'Inclusivity' in education

Madam, - Emmet Oliver's report on the expressed concern of the director of a third -level college that fewer than 40 per cent…

Madam, - Emmet Oliver's report on the expressed concern of the director of a third -level college that fewer than 40 per cent of "high-achieving students" were male, is hardly surprising (The Irish Times, February 7th). Teachers have observed this trend since the introduction of the points system.

There are many anomalies in the Irish education system at present, not least of which is the rush towards inclusivity when it is taken to mean sameness. The absurdity of expecting every 18-year-old boy to perform at the same level as 18-year-old girls, where there may be a maturation gap of up to four years between boys and girls, must be highlighted.

The rush towards inclusion of special needs pupils into mainstream schools at primary and post-primary level is also absurd. Much of the recent research would recommend appropriate inclusion as part of the "continuum of provision" for special needs children.

Department of Education (2003) figures state that over one quarter of students in some mainstream schools in the country do not sit the Junior Certificate; some schools also have Leaving Certificate completion rates of less than 50 per cent.

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Many special schools now offer Junior Certificate, Junior Certificate Schools Programme, FETAC and/or Leaving Certificate Applied courses along with a comprehensive social skills programme.

Irish education must support a system of positive discrimination for boys and girls. Pretending that all students are equal doesn't make it so. - Yours, etc.,

LIAM LAWLOR, Raheen, Limerick.