avatarJillian Enright

Summary

The author expresses skepticism about the impact of advisory council recommendations in the absence of government action, despite acknowledging the council's comprehensive report and some positive recommendations for inclusive education.

Abstract

The author, Jillian Enright, critically examines the recent report by the advisory council on inclusive education in Manitoba's education system. While appreciative of the council's efforts in producing a detailed 44-page document, the author remains doubtful about the practical outcomes of the recommendations due to the government's lack of action in the four months since the report's release. The report includes important points such as the need for inclusive practices in curriculum development, the engagement of individuals with lived experience, and the requirement for substantial training for educators in inclusive education and Appropriate Education Programming (AEP). However, the author points out that without the political will and resources to implement these recommendations, the council's work may be in vain. The author also highlights issues such as the preference for identity-first language among neurodivergent and disabled communities, the misallocation of funds by school divisions, and the need for improved family and community engagement and support.

Opinions

  • The author believes that advisory councils are ineffective without the authority to enforce their recommendations.
  • There is a concern that the government has not shared any plan of action to implement the council's recommendations, despite having the report for four months.
  • The author prefers identity-first language and criticizes the document's initial suggestion of person-first language, emphasizing that policy should reflect community preferences.
  • The author is critical of the mismanagement of funds by school divisions, citing an example where a behavior analyst was hired instead of replacing a school psychologist, leading to increased workload and reliance on behaviorism, which is viewed as harmful.
  • The author stresses the importance of student-specific planning, timely communication, and trauma-informed practices in education.
  • There is frustration over long wait times for clinical services and assessments, and the author points out the inconsistency in access to these services across the province.
  • The author advocates for the involvement of students and their families in the education process to ensure their stories and

Please Prove Me Wrong About Advisory Councils

Solid recommendations and good policies are pointless without the will and resources to enact them

Policy vs Practice: Created by author on Canva — (The Simpsons created by Matt Groening)

First and foremost, I wish to express my gratitude for the hard work of this advisory council in putting together their comprehensive report and providing their recommendations to our minister of education.

I’ve previously stated that advisory councils are essentially useless without actual authority to ensure their recommendations are followed after they put together their report.

I hope to be proven wrong, but I won’t hold my breath.

Our minister of education has already had the council’s report for four months (since November 2022), yet our provincial government has done nothing to make families aware of the contents of the report.

They certainly have not shared their plan of action for implementing the council’s recommendations, even though it was one year ago I asked the minister what resources had been allocated towards following the council’s advice (to which I received no response).

I’m shocked, I tell you.

Created by author

Luckily, I recently had the privilege of reviewing the report. It is 44 pages long, so I will not do it justice with a few summary points. I do encourage everyone to read it in its entirety, however I recognize how difficult it can be to find the time (and inclination) to read through a 44-page policy document.

I have summarized some key points and recommendations made by the advisory council, and added some of my thoughts (you can always count on me to have opinions). Overall, the document is quite good. I have a few points to add, but was generally quite pleased with it.

None of that will matter anyway if our government doesn’t act.

Self-direction and identity-first language

I have to say I was a little worried when, early on, this document advised the use of person-first language in all forms of communication, while being mindful of situations where identity-first language is preferred.

I was relieved they added the caveat, but my experience in the neurodivergent and disabled communities is that a large majority actually prefer identity-first language. So while it is absolutely necessary to respect each individual’s preference, it is not good policy to assume person-first until told otherwise.

This was a minor point in the document, but one I feel important to touch upon because language preferences are often dictated by non-disabled and neurotypical professionals, parents, and caregivers of disabled and neurodivergent children.

The language standards should follow the lead of the community, rather than the assumptions made by others about our preferences.

Appropriate Education Programming

I was further relieved when I read the council highlighting the urgent need for consistent, effective, and widespread realization of the 2022 standards for AEP.

Our provincial Appropriate Education Programming (AEP) Act was updated in 2022. The advisory council noted disparity and inconsistency across the province with regards to understanding, following, and applying these regulations.

Recommendations for Action

  • Ensure inclusive practices are at the core of curriculum development.(rather than added as an afterthought).
  • Engage people with lived experience — particularly students and their families — to tell their stories of inclusion (and our stories of exclusion).

“We need to build schools that plan for the inclusion of all students from the outset; rather than planning for ‘average’ students, only to be faced with the feed to retrofit policies, teaching, and assessment methods and other provisions after the fact.” — (Bartlett et al., 2019)

Pre-service

(aka Teacher’s College/B.Ed)

  • Addressing professional learning gaps in inclusive educational practices will require substantial and sustained efforts, as new educators are not adequately prepared for how to plan for diverse classrooms.
  • The Bachelor of Education degree requirement includes just one three-credit-hour course about disabilities and minimal opportunity for practicum experience.

Note: *A 3 credit hour course is one term (14 weeks), 3 hours per week, for a total of approximately 42 hours of lecture/class time. One class. That’s it.

Recommendations for Training

It is imperative that all undergraduate Bachelor of Education students receive inclusive education and AEP training. The Bachelor of Education requirements should include developing knowledge and skills in areas such as, but not limited to, the following:

Recommendations for Action

Supporting school teams in appropriate planning to respond to student distress, education in trauma-informed practices, communication, and child development.

Student-Specific Plans (SSPs)

Work is needed to ensure student-specific planning and supports are implemented consistently (or correctly, if at all).

Recommendations for Action

Assessments

Assessments that are student-centred and strengths-based yield valuable data that shift teacher instructional strategies and inclusive practices.

Current Situation

  • The advisory council notes that access to clinical services is inconsistent across the province.
  • There are long wait times for services that include assessments and support.
  • School clinicians are stretched.
  • Long waitlists are leading to unacceptable delays, not only in specialized assessments, but also in appropriate interventions to support students.
Created by author on Canva — The Simpsons created by Matt Groening

My comments (with a little anecdote)

Something missing from this section of the report was reference to mismanagement or misallocation of funds by school divisions.

For example: A few years ago, our division had two school psychologists. When one moved away, instead of replacing that position, they diverted those funds to instead hire a behaviour analyst (and I think most of you are familiar with my strong feelings on behaviourism).

A behaviour “analyst” is not qualified to conduct assessments. Their education is significantly different from that of a school psychologist (plus ABA is harmful and abusive, but they obviously didn’t ask for my opinion before creating their new position…).

So now, despite the fact that our student population has increased, we only have one school psychologist to provide clinical advice and assessments to the entire division.

Because of this imprudent decision on the part of our division’s senior administration, our school psychologist’s workload has doubled, and students are subjected to further harmful and out-dated behaviourism-based practices.

Family and Community Engagement and Support

  • The need for purposeful engagement and support has become abundantly clear
  • Parents have the most insight and knowledge about their own child.
  • Communication is key to developing and nurturing trust between families and schools.

Next steps

To ensure the council’s efforts were not in vain, and to ensure these recommendations are followed, we must now put pressure on MLA Wayne Ewasko and the Manitoba government to act.

They need to follow through on the recommendations made by their council, otherwise the significant work done by the members will be wasted.

© Jillian Enright, Neurodiversity MB

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References

Advisory Council on Inclusive Education. (2022). On the Path to Inclusion in Manitoba’s Education System: Supporting Our Diverse Learners in Achieving Their Full Potential. Report to the Minister of Education and Early Childhood Learning. https://edu.gov.mb.ca/k12/action_plan/docs/minister_advisory_report.pdf

Bartlett, N., Wells-Dyck, A., Freeze, R. (2019). On behalf of the Manitoba Inclusive Education Professors’ Roundtable. A Submission to the Manitoba Commission on Kindergarten to Grade 12 Education. Manitoba Inclusive Education Professors’ Roundtable. https://umanitoba.ca/education/sites/education/ files/2020–05/2019–05–27_Inclusive-Education-Submission_0.docx

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