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.