Two days ago, I posted about the experience of a teacher friend who recently switched from mainstream school teaching to serving in a special school. Two former education students, who are now teachers in Canada, responded with their experience in teaching in Canadian schools. One of them mentioned the inclusion model that Canada adopts, whereby students with special needs go to the same schools as other students.
I have heard a little about that. And in a way, I'm not taken aback, because in my impression , Canada is an egalitarian society which values social equity. (The only 2 places in Canada I have set foot in are Vancouver and Victoria, as a tourist.) A place's education system is an epitome of its people's ethics and values. Extensive inclusion is difficult to implement in HK because, let's face it, we are a much more competitive, and even elitist to some extent, society. If our own children are academically successful, or if we belong to the middle or upper class, we don't want (our children) to mix with the disadvantaged or the 'losers'.
Which has started me contemplating: How did this egalitarian culture and tradition begin in Canada?
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