They are different if ‘we’ label them to be: children with Disability in Japan
September 17, 2021 | By You Me We NPO
“All children deserve an education that will support them in reaching their full potential and permit them to become independent, contributing members of society.”
In Japan, children who have disabilities have customarily been educated in special schools, specifically devoted to one type of disability, and are often isolated from the rest of society (Mithout, 2016). According to 文部科学省 (MEXT - The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology) “students who need special support” are those categorised to have physical disabilities, developmental disabilities (such as autism, Asperger syndrome) and learning disabilities (文部科学省. n.d.). Thus, before the amendment of the Japan School Education Act in 2007, special education schools were classified and separated into schools for the deaf, the blind and physically disabled children. Each special education school/s has a general class composed of children with a single disability and a class composed of students with multiple disabilities (MEXT, n.d.).The average number of students per class were three (MEXT, n.d.), and with much effort exchanges and joint learning are conducted between regular elementary schools and special needs education schools (i.e. music, drawing, lunch, and field trips) (INCLUSION Japan, 2020).
However, some believed that receiving special education services can have major impact on these children, as they are label as being different from their peers and become a source of stigma, hence, stigma usually used more in negative terms have negative emotional reactions, and can be defined as the “co-occurrence of labeling, stereotyping, and a form of discrimination.” (Kayama and Haight, 2013). In 2006, a complete reform of the special education system, anchored in the ideology of “integration” (or “inclusion”), was implemented (Mithout, 2016, p. 166), so as to favor enrollment of disabled students into the mainstream systems. Conversely, this general reform of special education was to promote the principle of “inclusive education” – that is, “education in mainstream schools along with non-disabled peers and, in a broader sense, education meeting the needs of all children, regardless of their particularities in terms of abilities, command of the Japanese language, ethnic/social/family background.” (Mithout, 2016, p.165)
Much debate still goes on today as to whether the Special Education System or the new ideology of ‘inclusive’ education would benefit children with disability more. Whilst this debate still plays out, what needs to be taken into foremost consideration is the child’s wellbeing, what would benefit the child most, that would help them in reaching their full potential and become capable members of society. Whichever ideology/ system may suit them in doing so, should be promoted individually accustomed to that child’s circumstances, ‘differences’ are perceptions and perceptions can be changed.
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