Parents weigh in on proposed changes to school inclusion in New Brunswick

Members of a parent panel on Information Morning Moncton say changes to the inclusion model proposed by former education minister Dominic Cardy might help students feel more included, but aren't perfect.

Last week Cardy raised alarms about inclusion in schools across the province, noting schools are "massively overstretched," leaving teachers without the resources to focus on children with disabilities and those with behavioural problems. 

Heather Chandler said the current inclusion model doesn't support her 10-year-old daughter, who is deaf.  

"I often call this the illusion of inclusion," Chandler said. "For deaf kids this is actually exclusionary." 

She said her daughter, who is in a regular classroom, is "socially and emotionally isolated from her peers on a daily basis," and comes home frustrated.

The current model doesn't provide her daughter opportunities for peer learning, including taking part in classroom discussions and social interactions with other students, said Chandler. 

She said she's advocating that her child be put in a classroom with other deaf children, but it hasn't happened. 

"I think it goes against their current model of inclusion right now because that to them is segregating," she said. 

Chandler said her daughter could be put in a class with other deaf children, and also with students who can hear, so they could all learn social and emotional skills from each other. 

In a dream world, Chandler said her daughter's classroom would have a deaf co-teacher and an interpreter. 

Panellist Clinton Davis said his kids don't feel like their teachers know how to support students with disabilities and don't have the resources to handle students with behavioural problems.

He said there are educational assistants in most of his children's classrooms, "but possibly not enough." 

"[Educational assistants] in the classroom, from my kids' perspective ... don't seem to know what to do or how to handle the kids or be able to be equipped with that," said Davis. 

He said his children find this lack of resources distracting, as they witness yelling and fighting in their classrooms. 

Cardy is recommending all students be included in the classroom until the issues of a single student impact learning for the rest of the class. 

The disruptive student could then be immediately removed from the classroom and dealt with in another area in the school. 

Chandler said the model recommended by Cardy "sounds wonderful on paper," but she doesn't see how it will fix the social isolation issue. 

Her daughter doesn't act out in her classroom and tends to hold in her anxiety the entire school day. 

"She's at a point now where she's pulling her hair out," said Chandler, "she's anxious and she's twirling her hair all day." 

So, under Cardy's recommended model, Chandler's daughter still would not receive support. 

"To me the idea of inclusion is the idea that all students feel welcomed, valued and respected regardless of their abilities," said Davis. 

"Whether they're acting out or whether they're internally imploding and having anxiety and not feeling comfortable … it's not working." 

Davis said he thinks that not providing students who need additional support the time to step away from their class and garner help could be contributing to isolation issues. 

He hopes the $30.8 million allocated to improve inclusion in schools will allow for enough resources so that all students can receive the support they need. 

"If kids, even without behavioural issues, are not feeling adequate in terms of their education, reading, competency skills, that could also lead to them not feeling included," said Davis. 

Weh-Ming Cho, whose daughter is in French immersion, said he thinks that model could be beneficial to students if it's presented properly. 

"I could think of no greater hellscape than being stuck with the same people all day, every day … it doesn't work in the office, it doesn't work in school, it doesn't work at home." 

Cho said allowing children the opportunity to be around new faces and receive additional support could provide them with a sense of relief, as long as it isn't perceived as a punishment.