Inclusive education the top concern of N.L. teachers, report says

The inability to properly deliver inclusive education isa top concernof teachers in Newfoundland and Labrador, according to afinalreport on public education in the province.

The report, which followedconsultations held online and throughout the province last year, says classroom teachers don't feelthey have enough support to properly teachstudents with special needs, and havemore concerns about inclusion of those childrenthan any other topic.

• Teachers frustrated with inclusive classrooms, NLTA says
• Lack of special needs education resources means 'serious stress,' says panel's report

"While few teachers quarrelwith the intent of [the inclusive education] policy,many have grave concerns with its actual implementation as it has been accompanied by fartoo few resources," the report,written by two Memorial University professors,states.

"The circumstances remain untenable from the perspective of many teachers and other panelmembers."

Leading concern

Jim Dinn, the president of the Newfoundland and Labrador Teachers' Association, as well asFederation of School Councils' Director Denise Pike and Kirk Anderson, the dean of Memorial University's Faculty of Education, led a travelling panel that studied the status of public education in the province.

While no representatives from the provincial government or the province's school districts participated, the panel hit 11 communities and received hundreds of online comments.

"There are significant challenges facing the system that need to be addressed, and certainly one of them would be inclusive education," Dinn told CBC News.

• Failing grade: Teachers 'demoralized' by crowded classes, lack of help

Teachers submitted 144 concerns relating to inclusive education, compared to 92 about resources and 69 about teacher workload.

"In a class with students on [standard and inclusive]programming, no matter how muchplanning a teacher does, it is IMPOSSIBLE for the needs of all of these students to be metadequately," one comment read. While another said the province's"So-called inclusionary practices actually exclude those very students they're supposed to help."

More wrap-around supports, union says

The report suggests the province's current model of inclusive education, which includes aspecialized Instructional Resource Teacherto help co-ordinate and deliver inclusive education, is failing.

Those specialized inclusion teachersreported that they were overburdened, and struggling to support the number of students on their workload. One reported having66 diagnosed students.

"We are lucky to receive IRT support for maybe one or two periods of mathematics or language arts," one teacher wrote.

• Inclusion model can mean extra costs for some parents
• 'A lot of kids' needs are not being met': Lots of labels, lack of resources for students with special needs

The NLTA-led report issued dozens of recommendations. It called for more training programs for parents and teachers, andincreased instructional resources teachers, school counselors and educational psychologists in schools.

"There's need for a greater coordination of services," Dinn said. "You're looking at the inclusion of social workers and occupational therapists within the system as well, in some sort of coordinated effort dealing with meeting the needs that teachers in the school system face."

Dinn said he's encouraged that the Department of Education has agreed to meet and talk about the recommendations.