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Interpreting pupil participation into practice: contributions of the SEN Code of Practice (2001)
Author(s) -
May Helen
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
journal of research in special educational needs
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.543
H-Index - 27
ISSN - 1471-3802
DOI - 10.1111/j.1471-3802.2004.00020.x
Subject(s) - pupil , inclusion (mineral) , optimism , code of practice , subject (documents) , perspective (graphical) , special education , pedagogy , least restrictive environment , code (set theory) , sociology , public relations , political science , psychology , mainstreaming , engineering ethics , social psychology , social science , computer science , engineering , set (abstract data type) , programming language , neuroscience , artificial intelligence , library science
It is three years since the revised Code of Practice for special educational needs (Department for Education and Skills (DfES), 2001) was implemented within schools in England. In this document renewed emphasis was given to pupil participation, building upon and strengthening previous requirements. The inclusion of pupil participation in this document, which governs the ways in which schools must operate, provided cause for optimism by raising the status of the topic and embodying a tool by which to implement the participation rights of the child within the education system. This article scrutinises the sections on pupil participation within the Code for their potential to advance the field. It raises some crucial questions, opening up new areas for debate on the subject. It refers to research insights into participation from the perspective of pupils themselves to illustrate the issues being raised. The article calls for the participation of the pupils themselves to be acknowledged and accounted for, alongside current requirements that professionals encourage pupil participation and account for their perspectives.