THE HISTORY OF
SPECIAL EDUCATION

Education is Special is an oral history project. We talked to people about the last fifty years. We also think it is important to understand what happened before that.
Click the years for more info!
Some of the schools we are working with are over 100 years old.
Until 1970 there were not enough places in schools for everyone with a Learning Disability. Some people got letters saying their child was “ineducable” and they couldn’t go to school.
Until 1970 there were not enough places in schools for everyone with a Learning Disability. Some people got letters saying their child was “ineducable” and they couldn’t go to school.
The law changed. the government passed a new Education Act.
Many more special schools open. This law said the government must give everyone a place at school.
Many more special schools open. This law said the government must give everyone a place at school.
Over 4,000 pupils in special schools.
The government have made other changes since then.
The government have made other changes since then.
PIONEERS OF SPECIAL
EDUCATION IN BIRMINGHAM
On the next page you will see the stories of three women who all played an important role in special education in Birmingham. Teaching has traditionally been quite a female-dominated profession. Three of the four schools we worked with now have female Head Teachers.




DAME ELLEN PINSENT
Ellen Parker was born in Lincolnshire, but she moved to Birmingham and got married when she was 22.
Ellen was on the Special Schools Sub Committee at Birmingham City Council from 1900-1913. When she started, there were 100 children in special schools. When she left, there were nearly 1,300.

CLARA MARTINEAU
Clara Martineau followed
in Dame Ellen’s footsteps. She took over her seat as a councillor and her position as Chair of the Special Schools Sub Committee in 1913.
We can see from the school records that Clara was also a frequent visitor to the schools.

SUDARSHAN ABROL
Mrs Abrol was born and educated in Pakistan. She came to England in 1963.
Sudarshan worked hard to build a career in Special Education, inspired by her daughter, who has cerebral palsy.
In 1983, she became the first woman of Asian heritage to be appointed as Head Teacher of a special school in Birmingham.