Recent Trends in the Re-Integration of Pupils with Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties in the United Kingdom

Abstract

OVER the past few years international interest in inclusive education for pupils with special educational needs (SEN) has grown enormously. Increasingly, pupils with SEN have been offered placements in mainstream schools with varying degrees of support. To match these developments there is a growing number of publications on the effects of inclusive education for pupils with disabilities, their peers, their parents and teachers. Despite these initiatives recent evidence in the UK suggests that mainstream schools are becoming more and more hostile to the inclusion or re-integration of certain groups of pupils with SEN, in particular those with emotional and behavioural difficulties (EBD). Indeed there appears to be a trend to refer increasing numbers of these pupils to special schools and/or to exclude them from school altogether. In order to explore this area further this article presents the findings of a nationwide survey into the extent to which EBD schools and units in the UK re-integrate their pupils into mainstream schools and on the problems they have encountered. The results indicate that very few of these pupils ever return to mainstream school. The implications of the study are considered in the light of the UK Government's current moves to tackle social exclusion.

The long-term impact of residential provision for pupils with emotional and behavioural difficulties

“…For example, reviews of research into mainstream teachers' attitudes (Chazan, 1994;Glaubman and Lifshitz, 2001;Croll and Moses, 2001;Heiman, 2001;Avramidis and Norwich, 2002) suggest that these teachers tend to have negative perceptions of, and limited tolerance for, problem behaviour in the classroom and are therefore unlikely to have positive attitudes towards the inclusion of pupils with EBD. This conclusion is supported by a small-scale study in Scotland (Lloyd and Padfield, 1996) that refers to mainstream teachers' resistance to the reintegration of such pupils, a finding supported by Farrell and Tskalidou (1999). These views have been strongly endorsed by the trade unions representing teachers in the UK, who have firmly stated that they are against the inclusion of pupils who have behaviour problems and who are likely to disrupt the smooth running of a mainstream school (NUT, 1998).…”

“…In addition, local education authorities frequently alter or adapt their provision to take account of changing circumstances, particularly with regard to the provision of units and resourced provision within mainstream schools. Farrell and Tskalidou (1999) estimated that there were 370 special schools and units in the UK for pupils with EBD, with 45 in Scotland, 15 in Wales and 310 in England. Around three-quarters of these schools and units are run by local education authorities and the remainder are independent.…”

Factors affecting successful reintegration

“…For such pupils, McSherry believed schools operated a predominantly assimilationist stance citing examples of schools offering trial placements whilst retaining the option to remove the pupil if their behaviour was deemed unacceptable rather than accepting pupils without additional caveat and displaying a willingness to adapt their policies and procedures to increase the likelihood of a successful outcome. Farrell and Tsakalidou (1999) suggested evidence within England and Wales that mainstream schools were becoming openly hostile to the inclusion of certain groups of SEN pupils. McSherry (2012) suggested schools were particularly reluctant to take on pupils displaying challenging behaviour especially those labelled SEBD.…”

Participation or practice innovation: tensions in inter‐agency working to address disciplinary exclusion from school

“…As in other parts of Britain the rate of reintegration of pupils into mainstream, once they have been out for some time, is low (Lloyd and Padfield, 1996;Farrell and Tsakalidou, 1999). Schools in Scotland have therefore been encouraged to look for 'Alternatives to School Exclusion' (Scottish Office, 1998).…”