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Mentally Disabled Pupils in Special Basic Schools and Their Perspectives
JURÁKOVÁ, Bohuslava
In my Bachelor´s work I have tried to find out what perspectives there are for mentally disabled pupils after finishing compulsory education at special basic schools and if there are enough opportunities for their further education. The theoretical part describes a mentally disabled child and the levels of mental disorders. I deal with the education of mentally handicapped pupils, special schools and the school legislation. The last section analyses opportunities for further education of mentally disabled pupils after finishing special basic schools. The practical part of the Bachelor´s work has been done on the basis of quantitative research realised in 16 special basic schools in South Bohemia. Thirteen headmasters (81%) and 97 parents of mentally handicapped pupils (81%) were engaged. All the data and information necessary for the research were gained from October 2008 to January 2009. I used questionnaires of structured, semi-structured and open-ended questions and a secondary data analysis. The first aim of the research was to find out how much the parents of mentally disabled pupils are interested in futher education of their children. The second aim was focused on educational opportunities in one- and two-year practical schools and how available they are for these pupils. Thanks to the questionnaire findings I succeeded in getting all important information and fulfil both aims stated at the beginning. The aim served as a base of two hypotheses. Hypothesis 1: The parents of special school pupils are interested in their further education. Hypohesis 2: Pupils finishing special basic schools are offered enough opportunities for further education in one- and two-year practical schools. After evaluating all data I have found that Hypothesis 1 was proved because 81% of parents of mentally disabled pupils are interested in further education for their children after finishing their compulsory education. Hypothesis 2 expected that pupils after finishing special basic schools had enough opportunities for further education. The research, however, showed that there were significant obstacles, e.g. children´s handicap (38%), shortage of financial means (28%), school distance (23%), parents´ uninterest and others (11%), for example a stay out of the family, difficulties in commuting to school and uninterest in further education. It means that hypothesis 2 was disproved. The work could become a valuable source of information for parents of mentally disabled children. The findings can be used as an information material for special pedagogists and may serve as a feedback to the schools and their founders. My Bachelor´s work brought some new knowledge to me and it was very interesting and instructive at the same time.
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