Education Without Labels

11th December 2015

Tag list

Location / Country / Region

Adana, Ankara, Antalya, Bursa, Erzincan, Gaziantep, İstanbul, İzmir, Kayseri, Samsun, Turkey

Time frame

15 September 2014 – 13 July 2015

Short description

Fighting against labeling of young people who were raised in government care in the education system.

Actors Involved

Teachers Academy Foundation, Agenda Child Association, Istanbul Foster Family Association, Denizli Foster Family Association

Target audiences

Young people who were raised in government care are labeled by teachers and parents in the education system. This results in drop out between 14-16 age group.

Relevant links, websites, etc.

http://www.sabancivakfi.org/page/education-without-labels


 

BACKGROUND

Political, Economic and Social dimensions

Helping children in government care gain equal rights. Also raising awareness among the teachers and public about the children raised under government protection.


 

1. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Sabanci Foundation Social Development Grant Program supports civil society organizations which promote access to equal opportunities for women, youth and people with disabilities to participate in all aspects of society. There are mainly two reasons for this decision: 1) Need 2) Potential to change. Due to the lack of national organizations or foundations that provide grants to civil society organizations, there is a constant need in the sector. On the other hand, there is a big potential and accumulated knowledge in these organizations who work closely with disadvantaged groups, analyse the situation and provide solutions to overcome the barriers and models that set an example to public institutions.

  • Interviews conducted with families, people who were raised in government care and other interested parties.
  • Public awareness raised on the issue through various communication activities.

2. ANALYSIS

Innovativeness

It is important for teachers to be aware of the possible consequences of the “learning disabled” label. By identifying issues associated with the label, teachers can intervene when negative issues occur.

Key Success Factors

Best practices around the world on fighting negative labelling in the education system.

Sustainability

Teachers who participated in the training will inform other teachers in their provinces.

Contributions to LLP Policy

Data gathered through research and interviews will be included in a training programme for teachers.

3. LESSONS LEARNT

Regarding the building of a shared definition of LLL in LLL-Hub

Students labelled as “learning disabled”, are able to receive help in order to ameliorate their problems. For example, if a student has been identified as having a learning disability in reading, the instruction can be specifically geared at a suitable level. Receiving instruction based on what students need is crucial in helping them excel and be successful in the future.

Regarding the possibilities of having practices in LLL which evolve and become more innovative

Teachers can help prevent the negative consequences of the label by taking a few proactive steps to minimize the chance of problems occurring. Counsellors and teachers should talk with learning disabled students and their parents and explain that a learning disability does not take away a student’s value, that each person learns at a different pace and in a different manner and that the school intends to provide the specialised education required to help the student achieve success.

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