Lesson plan
Educationally subnormal
Educationally subnormal was a term used historically in the United Kingdom to refer to children with very limited intellectual abilities. Throughout much of the 20th century, British education policy focused on separating these children from the wider school population and they were often viewed as being incapable of meaningful improvement. Children placed in this category were disproportionately boys, from less wealthy households and immigrant families. The term "mentally defective" was used in the early 20th century to refer to children and adults with intellectual disabilities. Beginning in the 1910s, children deemed to be in this category began to be formally classified as such and were taken into the custody of the state if their home environment was believed to be unsuitable. Separate schools were also established for "mentally defective" children who remained in the custody of their parents. Following World War II, these children began to be formally known as "educationally subnormal", and teachers became responsible for recommending them for separate schools. As attitudes towards them changed, the term was taken out of usage in 1981 and attempts were made to integrate them into mainstream schools as much as possible.
Article summary
Educationally subnormal was a term used historically in the United Kingdom to refer to children with very limited intellectual abilities. Throughout much of the 20th century, British education policy focused on separating these children from the wider school population and they were often viewed as being incapable of meaningful improvement. Children placed in this category were disproportionately boys, from less wealthy households and immigrant families. The term "mentally defective" was used in the early 20th century to refer to children and adults with intellectual disabilities. Beginning in the 1910s, children deemed to be in this category began to be formally classified as such and were taken into the custody of the state if their home environment was believed to be unsuitable. Separate schools were also established for "mentally defective" children who remained in the custody of their parents. Following World War II, these children began to be formally known as "educationally subnormal", and teachers became responsible for recommending them for separate schools. As attitudes towards them changed, the term was taken out of usage in 1981 and attempts were made to integrate them into mainstream schools as much as possible.
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Discussion questions
- Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
- Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
- If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?
Bibliography
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Key claims and bibliography are generated from the same tracked claims and sources as the article page.