Additional support needs policy in Scotland: challenging or reinforcing social inequality?

ABSTRACT

This paper focuses on Scottish policy on additional support needs and its material outcomes. The central question addressed is the extent to which the Scottish additional support needs system undermines or reinforces existing social and economic inequalities. Administrative data highlight the inflation of the additional support needs category, particularly in relation to non-normative sub-categories such as social, emotional and behavioural difficulties which are strongly associated with social deprivation. Strategies in navigating the additional support needs system by families from different social class backgrounds are illustrated through short vignettes. The paper concludes with a discussion of the way in which sociological theory may help us to understand recent developments in Scottish additional support needs policy and practice. It is argued that the expansion of the umbrella category of additional support needs has been accompanied by an intensification of its association with social class, particularly in relation to categories which carry high levels of social stigma.     

Approaches to dispute resolution in additional support needs in Scotland

The Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004 aimed, among other things, to increase parents’ rights in relation to the education of their children. In addition to the creation of the Additional Supports Needs Tribunals for Scotland, parents were given new rights to challenge local authority decisions through mediation and independent adjudication. In line with the wider social policy thrust of encouraging proportionate dispute resolution, low‐level resolution of disputes at school and local authority level was also encouraged. This paper uses key informant interviews to explore the views of new dispute resolution arrangements, and whether the balance of power has indeed tipped in favour of parents. Local education authority officers expressed some concerns about the new measures, and were particularly critical of the tribunal on the grounds that it was expensive and stressful, although the role it might play in tightening up procedures was also recognised. Advocacy groups and parents’ organisations, on the other hand, welcomed the new measures but were concerned about the rules restricting access to the tribunal and the fact that the outcome of mediation and adjudications were not legally binding. They were also concerned about limited access to information and advocacy. Overall, key informants believed that the new measures had advanced parents’ rights to some extent, although further changes were needed to achieve a radical shift away from the post‐war dominance of bureaucracy and professionalism in Scotland.     

Reforming special education in Scotland: tensions between discourses of professionalism and rights

In 2001, the (then) Scottish Executive embarked on a process of reform of the SEN framework in Scotland. This paper analyses negotiations between different social actors, principally local authority staff and parents, in the formation of the legislation and its subsequent enactment. Data are drawn from an analysis of responses to consultations, official statistics and parent and local authority staff perceptions of the reforms as revealed in questionnaire surveys. It is argued that policy frameworks based on professionalism and bureaucracy have tended to dominate in Scotland, with a rights framework emerging much more recently. The legislation attempts to strike a balance between the different actors, although, in implementing the legislation, local authorities have sought to neutralise aspects which they felt tipped the balance of power too far in favour of parents. Parents have responded by campaigning as citizen‐consumers, and appear to be having a growing influence on Government.     

Parents,professionals and social welfare models: the implementation of the Education (Scotland) Act 1981

ABSTRACT

This paper examines the effect of the Education (Scotland) Act, 1981, in terms of one of its aims, that is, to increase parental control over assessment, recording and placement of children with special educational needs. Kirp (1982) has argued that British provision for children with special educational needs reflects a social welfare model based on a belief in professional benevolence and expertise. This is in contrast with the United States, where a human rights model of social welfare prevails. Kirp's account is critically examined through an analysis of the legislation and guidance literature, and also data gathered from interviews with professionals and parents.

It is concluded that data do exist to support Kirp's argument. The legislation did not radically increase parents’ rights, and professionals themselves retained control through failing to provide parents with adequate information, often excluding them from multi‐disciplinary meetings and omitting to foster the involvement of voluntary organisations and Named Persons.     

Counselling and the Global Agenda to Eradicate Poverty: What Framework to Apply for Multicultural Understanding and Interpretation?

Counselling has a place in shaping responses to the international mandate for poverty eradication. Counselling can influence categories of actors directly, or indirectly through the counselling posture; help explicate the cultural context, perception and basis for eradication of poverty; and serve to motivate and inform normative responses to global poverty. Two major frameworks for poverty eradication can be viewed from a counselling perspective. Social development underscores the normative approach to poverty reduction, accounting for cultural specificity. The human rights perspective underscores universal aspects of poverty eradication goals. Social development leads to an uneven spread of social development objectives and human rights to their levelling across countries and cultures.     

School Characteristics,Child Work,and Other Daily Activities as Sleep Deficit Predictors in Adolescents from Households with Unsatisfied Basic Needs

Sleep in adolescents has been shown to be an important factor when looking at physical, mental, and social well‐being. Little evidence is found regarding sleep patterns in adolescents from households facing extreme poverty, where conditions such as crowding, poor housing, sanitation or education, and precarious employment set an adverse environment for sleep. In this study, we sought to assess in a nationwide sample comprised of 1,682 adolescents from Argentina, how the presence of extreme poverty—as defined by the presence of unsatisfied basic needs (UBN)—affects the relationship of sleep duration with school, work, and other daily activities. A global high prevalence of short sleeping time, a slight increase of sleep time in adolescents with UBN, and different patterns of wake activities that predict sleep deficit, depending on the presence of UBN, were found. The poor academic achievement, increased risk of accidents, and adverse health outcomes associated with sleep deprivation support the view that sleep is an additional unsatisfied basic need that worsens living conditions at this age. The results may help to design public health policies that contribute to ameliorate this adverse situation.     

弱势群体社会权利保障的法理分析

弱势群体一般处于社会底层,经济贫困和权利贫困是弱势群体的特征,经济贫困是权利贫困的折射和反映,权利贫困是经济贫困的原因和根源。社会权利是人权的一项重要内容,其本质是维护公民最基本的生存和发展。无论是基于人权保护、人道主义原则,还是基于社会公正追求、社会和谐建设,弱势群体同其他社会成员一样享有保障个人生存和发展所必需的社会权利。     

The biggest extension of rights in Europe? Needs,rights and children with additional support needs in Scotland

ABSTRACT

The Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004 boosted the rights of parents of children with additional support needs (ASN) by improving access to information, instituting a Code of Practice and establishing new redress mechanisms such as the ASN Tribunal and independent mediation. More than a decade later, Scottish legislation enacted in 2016 and implemented in 2018 attempted to increase children’s rights, broadly placing them on a par with those of parents and young people. This paper draws on data from an ESRC project entitled Autonomy, Rights and Children with Special Needs: A New Paradigm? (ES/P002641/1). Analysis of Scottish Government policy and legislation, key informant interviews and official statistics are used to examine the extent to which the new rights are likely to be realised in practice, given the complexity of the legislation and competition between discourses of needs, broadly synonymous with the wellbeing agenda and rights. The paper concludes with a discussion of the lessons which may be learnt from the Scottish experience, which will be of interest to an international audience.     

我国社会权利贫困的制度因素分析

权利贫困是指权利享受不足的状态,具体表现为由于制度因素所造成的对社会上的部分人群在政治、经济、社会和文化权利等方面的限制和歧视所导致的生活贫困。我国社会权利贫困不仅"面"大,而且程度也比较深。造成个人或群体权利受损、权利贫困的真正原因,在于制度安排、制度缺失、制度的不完善等制度因素。     

Young children's ideas about the nature, causes, justification, and alleviation of poverty

Sixty-four 8-year-old boys and girls from urban and rural settings and representing different races and socioeconomic status backgrounds responded to questions about the nature, causes, justification, and alleviation of poverty. Much of what the children said indicated that they had not yet internalized prevailing adult norms and values about the poor in our society. A substantial proportion spoke in ways suggesting forces apart from the individual as causing poverty. Nearly all believed that poverty was not fair. Justifications offered by the children included disavowing economic inequality, or speaking in terms of basic needs or what should or ought to be. A majority mentioned philanthropy or societal change as a way to end poverty. Findings also lend support to the claim of social representations theory that concepts vary as a function of social factors. Future research should employ a design that acknowledges interacting variables to investigate systems of meaning in children's understandings about poverty.     

Perspectives of SENCos and support staff in England on their roles,relationships and capacity to support inclusive practice for students with behavioural emotional and social difficulties

With teachers under pressure to meet curriculum targets, responsibility for including students with behavioural emotional and social difficulties (BESD) in mainstream schools falls heavily on non‐teaching staff. In this article, semi‐structured interviews were conducted with special educational needs coordinators (SENCos) and support staff in a small sample of secondary education settings in England, to examine their perceptions of their role, their relationships with students with BESD and their parents and their ability to facilitate inclusive practice. Despite both SENCo and support staff roles having been regarded as low‐status roles in the past, findings reported here depict a set of highly skilled workers crucial to the inclusion of students with BESD. Through the creation of a nurturing environment combined with caring attitudes and accessibility, these staff were able to form positive relationships with these students and their parents. Implications regarding staffing, resources and inclusion are further discussed.     

完善社会保障法制化建设的思考

社会保障法制化对完善市场经济、维护社会稳定和国家长治久安、实现人权等方面有着重要的意义。目前我国在社会保障法制建设中存在着立法滞后、立法层次低、权威性和稳定性不足、缺乏必要的法律责任制度、法律实施机制较为薄弱等方面的问题。加快完善社会保障法体系、社会保障资金筹资方式的法定化、解决好各法律部门的相互配套衔接问题以及加强社会保障执法力度等是实现社会保障法制化的重要途径。     

《经济、社会和文化权利国际公约》与中国儿童权利保护

对儿童权利的保护是《经济、社会与文化权利公约》的重要内容，我国政府于1997年签署了该公约，目前国内已基本建立了儿童权利的立法保护体系，司法及执行保护体系也正在逐步完善与健全。但现状却另人堪忧，本文指出：切实地保护儿童的权利，首先应树立正确的儿童观，澄清儿童权利保护的理论误区，在此基础上逐步建立与完善包括监护制度、扶养制度、亲权制度等在内的儿童权利保障机制。     

Towards Inclusion? Models of Behaviour Support in Secondary Schools in One Education Authority in Scotland

This article draws on data emerging from an evaluation of behaviour support strategies in secondary schools in an education authority in Scotland. The authors all work at the University of Glasgow. Jean Kane has research and teaching interests in the area of special educational needs; she offers consultancy to local authorities in the development of inclusive policies and practices in schools. Dr George Head has research and teaching interests in the area of social, emotional and behavioural difficulties and social inclusion; he is also an experienced teacher. Both Jean Kane and George Head are lecturers in the Faculty of Education. Nicola Cogan is a researcher at the Strathclyde Centre for Disability Research and has a background as a research psychologist in the health sector.
In Scotland, the growth of behaviour support provision is closely related to broader policy on social inclusion. It is argued in this article that new models of behaviour support can be developed in the light of previous and related experience in the development of inclusive support systems in schools. The authors present a typology of behaviour support, drawing upon their evaluation of provision, and discuss the characteristics of the types of support that emerge. Using data from exclusion statistics, pupil case studies and interviews with teachers, managers, pupils and parents, Jean Kane, George Head and Nicola Cogan explore the implications of their work for future developments in support for pupils who present difficult behaviours.     

贫困代际传递阻断路径探建:基于积极心理学的早期家庭教育支持系统

深入贫困现象内部,关注致贫精神因素,探寻贫困内在机理,这是阻断贫困代际传递的关键。为了使家庭教育因素在阻断贫困代际传递中发挥扶贫、扶智的积极作用,早期家庭教育支持系统将教育精准扶贫的触角延伸到贫困家庭,以提升心理生活质量、适应心理文化环境、关注“积极影响”的积极心理学思想为理论支撑,目标是通过心理环境调整和心理生活优化,提升贫困家庭家长的心理生活质量,打造智慧型、公德观、幸福态和高质度家庭。早期家庭教育支持系统以心理生活质量为主轴,从三个维度上作出整体部署:第一,以能力—智慧为核心的积极个性特征心理资源供给,包括家庭教养理念、家庭教育能力和自我发展能力;第二,以道德—责任为核心的积极社会组织系统心性修养濡染,包括指向公民道德规范的政策舆论宣传、指向个体社会责任感的利他行为促进和指向良好村社关系的文化氛围营造;第三,以幸福—希望为核心的健康心理生活和谐体验,包括关注贫困家庭家长的高层次需要、帮助贫困家庭家长获得心理调适方法和促成贫困家庭家长的心理和谐体验。     

社会排斥与社会和谐

"社会排斥"是当今国际社会研究社会问题所用的核心概念之一,它主要围绕解决弱势群体的贫困、失业、社会权利的剥夺等窘迫境遇而展开。"社会和谐"是我国目前致力于追求的目标,与社会排斥理论向往的境界不谋而合。实现"社会和谐",需要我们从政治、经济、文化等多方面努力创造消除社会排斥的制度环境,竭力避免强势集团操纵权力,全面提高弱势群体的参与度,并开放整个社会系统,促进社会各阶层及社会资源的合理流动。     

对见义勇为统一立法的反思

目前实践中大量出现的见义勇为者合法权益得不到充分保障的问题并不是我国立法的缺失所致。见义勇为者权益保障是复杂的社会问题,未必能通过统一立法得到有效解决,且对见义勇为统一立法还存在操作性困境。因此,在我国统一制定见义勇为法既无必要性也缺乏可行性。     

Time to confront Willis’s lads with a ballet class? A case study of educational orthodoxy and white working‐class boys

This is a retrospective study tracing the longer term effects on identity and aspiration of white working‐class boys from an area of high social deprivation. The boys were members of an acclaimed boys’ dance company and have been retrospectively interviewed as young men in their twenties. Documentary and film material dating from the time they were 14 year olds and the film Billy Elliot were used in the interviews. A media discourse driven by a view of boys ‘in crisis’ that is blind to social class and the difficulties faced by some girls was uncovered. This is found to pervade the entire Billy Elliot discourse, which focused on the sensation of a boy performing ballet rather than on the class background and historical context of the miners’ dispute. The paper questions the discourse of laddishness and the social identity that is attached to the term ‘lad’.     

彝区传统纠纷解决机制权威性问题考察

四川彝区传统的纠纷解决机制具有较高的权威性而为当地居民所接受,表面上,其权威性来源于德古、苏易个人的魅力和权威以及纠纷解决的过程和技术,但彝族家支共同体分享的伦理道德观、宗教信仰等社区价值以及共同的经济生活是其深层社会根源.     

Choosing a secondary school for young people on the autism spectrum: a multi-informant study

Deciding on a secondary school for children with autism is notoriously difficult for parents. While current UK legislation emphasises the choice that parents of children with special educational needs should have in educational decision-making, there is a dearth of research in this area, which means that little is known about how parents come to make decisions about secondary school placements and the types of support, if any, they receive from professionals. The present study aimed to determine the factors that immediately influence secondary school choice for young people with autism in one London local authority from the perspectives of multiple informants. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with parents of children with autism (n?=?7), young people themselves prior to secondary school entry (n?=?6), parent advisors (n?=?5) and secondary school professionals (n?=?5). Parents emphasised the anxiety and burden of the decision-making process. There was, however, substantial agreement among adult groups on the factors necessary for a successful secondary school placement: a nurturing, flexible and inclusive environment that emphasised both academic and life skills. Few adults, however, mentioned the importance of children's social relationships – a factor that featured prominently in the reports of young people. These findings highlight both the different perceptions of those involved in making decisions about the educational placements of children with autism and the challenges associated with weighing up these potentially conflicting perspectives. More work is needed to ensure both that information is transparent and accessible to all parents and that young people are actively involved in decisions that ultimately affect their lives.