Discuss the difference between a secular approach and a biblical approach to special education.

Assignment Requirements

Directions: You are required to create a thread of at least 400 words in response to the provided prompt for each forum. You must support your assertions with at least 1 source in current APA format. Be sure to cite and reference all sources. You can use the grading rubric that is attached.

Thread:Discuss the difference between a secular approach and a biblical approach to special education. Utilize Ackerman’s G.U.I.D.E., focusing on the Great Commission and Understanding Differentiation Instruction to inform your thoughts on this topic. Feel free to also use Scripture verses that are related to this topic. Be sensitive to the fact that both public and Christian school teachers will be participating in this discussion.

Course Textbook: Ackerman, G.U.I.D.E. to Differentiated Instruction for Christian Educators (2012).

Answer

The cradle of the obligation that calls for action is the primary difference between the Christian approach and the secular approach to special education. According to Weintraub (2015), public schools systems (secular) in the United States have an obligation to conform to the Individual with Disabilities Act (IDEA). The law directs that all public schools must offer free and appropriate education (FAPE) to all students (Weintraub, 2015). However, this act is always being amended and has evolved accordingly to include underrated areas in the academic sector and to meet rising demands. Public schools, therefore, strive to comply with the current and emerging amendments of these laws to evade retributory measures.

Additionally, the government provides special equipment needed by people with disabilities to enhance and facilitate learning. The government further trains teachers who specialize particularly in handling students with special needs. Therefore, public school districts are mandated by the IDEA Act to see to it that all special students are attended to accordingly (Weintraub, 2015). However, teachers are to determine whether a student sits the same exam with their normal counterparts or attends a special one depending on the nature and degree of their case.

On the contrary, Christian schools and Christians, in general, have an overly different mandate with distinct laws and commandments to adhere to. Christians have an obligation to not only advocate for laws that emphasize the teachings and commands of Jesus but also those that govern the community (Perrin, 2017). As a result, they have an additional mandate of being good examples in the society apart from being partakers in the law. Additionally, aping the example of Jesus Christ, Christians are to keep vigil and live their talk by speaking and acting in a manner that conforms to their role model, the Lord Jesus (Manson, 2016).

Secondly, in the Gospel according to Saint Luke 4: 17-19:

Jesus was handed the book of prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written: The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the Gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

In view of this, Christians’ approach as seen in the mission of Jesus, unlike the secular approach, is to treat everyone equally and try to fill the gaps between the disabled and other people by bringing healing to them (Cadoux, 2015). Additionally, Jesus says in John 14:26 that “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you” (Manson, 2016). Thus, Christians, whether disabled or not, have the power of the Holy Spirit which enable them to do exceedingly abundantly above all that people ask for or think (Ephesians 3:20). Therefore, unlike in the secular approach to special education, the Biblical approach is enhanced by a Helper who facilitates teaching by reminding Christians about the works of Jesus and enabling them to abide by the decrees and commandments of God as written in the Scriptures.

References

Cadoux, C. (2015). The historic mission of Jesus (12th ed.). London and Redhill: Lutterworth Press.

Manson, T. (2016). The teaching of Jesus (8th ed.). Cambridge: University Press.

Perrin, N. (2017). The Kingdom of God in the teaching of Jesus (7th ed.). London: S.C.M.

Weintraub, F. (2015). The evolution of ld policy and future challenges. Learning Disability Quarterly, 28(2), 97-99