I wish I could say you are right, Micelf, but my pupils suffered from so many disadvantages, the most I could hope for was to give them a pleasant experience during the school day, and the knowledge that they were valued and respected. There were children who had suffered mild brain damage during a difficult birth, some had been abused by parents or carers, some had missed a lot of school through medical or social problems, some had attended very poor primary schools, some were undernourished or over-tired, some had dyslexia or Asperger's - and some had been told throughout their life that they were worthless and would never amount to anything. Some parents would tell me this at parents' nights, in front of their children. I used to lie in my teeth and tell the parents how well behaved their children were and how proud they should be of them! Oddly enough, their behaviour would improve dramatically for a few weeks.
I had to fight the academic establishment in my schools and the lack of funding from a Conservative council.
I was invited to give a term's lectures at Chester College to trainee teachers and I was appalled to find that my talks were the only information they were given on children with learning difficulties.
I think and hope that things have improved - certainly when one of my grandsons was statemented because of his dyslexia he received a good deal of help and encouragement.