Georgia’s Segregation of Students
As per the PBS segment (2015), the Department of Justice has established that students with disabilities, as well as those with behavioral issues, are being illegally isolated in Georgia State. This conclusion was after a two-year investigation by the department. The rationale for the state to isolate this group of students may be that the students are considered difficult to manage. Some may not be disabled but may have some behavioral issues that render them difficult to control. Others are deemed to have a disruptive influence because of their behavioral issues. For the disabled, the state may have the belief they take much of teachers’ time when incorporated with other students and that they cannot learn at the same pace as them.
The impacts of this type of segregation, as outlined in the video, include distress, suicide, suffering due to the poor conditions and facilities, feelings of discrimination, and poor levels of education. Some other impacts that are not listed in the video may include escalated Ableism. The other students may begin to demean those segregated and even consider them to be of less value. Furthermore, the development of these types of students may be hindered because of the low level of education and care they receive in restrictive schools. Besides, their self-esteem and determination to succeed in life may be lowered. The practice in Georgia state may also lead to reduced support services for those with behavioral issues or with disabilities in the mainstream schools, meaning that most students will end up in restrictive schools.
To address this issue, the Justice Department should pressure that state to reintegrate the students back to mainstream schools. Just because a student has behavioral problems or is disabled does not mean that they should be tortured and segregated. Such students should be afforded special care, if not the same level of care as the others. With the ubiquity of assistive technology like text-to-speech software, students with disabilities can learn at the same as their normal peers. Mental health services should also be established near or at the mainstream schools to help those students with behavioral or psychological issues rather than sending them to restrictive schools.
References
PBS. (2015). Georgia segregates kids with disabilities, behavior problems | Season 2015 Episode 07/31/2015 | PBS News Hour. (2015). Retrieved 10 August 2019, from https://www.pbs.org/video/georgia-segregates-kids-with-disabilities-behavior-problems-1445556187/