Children’s language and communication needs: Evaluating intervention and service provision in schools

Special issue Children’s language and communication needs: Evaluating intervention and service provision in schools

From Child Language Teaching and Therapy

This special issue brings together practitioners and researchers involved in training staff and supporting children with SLCN in mainstream schools. The collection of articles was put together following a conference held at De Montfort University, Leicester, UK, which was jointly organized by the University of Sheffield and De Montfort University to explore how a variety of interventions carried out in schools could be evaluated. The papers from that conference in this issue illustrate examples of how the authors have tried to deal with the ‘real life’ challenges of car­rying out evaluation studies.  The conference and special issue tie into the purpose and themes of this year dedicated to and recognized as the National Year Of Speech, Language And Communication initiated by The Communication Trust with the aim of dedicating a year to help all children communicate’ aims to raise awareness and support parents and the workforce with information and materials so they are better equipped to assist children.

In the free podcast Joy Stackhouse and Jannet Wright discuss their special issue

Computers are oversold and underused in Middle East classrooms

Promoting the Knowledge Economy in the Arab World

From SAGE Open

This article discusses the need for a deeper institutional reform that will bring Arab classrooms into the 21st century. The research studies educational programs in Bahrain, Jordan, and the United Arab Emirates, information and communication technology (ICT) is not effectively utilized in classrooms in the Middle East. Many technology-related policies overlook the real needs of students. While ICT infrastructure aims to incorporate electronic classes and teaching systems that enhance students’ and teachers’ technological abilities, in reality it has become little more than a way to mechanically optimize the operation of equipment and to perpetuate cultural traditions. The author observes “This is undoubtedly a reflection of the difficulties inherent in implementing an agenda for modernization and reform within countries which have only been free from colonial domination for a few decades”. He called for more rigorous research that goes beyond mere speculation about ICT implementation. “If the findings from this research are able to identify best practices that can be replicated in different settings, then educationalists can begin to be satisfied that computers in the classroom are not just ‘oversold and underused’.”

Gay students suffer under faith schools regime

Conflicts of ethos: issues of equity and diversity in faith-based schools

From Education Management Administration and Leadership

Faith based schools are on the rise in the UK, apparently boosting educational standards. This study investigates the consequences when school values and those of the state diverge, considering whether giving control of a school’s ethos and philosophy to churches or other organizations can lead to unfair policies and practices, as has been the case in the Republic of Ireland. The vast majority of schools in Ireland are owned and managed by the Catholic Church but funded by the state. State measures to encourage equality and protect minorities such as lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LBGT) students are often not transmitted or supported in these schools, and due to legislation loopholes schools can also sack LGBT teachers to protect their ethos. Research reveals that Catholic schools demonstrate a marked unwillingness to address LGBT issues under sex education, flouting national policy. Worse still, teachers’ failure to respond to serious homophobic bullying in schools was commonplace. This research has implications for school teachers in all faith schools , including those in the UK, arguing that it is the responsibility of all those who are identified as leaders within the school community to ensure that practical steps are taken to challenge and respond to homophobic bullying.