The rose family

The rose is a rose,

And was always a rose.

But the theory now goes

That the apple’s a rose,

And the pear is, and so’s

The plum, I suppose.

The dear only knows

What will next prove a rose.

You, of course, are a rose –

But were always a rose.

Robert Frost [2]

Unit 2 arguments for inclusive education

In this unit you will learn about social and moral arguments for inclusiveness and separate special education systems. Before you start working with the text try:

a) to explain the term “inclusive” [ın'klu:sıv] (инклюзивный) in English.

b) to find synonyms and antonyms to:

naive, disabled, separate.

c) to answer the following questions:

1. What forms of social segregation do you know?

2. What are the reasons of social segregation?

3. Will the world of discrimination exist forever?

2. To guess the meaning of the following words and word combinations without using the dictionary.

Fundamental arguments, inclusive, isolation, social and moral arguments, social segregation and isolation, start, multiform, limitations, discrimination, companions, realistic, logical, automatically, naive.

2. To do the following phonetic exercises:

Ex.1. Transcribe and pronounce the words given below.

Assume, competitive, comprehensive, dismantle, prejudice.

Ex.2. Read the following clusters with assimilation.

Led to, with stabilities, and to learn, empowered to, attend their.

Ex.3. Pronounce the words from the text containing the sound [w] correctly.

Worlds; were; where; way; with; what; well; empowered; would.

Ex.4. Pronounce the words from the text containing the sound [r].

Separate; created; from; contrary; different; respect; differences; runs; directions; prepare; receive; strangers; prejudices; rooted.

Ex.5. Pronounce the words from the text containing the nasal sound [ŋ].

Being; belong.

Ex.6. Pronounce the words from the text containing the voiced sound [ð].

That; the; there; with; another; these; their; they.

Ex.7. Pronounce the words from the text containing the voiceless sound [Ө].

Youth, health, both.

Ex.8. Pronounce the words from the text containing the sound [v].

Obviously; valued; never.

TEXT

Scan through the text to understand its main ideas. Use the given vocabulary notes.

Vocabulary notes:

competitive – конкурентоспособный, соревновательный

comprehensive and flexible – полный и гибкий

dismantle – лишать,снимать, разрушать, демонтировать

empower – давать разрешение, оказывать поддержку, поручать

in favour of – в пользу кого-либо (чего-либо)

in spite of – не смотря на

meet the needs – отвечать потребностям

prejudice – предрассудок

run down – останавливать, сокращать

take up new roles – брать на себя новые роли

It has become clear that the fundamental arguments for inclusive education are not only educational ones. There are also solid social and moral arguments for it. Separate special education systems have obviously led to social segregation and isolation of people with stabilities in adult life: separate worlds were created from the start. Inclusive education, on the contrary, can lay the foundations of a more inclusive society, where all people belong and where being "different" is accepted and valued as just a part of humanity. The inclusion of disabled people in society starts with the inclusion into one of the first forms of society, that is, school inclusive education gives an opportunity to non-disabled pupils to share with peers who are "different" in one way or another and to learn to accept and respect these "differences". Disabled pupils, on their turn, have the opportunity to become part of the school community and get a "realistic" idea of what a multiform and competitive society looks like, as well as of their own possibilities and limitations. They are empowered to participate more fully in society. In fact, the inclusion of disabled people in society is a process that runs in two directions: prepare disabled people to become part of society and prepare society to receive them. With respect to the latter it would be little realistic to assume that after years and years of segregated education the members of a society or community would fully accept these people that they have barely seen before, who did not attend their school, with whom they never played as a child … It is logical that they see them as strangers, as people who do not belong, in spite of all the efforts made in favour of their inclusion. Of course, it would also be naive to assume that inclusive education would automatically lead to an inclusive society. Prejudices and discrimination are firmly rooted and some time will have to pass by before all community members will have had the opportunity to share their youth and education with disabled companions.

(Marston, Douglas. The Journal of Special Education, 1996,Vol. 30, No. 2, 121-132)