Prime Minister François Legault, the Quebec Alliance of Regional Groupings for the Integration of Persons with Disabilities, the Quebec Autism Federation, and the Quebec Intellectual Disability Society are concerned about the current public discourse concerning students in this situation. disabled or with adjustment or learning difficulties (EHDAA). In this public dialogue, one of the solutions proposed to the problems in the education sector would be to send more of these students to specialized classes. Our organizations want to reiterate the importance of educational inclusion and prevent EHDAAs from being further segregated.
Including EHDAAs in the same classes as all other students is a fundamental orientation of the School Adaptation Policy. Laws and policies guarantee that the rights of EHDAAs are respected, including the Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms, the Special Education Policy, the Public Education Act and the À Part Été Policy. According to the latter, it is important that the school network offers services without discrimination while favoring an individualized approach to needs.
The school’s mandate is not just to teach children to read and count, it also allows students to develop social skills. Excluding EHDAA from regular classes has an impact on several social aspects of their learning, since the use of specialized classes leads to a separation of students. Our organizations are not against specialized classes, they have their uses. However, it is absolutely necessary to assess the needs and abilities of children to see what is most beneficial for their learning.
The specialized class is not always the best option for the development of EHDAA. With the necessary support, many of these students could very well progress in regular classes without harming students who do not need special support. In addition, it allows them to learn about difference, which is beneficial for the whole of society. The best approach would therefore be to have sufficient specialized resources in schools to promote the development of all children, regardless of their abilities. We need to hire more adequately trained professionals.
The shortage of labor, the “heaviness” of the task and the lack of support staff are often singled out to justify the use of specialized classes. However, this does not seem to be an effective solution to guarantee the right to education for all students. Indeed, specialized environments are struggling to fill positions, despite the investments made in recent years. Moving EHDAAs only shifts the problem of staff shortages and further degrades the quality of education received by a significant portion of the student body.
By further segregating a population that is already discriminated against and socially disadvantaged, the objectives of the Public Education Act and the À Part Entire Policy disappear, as does the achievement of real equality of opportunity for these students.
Blaming students rather than demanding more services in schools only maintains prejudices against EHDAA. Remember that accommodation measures are constitutional obligations for governments, and must be used to achieve real equality, not to segregate populations in search of equity. In order to have an inclusive society and promote the development of EHDAA, we must consider solutions that are beneficial for all students, including students who do not have special needs.
Our organizations hope that the government and the education community will hear our message and join us in finding solutions that respect the principles of inclusion.