Baroness Warnock gives lecture on education for children with special needs
Baroness Warnock captured the minds of a capacity crowd with her recent public lecture 'the ideal of inclusion' held at the University of Reading's Madejski Lecture Theatre. Organised by the University's Institute of Education who, with support from the Teacher Development Agency (TDA) are running an 18 month project focusing on Special Educational Needs (SEN), the free lecture focused on Baroness Warnock's 1978 Report that radically changed the thinking behind this important and often contentious form of learning.
(Media-Newswire.com) - Baroness Warnock captured the minds of a capacity crowd with her recent public lecture 'the ideal of inclusion' held at the University of Reading's Madejski Lecture Theatre.
Organised by the University's Institute of Education who, with support from the Teacher Development Agency ( TDA ) are running an 18 month project focusing on Special Educational Needs ( SEN ), the free lecture focused on Baroness Warnock's 1978 Report that radically changed the thinking behind this important and often contentious form of learning.
Under the 1944 Education Act, children with special educational needs were categorised by their disabilities defined in medical terms. Many children were considered to be "uneducable" and pupils were labelled into categories such as "maladjusted" or "educationally sub-normal" and given "special educational treatment" in separate schools.
Baroness Warnock's report introduced the idea of SEN and an inclusive approach, based on common educational goals, for all children regardless of their abilities or disabilities: namely independence, enjoyment, and understanding.
Professor Andy Goodwyn, Head of the University's Institute of Education said: "We are honoured and extremely grateful to Baroness Warnock for presenting such an entertaining and informative lecture. This is just one of many events we are holding for this important project, which aims to highlight and discuss the vital issues surrounding the education of children with special needs."
As part of the Institute's focus on SEN, Professor Tony Charman will present a lecture about autism on 3 March 2009, and then on 19 November 2009 Professor Maggie Snowling will speak on dyslexia. Both are internationally well respected experts in their field.
Ends
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Notes for Editors:
Baroness Warnock is a British philosopher of morality, education and mind and writer on existentialism.
Mary Warnock was educated at St Swithun's School, Winchester and Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford ( LMH ), Oxford. She was made an Honorary Fellow of LMH in 1984.
From 1949 to 1966, she was a Fellow and tutor in philosophy at St Hugh's College, Oxford. Then, from 1966 to 1972 she was Headmistress at the Oxford High School for girls. She was Talbot Research Fellow at Lady Margaret Hall ( 1972–1976 ).
From 1976–84, she was a Senior Research Fellow at St Hugh's College, and was made an Honorary Fellow of the College in 1985. She then became Mistress of Girton College, Cambridge ( 1986–89 ). In 2000 Baroness Warnock was a visiting professor of rhetoric at Gresham College, London.
Baroness Warnock was a member of the Independent Broadcasting Authority ( IBA ) from 1973 to 1981. She was chair of UK committee of inquiry into special education ( 1974–78 ). From 1979 to 1985, she advised the UK committee on animal experiments and from 1982 to 1984 she chaired an inquiry into human fertilisation. She was created a life peer in 1985 as Baroness Warnock, of Weeke in the City of Winchester
Institute of Education
The University of Reading's Institute of Educationis a major provider of teachers nationally and regionally, offering PGCE Secondary and Primary, BA ( Ed ) and the Graduate Teacher Programmes ( GTP ). The secondary programme and the primary programme have both received the top Ofsted grades in 2006/7 and the Institute is now a category 'A' provider for all our courses. The employment rates of our graduates are the highest in the University and the best in the country of any initial teacher training provider.
Undergraduate courses include the unique Theatre Arts and Deaf Studies BA, nationally recognised as outstanding. The Institute has recently become a major provider for Early Years Professional status.
Areas of research strength include school improvement; inclusion and special educational needs; language assessment and measurement; historical and comparative aspects of education and science education as well as a varied community of international students taking short courses, Masters and PhD programmes.
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