Pedagoški fakultet

Specijalna edukacija i socijalna rehabiliacija

History of special education in Europe

Seminarski rad iz engleskog jezika

Profesor: Student:
Mr Čedomir Knežević Una Savić
DEF-091/19

Banja Luka, 2019 godine

 SADRŽAJ

INTRODUCTION………………………………………………………………...3
1. PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES IN ANCIENT GREECE………………….4
1.1 Disability in Athens…………………………………………….…........4
1.2 Disability in Sparta…………………………………………….............5
2. PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES IN ROMAN EMPIRE…………………….5
3. ERA OF RIDICULE (MIDDLE AGES)………………………………..…....6
3.1 Disability in Medieval medicine…………………...…………………..6
4. ERA OF ASYLUM (RENAISSANCE)……………………………..............7
5. ERA OF EDUCATION (INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION)…………………..7
6. PIONEERS IN SPECIAL EDUCATION………………………………….….8
6.1 Jean Marc Gaspard Itard……………………….………………………8
6.2 Edouard Seguin……………………………………………….………...9
6.3 Maria Montessori…………………..…………………………………....9
CONCLUSION……………………………………………………………………10
LITERATURE……………………………………………………………………..11

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INTRODUCTION

Special education is the practice of educating students in a way that addresses their
individual differences and needs. The concept of disability has changed and varied
across history and across cultures. It has come a long way from rejecting and
destroying people with disabilities to respecting their human rights and their interaction
in society.

Viewed through history, the development of special education can be traced through an
examination of society's attitudes toward people with disabilities. Such persons were
first viewed from a pre-scientific and religious point of view. And then, through a
scientific approach, there was a perception of disability from a modern point of view.
That was initiated by individuals with disabilities through their struggle and fight for their
human rights and to be involved in modern day-to-day life.

People with disabilities were often placed in hospitals, asylums, or other institutions that
provided little, if any, help, education or rehabilitation. Special education is relatively
new, but the history of people with disabilities in Europe as well as in the world is very
long.

1. PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES IN ANCIENT GREECE

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People with disabilities were seen in ancient Greece only through their disabilities, and
the preserved capacities of persons were completely neglected. This led to the attitude
towards persons with disabilities to be negative, inhuman and ruthless.

1.1 DISABILITY IN ATHENS

People with disabilities were treated as completely incompetent and useless in society,
which made it perfectly normal to even justify the destruction (killing) people with
disabilities. During this period, handicapped children were eliminated from the society in
the most brutal and the worst ways. Potentially disabled or deformed children were
often abandoned or killed because congenital physical deviations were considered as a
“punishment of the gods”. An Athenian father had ten days to decide if he wanted to
raise the infant or not. Plato and Aristotle call for infanticide if the child has any type of
deformity that is visual. Infants were left in the woods to die, drown in the water, thrown
off cliffs…

Deaf and blind children had a little more chance, because their disabilities were not
visual, they are not noticeable and they were less disturbing to society.

Aristotle believed that women were actually deformed males, but physical disabilities did
not preclude them from fulfilling their most important task: childbearing. Plato claimed
that a deformed spouse may make life unbearable, but such marriages clearly did take
place. All the marriageable women were gathered in one place and were auctioned off
to the men, they were called the “misshapen ones”. To entice the groom, these
“deformed” women received dowries from the proceeds raised from the sale of the
beautiful women.

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1.2 DISABILITY IN SPARTA

Probably the best-known ancient passage about the Greek practice of killing deformed
infants comes from Plutarch. He calls for the purity of the race, a society free of
“defectives”.
Plutarch argued that citizens suffering from an impairment or a serious illness should
not participate in public affairs as politicians or soldiers.

There was a law that newborn infants had to be taken to the lesche, probably a public
building, where Spartan elders examined them. If the infant proved to be sound and
strong, the elders would order it to be raised. If, however, it was ill, bred and deformed it
would be thrown in a pit at the foot of Mount Taygetus.

2. PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES IN ROMAN EMPIRE

The birth of a disabled child was regarded by the Romans as a great misfortune. A high
percentage of disabled children were abandoned outdoors immediately after birth and
left to die because many Romans felt it was pointless to prolong lives that could prove
to be a practical and financial burden on the rest of the family.

Romulus demanded that all the city’s residents should raise all their male children and
the first born of the girls and not kill any child under three, unless the child was disabled.

Physical appearance was very important. All children and persons who were “ugly”,
“underdeveloped” or in any way “mutilated” were discarded. Often ridiculed, and sold as
slaves for entertainment. Deformed slaves were so popular that Plutarch writes about
the different kinds of deformations on display at the Monster Markets. Romans liked to
collect human ‘freaks’ and were willing to pay exorbitant prices for interesting
specimens. They were viewed in the same way as exotic animals. The rich people often
had dwarf or humpback person as pets. It was commonly believed that a disabled slave
acted as a good luck charm, averting evil away from its owner.

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3. ERA OF RIDICULE (MIDDLE AGES)

Due to the intensive labor that constituted agriculture during middle ages in Europe,
many peasants and serfs have been found with extensive spinal and limb injuries, as
well as stunted growth, malnutrition and general deformity. Disability was not
considered an extraordinary quality among the medieval people and therefore were not
heavily documented.
We can briefly call this period an era of ridicule. There was a difference in economic
status among the population, so the nobles in the courts gave themselves the right to
mock everyone who was "lower" than them.

Persons with visible forms of some developmental disabilities were:

- used as servants
- used as court fools
- they were killed for fun
- persons of dwarfism were clowns
- ridiculed for deformities and their behavior

3.1 DISABILITY IN MEDIEVAL MEDICINE

In this period religion was quite significant, so difficulties in development were explained
only by religion. Different groups of Christians viewed disabilities in different ways. In
the Middle Ages in Europe, deformities and physical difficulties were considered to be
there because of some sin committed. While psychic disorders and difficulties in psychic
development were considered devil's obsession or curse.

Doctors at the time believed that these difficulties could be treated with their help and
with the fate given by God. Doctors managed to cure some illness (mainly colds,

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calluses, blisters, headaches ...)
If an illness or physical impairment did not subside over time, it was considered an
"incurable illness" and therefore was deemed as an act of God.

4. ERA OF ASYLUM (RENAISSANCE)

While religion remained a powerful influence, spiritual matters played a less important
role. People were more interested in the arts and sciences, which led to advancements
in health care and a better understanding of disabilities. Catholic Church accepts those
with disabilities as wards of state, and gives shelter and support to people who are
mentally ill and disabled. Many asylums have been opened and this is why this is called
the era od asylum.
For disabled and mentally ill people were cared for in isolation. They had no inclusion in
society, and they were only in those institutions.

People with disabilities in this period have no right on education, but they were cared for
in more humane ways than in the past.

5. ERA OF EDUCATION (INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION)

Disability in the Industrial Revolution sheds new light on the human cost of
industrialization by examining the lives and experiences of those disabled in a sector
that was vital to Britain’s economic growth. The most significant sector then was mining.
People with some disabilities could work as miners. Disabled people had a chance of
education.
People concluded that there was no humanity without education. And that education is
necessary in order to have quality workers for the industry to thrive. So, this is the era
of education.

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There were also sheltered workshops. No more human and “half-human” there is
equality between people.

6. PIONEERS IN SPECIAL EDUCATION

The most significant persons in the history of special education and their contribution to
this science are:

 Jean Marc Gaspard Itard (1774-1838)

 Edouard Seguin (1812-1880)
 Maria Montessori (1870-1952)

6.1 JEAN MARC GASPARD ITARD

French physician and educator Jean Marc Gaspard Itard was one of the earliest
teachers to argue that special teaching methods could be effective in educating
disabled children.
Between 1801 and 1805, he taught a wild-boy named Victor basic daily living skills.
Victor grew alone in the wild, with wild animals, walked on all fours, ate raw meat, made
noises and cries like an animal... and Jean set goals for what he wanted to learn Victor
and how. He managed to do a lot with his methods, but he never managed to get Victor
to speak, Victor didn't emotionally attach to anything and he wanted to go back to the
wild. Victor maybe had an autistic syndrome or mental retardation, and that can also
explain the abandonment.

6.2 EDOUARD SEGUIN

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Edouard Seguin developed several influential guidelines for educating children with
special needs. He did combination of physical and intellectual tasks for disabled
students. He developed sensory and motor trainings.

Through frequent change of activity, stimulation of the senses, education, various tasks,
Edouard considers employment as an outcome of all that education.

6.3 MARIA MONTESSORI

One of Montessori's many accomplishments was the Montessori method. This is a

method of education for young children that stresses the development of a child's own
initiative and natural abilities, especially through practical play.
Maria Montessori's concept is the "prepared environment". The environment can be
designed to maximize independent learning, exploration of the environment and
everyday situations by the child. This concept is built on learning from everyday life, and
all learning materials and objects can be found around us and in nature.

CONCLUSION

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The special education for special needs children went through many phases before they
were recognized by the court systems.

Special education has come a long way since the concept came about in the 1700s. In
that era people with disabilities were considered to be hopeless, an embarrassment to
their families and were therefore hidden or abandoned. . Children who had any sign of
mental problems were labeled as being dumb, retarded, and even brain injured.
Disabled children were left isolate and alone, sometimes being abused, and they were
not considered human.

The history of this problem has been horrible, inhumane and long. But today, people
with disabilities receive much better help. Through historical research many methods
have emerged that help rehabilitate and educate people with disabilities.

Today, in Europe, those who have special needs are increasingly gaining acceptance in
society and their rights as individuals are being acknowledged, particularly in education.
Children with learning disabilities finally have a chance to excel in school and the laws
have made it possible for them to take advantage of the opportunities for them to have
normal life.

LITERATURE

1. International Bureau of Education, http://www.ibe.unesco.org/

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2. Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Montessori#Montessori_method
3. NCBI, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK513198/
4. The Minnesota Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities,
https://mn.gov/mnddc/parallels/two/1.html
5. New world Encyclopedia,
https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Jean_Marc_Gaspard_Itard
6. Britannica, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Edouard-Seguin
7. Slavnić Svetlana, Veselinović Ivana: Uvod u defektologiju. “Galeb”, Niš, 2015.
8. Rapaić, Dragan: Teorijska i praktična razmatranja specijalne edukacije i
rehabilitacije. “BIG štampa”, Beograd, 2016.
9. Hrnjica Sulejman: Ometeno dete: Uvod u psihologiju ometenih u razvoju.
IGP “Vojvodina”, Beograd, 1990.

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