Many years ago when I was younger and possibly even more foolish than I
am now, I did a degree in Behavioural science that is still recognised
by the BPS as a basis for further training to call yourself a psycho err
I mean psychologist.
In my first year, as of course it is a very basic thing and quite easy to relate to psychological theories around learning and reinforcement so we did a thing about phobia.
Soo lets tell you a little story, a young person lets call her G shall we? G has developed over a little while a fairly intense social phobia around going to a mainstream school. Just the thought is enough to give her anxiety attacks. She has been getting educated and engaging with education in a number of settings including a community learning centre which is actually located in a library. Obviously this is not at all suitable so the powers that be have decided to create a special learning environment so they can offer these young people a better set of facilities, there are a few kids who are phobic in this way. This new dedicated site, is going to open in September, with me so far?
So today, the student, G and I were given an individual tour of this place. Having driven the distance G would be sat in a taxi being driven in a few months time. We pulled into a car park, not any sort of car park, this was very obviously a school car park. Because of course the building in the car park was very obviously a school built sometime in the 60's / 70's. So up the steps we went and through the front doors, well not any sort of front doors, last use this building had was as a semi secure unit for young people with serious problems around behaviour and violence. So these were a bit more than normal doors everything was wired and alarmed. The unit itself was closed after a huge scandal and the site has a terrible name by association across the whole region.
Into what was obviously the vestibule and well, it was a school vestibule plain as the nose on my face. Towards the "room", and to get to the "room" you had to go down a corridor that was very obviously a school corridor next to what was very obviously the school football field. On the way we passed the CCTV room which was linked to cameras all over the place. At last we got to the "room" not any sort of room though Rodney, oh yes it had pretty curtains on the windows but the white painted walls and desks and tables and chairs and bookshelves told you this was a school room. Alphabet on the wall, projector on the ceiling whiteboard at the front of the "room" laptops on the corner desks just in case you were not sure.
G by this stage had gone very oddly quiet, she didn't seem to say a lot even though they proudly told her they were sorting her transport for her individually and it would like her education be based on her needs she was coming in by taxi. Now hang on didn't we say something in the Ed R yesterday about her having a phobia about taxis too.
All she had to do for them was make sure she didn't do anything silly with her hair like dye it bright green or purple. I'm not sure if it was related but G asked to stop at Morrisons on the way home to buy some hair colourant. She would not go in the shop while we were in the fuel station, it was if it was too much for her. I have not looked to see what colour her hair is, probably best not to.
They haven't asked me yet, but I'm just asking you really, can anyone spot any minor issues that might emerge and offer a view on whether she is likely to get in the taxi next term. To precis their approach, they have decided that the best option for those who will not do school - is school.
There are only two options and for the betting sorts I will offer very good odds on bets, but only on one of the options, I'm not taking bets on the other. Since a lot of you will have no grasp of year one undergraduate psychology, you might wish to take a bet.
This idea came from a group of specialists and experts in the education of children outside of mainstream education, voting one way should be a bit of a cert really..
Since I have not posted in a while I will emphasise for any newbies I am not making any of this up.
R __,_._,
In my first year, as of course it is a very basic thing and quite easy to relate to psychological theories around learning and reinforcement so we did a thing about phobia.
Soo lets tell you a little story, a young person lets call her G shall we? G has developed over a little while a fairly intense social phobia around going to a mainstream school. Just the thought is enough to give her anxiety attacks. She has been getting educated and engaging with education in a number of settings including a community learning centre which is actually located in a library. Obviously this is not at all suitable so the powers that be have decided to create a special learning environment so they can offer these young people a better set of facilities, there are a few kids who are phobic in this way. This new dedicated site, is going to open in September, with me so far?
So today, the student, G and I were given an individual tour of this place. Having driven the distance G would be sat in a taxi being driven in a few months time. We pulled into a car park, not any sort of car park, this was very obviously a school car park. Because of course the building in the car park was very obviously a school built sometime in the 60's / 70's. So up the steps we went and through the front doors, well not any sort of front doors, last use this building had was as a semi secure unit for young people with serious problems around behaviour and violence. So these were a bit more than normal doors everything was wired and alarmed. The unit itself was closed after a huge scandal and the site has a terrible name by association across the whole region.
Into what was obviously the vestibule and well, it was a school vestibule plain as the nose on my face. Towards the "room", and to get to the "room" you had to go down a corridor that was very obviously a school corridor next to what was very obviously the school football field. On the way we passed the CCTV room which was linked to cameras all over the place. At last we got to the "room" not any sort of room though Rodney, oh yes it had pretty curtains on the windows but the white painted walls and desks and tables and chairs and bookshelves told you this was a school room. Alphabet on the wall, projector on the ceiling whiteboard at the front of the "room" laptops on the corner desks just in case you were not sure.
G by this stage had gone very oddly quiet, she didn't seem to say a lot even though they proudly told her they were sorting her transport for her individually and it would like her education be based on her needs she was coming in by taxi. Now hang on didn't we say something in the Ed R yesterday about her having a phobia about taxis too.
All she had to do for them was make sure she didn't do anything silly with her hair like dye it bright green or purple. I'm not sure if it was related but G asked to stop at Morrisons on the way home to buy some hair colourant. She would not go in the shop while we were in the fuel station, it was if it was too much for her. I have not looked to see what colour her hair is, probably best not to.
They haven't asked me yet, but I'm just asking you really, can anyone spot any minor issues that might emerge and offer a view on whether she is likely to get in the taxi next term. To precis their approach, they have decided that the best option for those who will not do school - is school.
There are only two options and for the betting sorts I will offer very good odds on bets, but only on one of the options, I'm not taking bets on the other. Since a lot of you will have no grasp of year one undergraduate psychology, you might wish to take a bet.
This idea came from a group of specialists and experts in the education of children outside of mainstream education, voting one way should be a bit of a cert really..
Since I have not posted in a while I will emphasise for any newbies I am not making any of this up.
R __,_._,
Posts
4 comments:
Astounding thinking (if you can call it thinking) from the powers that be. Just goes to prove that "Every Child Matters" or whatever it's called these days is a waste of the paper and ink used to produce it.
Poor G. What a message to her that her fears and phobias are being treated so dismissively.
Ah yeah but what you are forgetting is that some boxes have been ticked and apart from not spending money and not doing anything remotely preventative, that is the most important thing. Just tick them boxes. Bah.
K (Tias friend)
ps, nice to see you posting again.
Welcome back.
How on earth can you get through to them....
I have no idea how you get throught to them - if i did i would be rich. Then again making the punctuation work would be pretty cool too!!!
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