Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-vdxz6 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-28T19:18:30.921Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Parent Participation within an Independent School

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 February 2016

Jo Barrie
Jo Barrie*
Affiliation:
Christ Church Grammar School, Queenslea Drive, Claremont. W.A
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Extract

“It has been typical within the history of special education, particularly in the area of learning disabilities, that the motivation and emphasis for program development has come from parents and their organizations rather than from educators” (Baldauf, 1980, p. 179). The Special Education Centre at Christ Church Grammar School is no exception as it was established as a result of the vocally expressed needs of parents. Prior to its inception, there was a remedial class in the preparatory school, the then Headmaster, Mr. P. M. Moyes, being firmly committed to education for the less able as well as the academically able. Parents who wanted boys enrolled at the school, and those who wanted sons from the remedial class to continue their education at the school, pressed for the establishment of a special centre. Funding was available from the Commonwealth Government and from the private sector.

The Centre is an integral part of the regular school, based on a model of integrated education at primary and secondary levels. A committee consisting of the Headmaster, the headmaster of the preparatory school, the director of the Centre and, of recent years, the school counsellor, decides placement in the Special Education Centre. These placements are made after consideration of the psychological, medical and educational documentation accompanying each application, and with regard to keeping a balance of ages and grades within the Centre. Selection is dependent on the applicants satisfying the criteria for special education as opposed to remedial education. Priority is also given to country boys needing special education and boarding facilities where no appropriate alternatives are available to them. It must be felt that the programme and facilities available are likely to benefit the applicant. There are 16 full-time places available. Some boys are able to pursue certain subjects with their regular school peers. Some boys are placed into the regular stream after a period of time in the Centre. These boys then receive continuing support in their area of specific need. I have worked in the Centre as its director for five years.

Type
Research Article
Information
Australasian Journal of Special Education , Volume 7 , Issue 1 , May 1983 , pp. 26 - 28
Copyright
Copyright © The Australian Association of Special Education 1983

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Baldauf, R. J. “Parental Intervention”, in Myklebust, H. (Ed.) Progress in Learning Disabilities Vol. III. New York: Grune & Stratton, 1975.Google Scholar
Cunningham, C. C. and Jefree, D. M. “The Organisation and Structure of Workshops for Parents of Mentally Handicapped Children”. Bulletin of the British Psychological Society, 1975, 28; 405 – 411 Google Scholar
Cole, P. G. “Preparing an Adequate Educational Programme for the Exceptional Child”. Paper presented at the Headmasters’ Conference of the Independent Schools of Australia, 1975.Google Scholar
Fryer, K. “Parental Involvement Scheme. Infant/Junior”. Remedial Education, 1973, 8(2), 35 – 36.Google Scholar
Harber, J. “Auditory Perception and Reading — A Closer Look”. The Exceptional Child, Vol. 28, No. 2, July, 1981, 98 – 113.Google Scholar
Kelly, E. J. “Parental Roles in Special Education Programming — A Brief for Involvement”. The Journal of Special Education, Vol. 7, No. 4, 1973, 357 – 364.Google Scholar
Lopate, C., Flaxman, E., Bynum, E. M. and Gordon, E. W. “Decentralization and Community Participation in Public Education”. Review of Educational Research, 1970, 40, 135 – 150.Google Scholar
McCandless, B. R. Children. New York: Holt, Rinehart, 1967.Google Scholar
Payne, D. A. The Assessment of Learning: Cognitive and Affective. Mass.: Heath & Co., 1974.Google Scholar
Peterson, G. F. “Factors Related to the Attitudes of Non-Retarded Children Toward Their EMR Peers”. American Journal of Mental Deficiency, 1974, 79, 4, 412 – 416 Google Scholar
Rees, R. J. Parents As Language Therapists: a study in parent-professional co-operation. A final report for the National Advisory Council for the Handicapped, Dept. of Social Security and the Inger Rice Trust. S.A. C.A.E. 1982.Google Scholar
Wilton, K. “Research on Special Education in New Zealand — State of the Art”. The Australian Journal of Special Education, Vol. 5, No. 2, Nov. 1981.Google Scholar