ABSTRACT
We would no doubt all subscribe to the notion that the experience of school should be a rewarding one, enabling all pupils to develop their talents and their personalities to the full. We would most of us also subscribe to the belief that there should be equality of opportunity for all children, in a setting which allows them to explore and learn and practise in an atmosphere of interest and encouragement. What we are not all in agreement with is how such an environment can be achieved. This is the nub of the problem. For equality of opportunity does not necessarily mean uniformity. Different needs demand different responses. The challenge that faces a school is the challenge of constructing a system which enables pupils to experience growth in its widest sense; in other words to acquire understanding and knowledge and to develop attitudes and relationships that will provide them with a basis for full adulthood.
