Grace Wheeler

UWRT1102-Journal 5
1-31-17
Critical Free-writing Assignment
For my Extended Inquiry project, I am interested in writing about Special Education in
third world countries. When doing the assignment for journal 4, I wrote about my passions for
special education and for Guatemala. This past summer during my trip to Guatemala, I was able
to visit a school for children with special needs. The school was completely donation run and
was not affiliated with the government in anyway. The director of the school informed us that
children with special needs in Guatemala are not treated like the ones here in the states. The
students and families at this school do not receive any type of government aid, proper
education, and do not have much support when it comes to friends and even families. These
children are seen as a burden and not important to society. This broke my heart as the older
sister of someone with a disability. I couldnt help but think if my brother was treated this way.
Children with disabilities in the states receive a free education, are taught job skills to better
their chances of having jobs, and receive aid from the government to help them survive
financially. In Guatemala, this is not the case. Most families leave their children at home
throughout the day and they are not taught. In the city I was in, there was only two schools that
even accepted students with disabilities. The director also told us that the teachers were not
properly trained to teach these students. When I got home from the school, I immediately began
thinking of ways to improve this situation in Guatemala. Education should be a right for every
one, disability or no disability, first world country or third world country. Ive begun to think of how
one little me can have an impact of something so huge. For my Extended Inquiry project, I am
wanting to find out more about Special Education in third world countries and how these
children are treated and their quality of lives.

Questions:

The issue of education for these children goes deeper than not having teachers and classrooms
for these children. How can people change the mindset of the government, teachers, and
parents about children with disabilities?

I only found out about this because I was working in Guatemala, how can I find accurate
information about the quality of living and education system in other countries?

Would it be more affective and beneficial if I narrow my topic down more and focus on countries
in Latin America?

Follow ups:

-ask friends that are from Latin America about the education system for children with disabilities
-research the history of Special Education in America to see how it has evolved over the
years(what worked/ what didnt work)
-find credible resources that tell me information about Special Education in Latin America