When equality goes too far

We live in a world that is very concerned with equality. Everyone should have equal opportunity, everyone should have equal rights, but at what point does equality become discriminatory and misunderstood? In keeping with the theme of diversity in school I want to  write about my perspective on this area both as a Special Educator, and based on personal experience with the school system.

I dare say that the school, in general, are made on extroverted privilege. Shouldn't it rather be so that professionals and other responsible adults start to see the kids for who they are, and offer teaching on their premises`, instead of directing all attention to what they think is a negative aspect of you? For that is precisely what happens when you say to an introvert, you must talk more and be more active in class. It interprets by the child as a message from someone the child looks up to that you are not good enough as you are.

Inclusion is an important topic in the special education field, and in society in general. The problem is, as I see it, that inclusion and equality are often put together and sometimes misunderstood, perhaps especially in school situations. In order for everyone to have equal opportunities it isn't so that everyone must also have equal resources and equal learning.

There are many levels of this, and of course it all completely depends on the individual person and situation. I want to focus on two different, extremely, wide groups. One is the group with disabilities who for various reasons will always be long behind, if we talk in terms of normality and deviance in the school system. The second group I want to address is the quiet students, a group that is close to my heart.

According to Professor Emeritus Edvard Befring at the University of Oslo, the current school has neglected learning. By this he means that one has too narrow a conception of what learning is. Today's school is almost exclusively concerned with skill learning and cognitive learning. But for instance attitude and moral teaching is as important, if not more, important in many areas. This means among other things that to acquire the means capacity for self-regulation which inter alia means that one learns to take responsibility for their own resources, thus mobilizing forces. For many of the children who fall far behind in the school system, either due to decreased abilities or other reasons, there will always be so that they will remain far behind no matter how much they struggle. The good news though, is that many studies have shown that it takes so little to change the child's entire life. The keywords are positive focus and  to find a field of expertise. By field of expertise, it means that you find a field in which the student has talent and get motivation from, such as in music or sports. It is also important for all children, regardless of their functionality, to experience symmetrical communication, ie the need to communicate with children in a similar situation as them self (Befring 2008). I've been lucky enough to have witnessed this on several occasions in which children for long periods have not received the help they are entitled to, so to witness enormous changes in all areas when the special education resources are inserted. It is often the small changes that make up a big difference both socially, physically and psychologically.

The second group I mentioned earlier is the quiet kids. The children who internalize. The reason why this group is close to my heart is because I am myself in this group, and it was often hard in school. We as professionals and other responsible adults must see the importance of being sensitive to world experience of the child. Often it feels like society in general has a subconscious opposition to the quiet childrens, that they must be helped to become extroverted and to be equal to the others in the class who have no trouble raising their hand. I'm talking about are those who by nature is internalized, introverted. Maybe they are highly sensitive, and perhaps thrive in their own company. For these children school life can be difficult to deal with.