Session Information
04 SES 05 A, Culture and Attitudes
Paper Session
Time:
2010-08-26
08:30-10:00
Room:
Sh405, Kielikeskus / Language Centre
Chair:
Elizabeth O'Gorman
Contribution
The aim of this presentation is to analyze the influence of the environment: is it possible to solve behavioural problems through integration or not. And how important is the environment?
In 2005 on the country side (in the middle) of Estonia a new basic school was opened – for only 24 students. The age of students was 7- 15. Part of them were local “normal” children, and the rest was from other schools over Estonia with very strong behavioural problems. They lived in these school building 5 days per week (local children lived at home). THIS school was the very last possibility to get the obligatory general education in an ordinary school system for them. (The next step would be the hospital of mental illnesses or the special school with strong rules.)
The research method was educational ethnography, I observed this school during the first school year and made notes about this experiment which was very new for everybody. At the beginning there was no clear idea about the pedagogical methods: the principle of the school wanted to improve children’s behaviour through love and a peaceful study environment. Problem children got extra social impulses after school, there were no TVs or computers in this school, but a lot of art activities and time for walking, talking and thinking. The school building situated in an old country-seat in middle of very nice park and near the forest. This way the nature was a pedagogical tool as well.
The result (after the first school year) was interesting: some “problem” children got better (when the reason of their problems was more social than medical); but children with diagnoses of mental health deaseses did not improve. They made the situation of other children (and of teachers ) even worse and 3 students had to leave of this school because they needed more (medical and special educational) help.
Method
The research method was educational ethnography. The school was about 100 km away from my home, so I observed about 30 schooldays during the first school year. Twice I spent one night at school - so I observed the after school activities and I saw the social life in students home also.
Later, after this first school year I have had the contact with teachers (about how things are going on).
Expected Outcomes
The inclusion and integration are good, but not for everybody. For some children it is better to get the professional help. The friendly environment can help, but not for every problem. The strong rules seem bad, but inside the rules life is safe. So called problem children need more rules than others, because this can be one part of therapy. If there are no safe system and/or rules at home, the school must compensate it.
References
Byrne, D. 2000. Social exclusion. Open University Press Downes, D. & Rock, P. 1998. Understanding Deviance. Oxford University Press Beach, D., Gordon, T., Lahelma, E. 2003. Democratic Education. Ethnographic Challenges. The Tufnell Press Reiss, S. 2008. The normal personality. Cambridge University Press
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