A School Is Under Fire For Offering Two Picture Day Options For Purchase: Class Photos With Or Without The Special Needs Kids In Them

What a story. A photography company sent out a link to the parents of a school in Britain, offering them two options to purchase their childrens' class photos: one with the special needs kids OR one without the special needs kids. And if you don't have a calendar on hand, let me remind everyone that it is the year 2024. My jaw is still dropped as I type this.....

Now, with the story out there, let me bring you into the mind of a blogger. What type of thumbnail picture can I use here? The name of the game is to get people to click, and I think the headline + the photo selected have more impact on getting clicks than anything else can. And umm, I'm not sure where the line in the sand is here for this next sentence, but I'm well aware that the line of putting someone with a disability in the blog picture is not acceptable (although would literally be appropriate for this story).

I'm sitting here in the Gambling Cave blogging this (tough life), and I just turned to the unnamed graphics editor in a North Carolina State jacket next to me and said, hey, what kind of thumbnail can I use here? You seem to know the rules of the internet better than most. And he came up with this.....

I said, No! Not my friend Mintzy. Although that is very funny….

Okay, back to the story.  I'm sure some of you are thinking to yourselves, wait, special needs keeps had their own classroom back in my day. Yes, that is how school USED to be. But in the last decade or so, we've completely switched as a society to giving all kids their "Least Restrictive Environment". Some students get extra help from specially licensed teachers, but if you can go to class without distracting others……or sometimes even if you do…..then schools want you in there for both the educational and social benefits.

…..which is all fine and dandy, except apparently on picture day.

Aberdeenshire Council said in a statement: "We are aware that following Aboyne Primary School’s recent school class photographs, links to purchase the pictures included images with and without complex needs provision pupils."

I thought the days of sticking different types of people in institutions or group homes and forgetting about them were over with, but maybe they're coming back? What's next? Keep the Fats out of the class photo? Kids without zits? Boys only? A slippery slope this photograph controversy could be leading us down….