Stručni rad

Attitudes towards children with special needs

Snježana Šušnjara

Sažetak

In this essay I have researched the history of special education in the USA, Germany and Bosnia and Herzegovina. I have found out some interesting facts about the position of children with special needs. As it is already known, segregation was very much present in the past centuries. Attitude towards children with special needs was inhumane. They were treated very badly and were mostly kept isolated from the “normal” children. But, the USA and Europe were imperialistic countries and many people from colonized countries came to the USA and Europe. Unity of people with completely different cultures, languages, religions etc. was impossible, but recommended. Thus, these people needed to be integrated in new societies and they were subordinated. Their children became children with special needs, even though they were in good mental and physical shape. Nevertheless they were different and needed to be hidden or educated in isolated environments. Situation in my country was not so good either. Examples that I have found out proved that relations towards children with special needs were deprived of human dignity. Those children were ignored and neglected. They did not go to schools. There were no special schools for such children until the previous century.
Today, schools are those that can change traditional attitudes and improve the position of children who differ from majority by their colour, religion, etc. Children should learn about democracy and human behaviour during their lessons, but also in their families. They need to change the prejudices and backwardness. They should learn, listen and promote democratic aspects of human life. We need to educate free citizens. Inclusion of those children in schools is not possible if inclusion does not exist in society and in the conscience of every individual.

Ključne riječi

segregation; children with diffi culties; equal opportunities; inclusion; democracy; education for all

Hrčak ID:

82636

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/82636

Datum izdavanja:

30.12.2008.

Podaci na drugim jezicima: hrvatski

Posjeta: 9.769 *