not quite reach the expectations of the disabled people and their families especially in the equal distribution of quality education, specifically on adjusted treatment of teachers and peer acceptance and government assistance. Prevalence of Disabled People in Education in the United Kingdom Quality education remains to be one of the existing challenges for learners with special needs. Chapter 3 of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) monitoring paper explores the international perspective of the problem and contends that present educational systems failed to address the needs of the marginalized, especially for the disabled, of quality education (UNESCO, 2010). In the United Kingdom, the Department for Education initiated the SEN or the Special Education Needs to meet a diverse population of disabled people. Between the y ears 2005 and 2006, the population of learners with disability rose considerably, where a 6% raise was recorded by the Office for Disability Issues. Although the record is already relatively high, this is not enough to conclude that discrimination among these people does not exist. As what Barnes (1991, p. 28) argues, discrimination against the disabled people is a fact in the present educational system. Discrimination against Disabled People in Education A common thought persists that education is supposed to be an area in which people can be equal regardless of their status, gender, or abilities, that individuals have the right to achieve educational success; however, this might just be the contrary to what the real scenario suggests. Discrimination, especially for the disabled individuals is prevalent at any educational levels despite the laws forbidding it. Tracing the history of education in the United Kingdom, it is clear that the disabled population were the least of the conc erns of the government. In the book by Barnes (1991, p. 29), it is stated that the Education Act of 1944 upheld â€Å"equality of education† for all its citizens but â€Å"the idea of equality, however, did not extend to children with impairments.† The idea brings the thought that mainstream education was at the time an absolute standard. The ‘equality for all in education’ scheme called for segregation of disabled and ‘subnormal’ learners from the normal learning class. Fortunately, the Education Act of 1981 provided broader opportunities for children with special needs. Not only that the provision guided the disabled people for better and broader educational opportunities but also emphasized the roles of some professions, directly or indirectly helping special children (Barnes, 1991, p. 34). Through inclusion system, the disabled individual is provided an opportunity to be involved in the mainstream classroom. Educational inclusion is an â⠂¬Å"action to remove barriers to participation in learning† (Anon., n.d.), which follows that learners with impairments are actually included in the standard classrooms. This would provide them the chance to interact with ‘normal’ learners, and serve as a practice for future involvement in the workforce. This may be a sound goal for the Department for Education but Abrams (2004) did not believe that