アメリカにおける特殊教育管理職の成立過程に関する一考察 : とくにPennsylvaniaにおける

抄録

(1) A major concern of special education is to meet the educational needs of handicapped children. They were not considered fit subjects for public education at the beginning of the public school education program. However, in the latter half of the nineteenth century, education and training for them in an appropriate public institution came into being as significant. In Pennsylvania, "Laws" and "Acts" can be seen to have been favorable for its growth. They made it easy to build public institution for handicapped children and to place it. In parallel with this, it was often considered that "there must be important supervisory activities" to meet the needs for handicapped children. In the first place, "Medical Inspector" was mandated to examine handicapped children, and identify whether or not such children are fit subjects for special education and training. (2) On the other hand, as increasing members of special classes for handicapped children were established in the State, a renewed and re-emphasized burden of leadership responsibility accrued to "The State Department of Education"; in the result, to "The Department of Public Instruction", to local school boards of directors, and to local school administrators. And there came an increasing number of requests for assistance to "The Department of Public Instruction" in establishing the classes. The responsibility became heavy, and then a need was felt for some person trained in this type of work to be located closer to the local level. (3) Although the development of the "Medical Inspector" marked a first important step, the session of the "General Assembly" revised Sections 1413 of the "School Laws", and omitted the "Medical Inspector" as a person who had examined the handicapped for the purpose of recommending special education for them. In short, in 1937 legislation created the office of county supervisor of special education, and defined his duties. This office was given a dual role; identifying handicapped children, and supervising their instruction. The dual role was psychological and educational. And his duties were "to examine and investigate the ability, disability, and needs of the exceptional children in the schools", and "to make recommendations concerning the institution of such children", and "to supervise such instruction". In addition to this, his responsibility was to provide the means for a study and diagnosis of their difficulties necessary for them. Thus he was given the functions of a psychologist and educator in nature.