Delight at the closure of deaf support centre

Miss-Delectable

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Delight at the closure of deaf support centre - News Guardian

COUNCILLORS have expressed their delight at closing a deaf support centre – as it means all the youngsters on the books have been integrated into mainstream schools.

Four years ago there were 16 pupils on the books of Monkhouse Deaf Support Centre, based in Monkhouse Primary School in North Shields, but that has fallen to just one child this year.

And North Tyneside Council's cabinet were told at their meeting last week that the pupil will be transferred to another school by the end of the school year, leaving the centre empty.

As a result, members agreed to close the centre from September and transfer all staff to a similar facility at Marden High School.

Coun Norma Redfearn, cabinet member for children, young people and learning, said: "It has been our ambition to integrate as many children as possible from the centre into mainstream schooling.

"At this point in time there is one child at the centre, all the others have been integrated.

"I would just like to say 'well done' to all the staff there.

"We want to close it from September as all the children will have gone and keeping it open would not be value for money.

"It really is good news to have all those pupils in mainstream schools and know the staff who will be involved in the cutbacks will help at Marden High."
 
As usual, it is all about money not about meeting these children's needs.
 
Yeah, and the integration is so token. Just b/c the students are in mainstream classes, it doesn't mean that they ARE doing well...........grrrrrrrrrrrr............
 
Yeah, and the integration is so token. Just b/c the students are in mainstream classes, it doesn't mean that they ARE doing well...........grrrrrrrrrrrr............

Exactly, dd. Just sticking them in a mainstream class does not equal integration. At least not in my book.
 
Yeah, and the integration is so token. Just b/c the students are in mainstream classes, it doesn't mean that they ARE doing well...........grrrrrrrrrrrr............
Would you rather that they be placed in a Varying Exceptionalities (VE) classrooms? (For those who don't know, they're self-contained classrooms populated by students having the same disability, i.e., a Deaf classroom. And as you can infer from my tone, I'm admittedly not much of a fan of VE classrooms.)
 
Would you rather that they be placed in a Varying Exceptionalities (VE) classrooms? (For those who don't know, they're self-contained classrooms populated by students having the same disability, i.e., a Deaf classroom. And as you can infer from my tone, I'm admittedly not much of a fan of VE classrooms.)

If mainstreaming means going without accommodations that ensure access, as well as the programs necessary to faccilitate social integration with the majority student population, then, yeah. Mainstreaming in theory sounds like a wonderful opportunity for the deaf student. Mainstreaming in practice leaves much to be desired.
 
Cousin Vinny,
I thought that VE classrooms were mostly for MR and other developmental delays.
I think that self contained classrooms should be an option, especially early on. I am a fan of providing ALL the possible educational options from res school to mainstream with minimal support. I'm just not a fan of automaticly kneejerkingly assuming that regular school regular classes are the best thing in the world for EVERY kid with an IEP.
 
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