[DRAFT] The Mentally Challenged Students Act

[The New European Order]

The Mentally Challenged Students Act

Category: Education and Creativity
Area of Effect: Education

The World Assembly,

Applauding previous legislative efforts to ensure everyone the right to basic education,

Aware of the difficulties of educating those with severe mental disabilities,

And hoping to provide guidance for nations with these difficulties,

Hereby

1. Defines, for the purposes of this resolution;

A "mentally challenged student" as a person under the age of majority, who has been evaluated by medical professionals specialized in mental disabilities to have trouble with the attention, communication and understanding required to attend regular basic education,

A "severely mentally challenged student" as a person under the age of majority, who has been evaluated by medical professionals specialized in mental disabilities to have severe trouble with the attention, communication and understanding required to attend regular basic education,

2. Requires that member nations;

A. Provide mental ability evaluation service for all children nearing school age, who their caretaker or attending physician has reason to suspect may be mentally challenged,

B. Institute a training program for special education teachers, if such does not already exist, to train education professionals who have the needed skills to deal with students who have mental disabilities,

C. Provide, to the best of their ability, all mentally challenged students with basic education, either as part of the regular class, or as a separate class taught by a special education teacher,

3. Encourages member nations to set up a training program for the caretakers of the severely mentally challenged students to become accredited instructors for their own children, if they should choose homeschooling.

4. Allows member nations to restrict the mental ability evaluation service to children who are legal residents,


Coauthored by Araraukar

[Marzicon]

"This will be a massive overhaul to civil rights, especially in Marzicon. We have this type of legislation within our borders, but I'd like to see this passed through others and see what they think. I'm in agreement with you, all the way."

OOC: I think you're missing the "Effect" category in this outlining part. What would be its impact?

[The New European Order]

"This will be a massive overhaul to civil rights, especially in Marzicon. We have this type of legislation within our borders, but I'd like to see this passed through others and see what they think. I'm in agreement with you, all the way."

OOC: I think you're missing the "Effect" category in this outlining part. What would be its impact?

Thanks! That doesnt apply to Education and Creativity, just its area of effect

[Marzicon]

"This will be a massive overhaul to civil rights, especially in Marzicon. We have this type of legislation within our borders, but I'd like to see this passed through others and see what they think. I'm in agreement with you, all the way."

OOC: I think you're missing the "Effect" category in this outlining part. What would be its impact?

Thanks! That doesnt apply to Education and Creativity, just its area of effect

Alright, I totally understand. I will be in full support of your resolution if and only if I can get your support on the [DRAFT]Act for the Protection of Miners

[Wealthatonia]

Uhhh, Ambassador, I like this, but our entire school system is private, how would this affect us?

[Covenstone]

i think I can agree to all this. it looks reasonably worked out, and while there might be issues with private schools, I believe I can work round that by providing funding on request.

However my one real problem is article 3. i understand the rationale behind it, but i can see a possible problem (which, if you would give me a moment to think I will try to put into words).

this proposal, assuming it passes, will not be allowed to be amended - changed - in the future. so if you want to change the definition of MMD/SMD in the future, you can't.

and so if a new diagnosis appears, or if a new method of diagnosis appears, then we might be able to diagnose more people who would fit into these groups who would not be covered by this resolution because of the language you use - you specifically forbid them from being included.

as I said - i understand that you don't want it to be open to abuse, but at the same time there is a possibility you are risking the future of hundreds of people because of the fact proposals can't be amended.

1. Declares that in order for one to be diagnosed with an MMD, they must “comply” with at least two of the aforementioned afflictions of MMDs, in order to be covered in this document.

2. Declares that in order for one to be diagnosed with an SMD, they must “comply” with at least one of the aforementioned afflictions of SMDs in order to be covered in this document.

3. Permits a person to be included in either of these categories if two or more specialists agree that they fit, regardless of the previous two points.

or something like that?

on a related note - the difference in the text between point 5 and point 6 - was that deliberate or a typing error? 5 says "not limited to" and 6 says "limited to"?

[Separatist Peoples]

OOC: This exceeds the 3500 character limit. It currently weighs in at 5412, including spaces. You need to cut this almost in half.

[Marzicon]

OOC: This exceeds the 3500 character limit. It currently weighs in at 5412, including spaces. You need to cut this almost in half.

my apologies if i'm incorrect, but the character count is at 860.

[Covenstone]

OOC: This exceeds the 3500 character limit. It currently weighs in at 5412, including spaces. You need to cut this almost in half.

my apologies if i'm incorrect, but the character count is at 860.

are you mistaking words for characters? because even though i haven't done a count, there is no way there is less than 1000 characters - there just can't be.

[The New European Order]

OOC: This exceeds the 3500 character limit. It currently weighs in at 5412, including spaces. You need to cut this almost in half.

Seriously? Thats a thing? Dang... what am I gonna do?

[Araraukar]

OOC: Not sure yet if Janis is back from the sentient paperwork mountain hunt with Ogenbond, but I tend to do these vivisections in IC, so if she's not, we'll pretend the WAHQ timewarp is in effect.

IC: *pulls out the Proposal Scalpel* Now then, let's see what this beastie had for its last supper...

The Special Education Act

If you mean to write an education act for mentally retarded students, please have some honesty with the proposal naming.

The World Assembly

OOC: I suggest killing all italics and bolding throughout the text. There is at least one superdelegate known to vote against proposals that use either.

Grateful that education programs are abundant within World Assembly Member States

Might that be because of GA #80, A Promotion of Basic Education? Which, by the way, also applies to mentally retarded students, and thus makes this whole thing a bunch of duplication, but I'll continue to rip into it anyway just for fun...

Pleased that almost everyone is represented in education

What does this mean? Students? Teachers? Teachers' Unions? Should criminals be allowed to teach too, for better "representation"? Have pedophiles teach sex ed, for a full "education"? Yeah, ok, that last one's maybe a bit too far even for the WA, and I know this is just preamble, but still, the sentence makes no sense.

(OOC: Also, I suggest ending every clause, preamble, definitions and mandates all, with a comma, with a full stop at the very end of the proposal. That makes the whole thing work as a one very long sentence.)

Concerned that an unrepresented minority of citizens are somewhat forgotten in the education process

Same as above, what "representation"? Also, minorities would be protected from discrimination by GA #35, The Charter of Civil Rights.

Intending to establish education for those with developmental disabilities.

Why? It already exists, due to GA #80.

Article I

OOC: I get it that RLUN and many law books out there do this articles thing, but it's not necessary in GA proposals, scatters definitions and in general increases your mark count. You're going to have an issue with the length as is.

1. Defines “Disability” as “a physical or mental condition that limits a person’s movements, senses, or activities.

First of all, you define "mental disability", you don't need to define regular disability, especially as you don't use that anywhere in the rest of the proposal.

2. Defines “Mental Disability” as a broad term describing disabilities characterized by significant, or mild limitations both in intellectual functioning, (especially in terms of reasoning, learning, and problem solving) and in adaptive behavior, which covers a range of everyday social and practical skills.

Secondly, you should add a "for the purposes of this resolution" after the word "defines", as there already are a couple of resolutions using their own definitions of disability, and if you tried to institute this One Definition To Rule Them All, it could count as contradiction, if and when the wording is different.

3. Defines “Mental Retardation” as a severe mental condition in which the person affected has a much lower mental capacity than normal, than the appropriate to their age. This can affect speech, cognition, fine motor skills, and the ability to care for themselves.

Thirdly, you don't really need either of these, or alternatively, any of the definitions coming after these, for your proposal to function. One third of your clauses are definitions, and for a proposal this long, that's far too many. You need to choose a couple of terms that you define and use them for the rest of the text. You shouldn't define 4 things so that you can define 2 things and then further define those two things with further 5-7 symptoms. Simplify. Also, fine motor skills really belong in the physical department of disabilities.

4. Classifies Mental Disabilities into two category; Mild Mental Disabilities (MMD), and Severe Mental Disabilities (SMD).

OOC: Seriously, I don't care about the wording otherwise but find any other way to say that last one, rather than using SMD, because I cringed when I saw it, and I'm sure I wasn't the only one.

5. Defines MMDs as mental disabilities that mildly inhibit the learning process with afflictions including, but not limited to
a. Moderate to severe attention issues
b. A seemingly inability to retain information for any length of time
c. Displays some difficulty on comprehending certain topics
d. Minor to moderate issues in conveying thoughts and ideas.

OOC: I've used, for the explanation of micromanagement, the following example: You're a general in the army and you want to take over a hill on the other side of the valley. Your proposal is your battle plan for taking it. You'll want to point out the general idea to others, giving them a few reasons for why it's a good idea, then you'll want to explain the tactics of how you're going to achieve it. You give your subordinates commands, like maybe one group is the diversion and another group circles around to attack from the rear, and you may want to give certain group different weapons, but you don't go on to define which individual soldier should wear what colour underwear, as that's far too down in the food chain for you to burden your battle plan with it.

These definitions you use, which aren't the only ones with the same micromanagement level, are going towards the underwear category.

This isn't a developmental psychology text book, this is a GA proposal. There are levels that you're going to have to let individual nations deal with, and will get to do away with much of this, if you put in somewhere something about the mentally retarded students being "evaluated by medical professionals specialized in developmental disabilities". You can use that wording if you want.

6. Defines SMDs as mental disabilities that majorly impair the learning process, and possibly the brain, with afflictions including, and limited to
a. Severe difficulty in conveying simple thoughts.
b. Frequent, or constant seizures, which obstruct brain function
c. Severe to extreme speech impediment, or inability to speak.
d. Mental Retardation.

OOC: This is the same underwear category micromanagement as above. Also, I suggest you learn to use list code. It works like this:

Code: Select all

List of things
[list=a][*]first thing
[*]second thing
[*]third thing[/list]

That makes it look like this:

List of things

1. first thing
2. second thing
3. third thing

Article II- Economics

OOC: Not needed. Save on length. You'll need to do a lot of rewriting anyway.

1. Establishes a division of the Global Initiative for Basic Education (GIBE)

Does this thing pre-exist or are you creating that as well? Also, seriously, gibe? Are you trying to be offensive or is that just a natural talent?

entitled the Special Education Fund (SEF), to oversee the establishment of education programs for the mentally disabled, and assure that these programs are regulated, and maintained.

Why is this SEF even needed? Or any special education programs? Nations are already required to teach mentally retarded people as much of the regular education stuff as they can. Also, as far as I can see, the bits of the proposal that actually deal with this education, talk about "classes", not "programs". This is literally the only non-preamble clause that uses "program". Choose a word, stick to it.

2. Declares that the Global Initiative for Basic Education (GIBE)

Use either the long version or the short one. No sense using both.

shall allocate and provide funds at the request of any nation for the purposes of complying to this legislation and providing quality education for the mentally disabled, so long as the recipient nation:
(a) Uses the donation(s) exclusively to provide an education for the mentally disabled in their nation
(b) Is deemed to be genuinely unable to economically support the requirements of education based on this document;

Earmarking the money is a good idea, but "donations"? Nations donate money to the General Fund, that money, when redistributed back to the member nations is not a donation, it is official funding plan or something like that.

Article III- Eligibility

1. Declares that in order for one to be diagnosed with an MMD, they must “comply” with at least two of the aforementioned afflictions of MMDs, in order to be covered in this document.

2. Declares that in order for one to be diagnosed with an SMD, they must “comply” with at least one of the aforementioned afflictions of SMDs in order to be covered in this document.

OOC: Underwear category again. I seriously suggest using the "medical professional" out. Yes, it may lead to some nations being sneaky (you can't stop people from being noncompliant entirely, no matter how much you try), but most of the reasonable nations won't even try to worm out of it.

Article IV- Policy of MMDs

1. Mandates that students with MMDs be enrolled in classes that cover the same content as normal classes, but move slightly slower, putting some topics into more depth than others based on the strength of the class. This allows the teachers to still maintain flexibility in their curriculum, while suiting the needs of everyone in the class.

And yet more micromanagement...

2. Defines “Meltdown” as “A sudden loss of control over one’s feelings and behaviors, usually resulting in actions such as screaming, crying, falling on to the ground, shaking, fighting and ‘having a temper-tantrum’”

So... every toddler everywhere, ever? This is one more defition of a normally understood word that doesn't need to be defined.

3. Requests that rooms be constructed within schools with pleasurable, soothing items such as music players, stuffed animals, and soft lights, to be used to calm down students with MMDs, if severe meltdowns occur, while in school.

...ok, this made me have two thoughts instantly. One: why shouldn't all kids have a nice, calm learning environment? Two: stuffed animals, seriously? If someone is so disturbed by the lack of stuffed animals that they cannot function even normally for them, then maybe that someone should not be in a school, disrupting everyone else.

In fact, this whole proposal seems to require to put the seriously disabled kids into a school or school-like facility. Have you given any thought to homeschooling? Or, if someone is so seriously disabled that they need to be in professional care in an institution somewhere, having the teachers go over there rather than force such students to go to a school, where they'd probably upset and set off others with their "meltdowns".

4. Outlaws the barring of students with MMDs from clubs, sports, events, and organizations on the grounds of their disability, with the exception that the disability may cause them harm inside the club, sport, event, or organization.

Uh, you probably should make that "student clubs/sports/events/organizations", rather than require disabled kids (let's face it, the majority of them will be kids) to be allowed to partake the parliament meetings just because they're "MMD". Also, you might actually want to make that "student activities and events", and add "unless the activities may cause them harm". Because seriously, if that teddybear-lover's going to freak in a classroom with only a handful of people, what are they gonna do at a mass event with tens or even hundreds of kids? Probably melt. Literally.

Article VII- Policy of SMDs

OOC:

1. Defines the fact that students with SMDs have a very low mental capacity, and most likely, do not have the ability to learn without extreme difficulty, and nearly eternal repetition.

You already said this. Also, "nearly eternal repetition" would be a fairly strong pointer of "don't waste time and money on this one".

2. Requires that the Special Education Fund, certifies teachers that wish to work with students with SMDs due to the extensive care that must be exhibited to the students.

Why aren't the "MMD"s required to have special teachers? I don't think most regular teachers would want to deal with students that constantly need music and teddybears to make it through a day without several temper tantrums. Also, no comma between "Fund" and "certifies".

3. Mandates that students with SMDs be enrolled in classes that follow the basics of education, such as member states’ alphabet, or focus on communication, and mental therapy. More advanced studies can include measuring systems, and reading.

Duplication of GA #80.

4. Requests that all students with SMDs are assigned an “aide”, or a SEF approved staff member to assist the student progress through the day.

The fuck? If you've got one such kid in an entire school, then maybe. If you've got a bunch, just throw them in the same classroom in the basement, chuck in a certified teacher and you're done with it. No need to drain either the nation's or the WA's money on personal aides for every kid who has tantrums.

OOC: Do not mistake IC comments as fully representing my OOC opinions.

Janis comes from a society that has mandatory abortions for fetuses that would be born as disabled children, and no-one is allowed to have children if they're not able to take care of them (Parental Licence For Procreation, if you want a biological child, and same for Adoption if you're going to adopt), and while reasonable attempts will be made by the state, cooperating with parents and schools, if someone would seriously need a full-time aide all the time and still need special slow moving classes, the parental licence is revoked, the child becomes a charge of the state, and they're put into a care facility, where there will be enough well-educated staff to keep them safe and secure, providing as much care and education as necessary and possible, but they won't be let out to normal schools to disrupt the regular students. Janis sees this as the smart way that will let regular students progress normally, but will also give the seriously disabled ones chance to a better life. She herself has additional opinions about whether such "societal money drains" (her words, not mine) should be allowed to live at all.

This does not mean that I, the player behind this account, would be seriously suggesting the "lock them in the basement" approach. That is all IC.

5. Includes students with SMDs in clauses 2 and 3 of Article VI.

...which was what again? Put this in the actual clauses 2 and 3, don't add it as an afterthought.

6. Outlaws the barring of students with SMDs from clubs, and events on the grounds of their disability.

You already said this, didn't you? And the same suggestion I made then, applies here too.

7. Discourages the acceptance of students with SMDs into sports that could be labeled as “contact sports” due to the danger of severely injuring, and possibly mortally wounding the individual

If the student is a minor, GA #222, Prevention of Child Abuse already covers this. If they aren't, GA #180, A Decriminalization of Suicide would let them try whatever legal sport they wanted, even if it resulted in their death.

8. Promotes the establishment of casual games that can be participated in by ALL students, which leads to an inclusive environment, including (but not limited to) Bocce, and Bowling.

OOC: Specifying bocce and bowling (which, btw, aren't necessarily possible for all students, depending on physical disabilities), adding the "inclusive environment" seems wishful thinking (you know how cruel kids can be), but the stuff before "which" sounds fairly sensible.

[The New European Order]

[quote="Araraukar";p="31566545"]*snip*[quote]
Jaysus, quite a long speal.

Janis, I'm confused. You tell me that this topic is basically already covered, and yet you go on anyways. What you say, I understand, and I revise as you speak, but I need to know. Should I be writing this, or will it simply be deemed illegal for duplication? I need to know so I'm not spending days on a lost cause

[Araraukar]

Janis, I'm confused. You tell me that this topic is basically already covered, and yet you go on anyways.

If I only helped people with proposals I agree are good and necessary, I largely wouldn't be helping people with their proposals. If you want to try and pass crap, I can teach you how to polish it, even if I didn't want to touch it. (OOC: This reminds me of that Mythbusters episode, where they proved that you can indeed polish crap...)

Should I be writing this, or will it simply be deemed illegal for duplication? I need to know so I'm not spending days on a lost cause

That's not my call.

---

OOC: However... Like I said in TG, here's something for you to work off of, if you want it.

DISCLAIMER: This is a working draft, not ready for submission, for the use of The New European Order or myself only.

The Mentally Challenged Students Act

Category: Education and Creativity
Area of Effect: Education

The World Assembly,

Applauding existing legislative efforts to ensure everyone the right to basic education,

Aware of the difficulties of educating those with severe mental disabilities,

And hoping to provide guidance for nations with these difficulties,

Hereby

1. Defines, for the purposes of this resolution, a "mentally challenged student" as a person under the age of majority, who has been evaluated by medical professionals specialized in mental disabilities to have trouble with the attention, communication and understanding required to attend regular basic education,

2. Defines, for the purposes of this resolution, a "severely mentally challenged student" as a person under the age of majority, who has been evaluated by medical professionals specialized in mental disabilities to have severe trouble with the attention, communication and understanding required to attend regular basic education,

3. Requires that member nations provide the mental ability evaluation service for all children nearing school age, who their caretaker or attending physician has reason to suspect may be mentally challenged,

4. Allows member nations to restrict the mental ability evaluation service to children who are legal residents,

5. Requires member nations to institute a training program for special education teachers, if such does not already exist, to train education professionals who have the needed skills to deal with students who have mental disabilities,

6. Mandates that member nations must, to the best of their ability, provide all mentally challenged students with basic education, either as part of the regular class, or as a separate class taught by a special education teacher,

7. Requires that member nations also attempt to provide all severely mentally challenged students with basic education, or as much of it as is possible based on their level of understanding, either as a separate class taught by a special education teacher, or personally by a special education teacher or similarly accredited instructors,

8. Encourages member nations to set up a training program for the caretakers of the severely mentally challenged students to become accredited instructors for their own children, if they should choose homeschooling.

[The New European Order]

Janis, I'm confused. You tell me that this topic is basically already covered, and yet you go on anyways.

If I only helped people with proposals I agree are good and necessary, I largely wouldn't be helping people with their proposals. If you want to try and pass crap, I can teach you how to polish it, even if I didn't want to touch it. (OOC: This reminds me of that Mythbusters episode, where they proved that you can indeed polish crap...)

Should I be writing this, or will it simply be deemed illegal for duplication? I need to know so I'm not spending days on a lost cause

That's not my call.

---

OOC: However... Like I said in TG, here's something for you to work off of, if you want it.

DISCLAIMER: This is a working draft, not ready for submission, for the use of The New European Order or myself only.

The Mentally Challenged Students Act

Category: Education and Creativity
Area of Effect: Education

The World Assembly,

Applauding existing legislative efforts to ensure everyone the right to basic education,

Aware of the difficulties of educating those with severe mental disabilities,

And hoping to provide guidance for nations with these difficulties,

Hereby

1. Defines, for the purposes of this resolution, a "mentally challenged student" as a person under the age of majority, who has been evaluated by medical professionals specialized in mental disabilities to have trouble with the attention, communication and understanding required to attend regular basic education,

2. Defines, for the purposes of this resolution, a "severely mentally challenged student" as a person under the age of majority, who has been evaluated by medical professionals specialized in mental disabilities to have severe trouble with the attention, communication and understanding required to attend regular basic education,

3. Requires that member nations provide the mental ability evaluation service for all children nearing school age, who their caretaker or attending physician has reason to suspect may be mentally challenged,

4. Allows member nations to restrict the mental ability evaluation service to children who are legal residents,

5. Requires member nations to institute a training program for special education teachers, if such does not already exist, to train education professionals who have the needed skills to deal with students who have mental disabilities,

6. Mandates that member nations must, to the best of their ability, provide all mentally challenged students with basic education, either as part of the regular class, or as a separate class taught by a special education teacher,

7. Requires that member nations also attempt to provide all severely mentally challenged students with basic education, or as much of it as is possible based on their level of understanding, either as a separate class taught by a special education teacher, or personally by a special education teacher or similarly accredited instructors,

8. Encourages member nations to set up a training program for the caretakers of the severely mentally challenged students to become accredited instructors for their own children, if they should choose homeschooling.

Will you allow me to base off of this? It makes it mich easier to understand.

Also, I apologize that I have quite a few problems in drafting. The first thing I learned while writing drafts is that people will always try to get around you, and you have to be pin point specific. I suppose this is incorrect?

[Araraukar]

Will you allow me to base off of this? It makes it mich easier to understand.

OOC: As you can see from the disclaimer, it's meant for your use. The "or mine" is just a general "because I wrote it" thing.

The first thing I learned while writing drafts is that people will always try to get around you, and you have to be pin point specific. I suppose this is incorrect?

Well, people will go to many lengths to get around resolutions they don't like. I know I do on my WA nation. But that doesn't mean that proposal writers should try to fill every possible loophole. It's like the saying "When you make something idiot-proof, the universe makes a better idiot." There's this thing called "reasonable nation theory", which basically assumes that most nations aren't outrageously extreme and that the proposals should be written for the reasonable nations, as the outrageously extreme ones (many RP nations can be extreme in one way or another, it's not a bad quality, necessarily) can't all be catered to.

Another common mistake is to draft reactively. Like your proposal says A, B and C, then someone comes along and says C is a really bad idea and you remove it. Then another comes along and says B is a really bad idea and should be replaced by D. Then someone comes along and says C was a good idea, but replacing it with E is an even better one. If you draft reactively, you'll end up with A, D and E, and have probably lost the sight of what you originally wanted to say.

What I did with the rewrite was to basically take what I think you wanted to get done, and put it in simpler terms that are closer to the kind of language most passed resolutions are written in. That can be the right choice especially if you've done a lot of reactive drafting to try and plug all possible loopholes.

[Covenstone]

Will you allow me to base off of this? It makes it mich easier to understand.

Also, I apologize that I have quite a few problems in drafting. The first thing I learned while writing drafts is that people will always try to get around you, and you have to be pin point specific. I suppose this is incorrect?

I highly approve of the new draft. It does what the old one does, is much shorter and does solve the problem I raised earlier about future diagnoses issues. This would still have my support, limited as it is. (Limited in that I am one nation with no delegate status. Not that my support has limitations due to the proposal. Just to be clear.)

[The New European Order]

Will you allow me to base off of this? It makes it mich easier to understand.

Also, I apologize that I have quite a few problems in drafting. The first thing I learned while writing drafts is that people will always try to get around you, and you have to be pin point specific. I suppose this is incorrect?

I highly approve of the new draft. It does what the old one does, is much shorter and does solve the problem I raised earlier about future diagnoses issues. This would still have my support, limited as it is. (Limited in that I am one nation with no delegate status. Not that my support has limitations due to the proposal. Just to be clear.)

Thank you for the support!

[Aclion]

The Mentally Challenged Students Act

Category: Education and Creativity
Area of Effect: Education

The World Assembly,

Applauding existing legislative efforts to ensure everyone the right to basic education,

Aware of the difficulties of educating those with severe mental disabilities,

And hoping to provide guidance for nations with these difficulties,

Hereby

1. Defines, for the purposes of this resolution;

A "mentally challenged student" as a person under the age of majority, who has been evaluated by medical professionals specialized in mental disabilities to have trouble with the attention, communication and understanding required to attend regular basic education,

A "severely mentally challenged student" as a person under the age of majority, who has been evaluated by medical professionals specialized in mental disabilities to have severe trouble with the attention, communication and understanding required to attend regular basic education,

2. Requires that member nations;

A. Provide mental ability evaluation service for all children nearing school age, who their caretaker or attending physician has reason to suspect may be mentally challenged,

B. Institute a training program for special education teachers, if such does not already exist, to train education professionals who have the needed skills to deal with students who have mental disabilities,

C. Provide, to the best of their ability, all mentally challenged students with basic education, either as part of the regular class, or as a separate class taught by a special education teacher,

3. Encourages member nations to set up a training program for the caretakers of the severely mentally challenged students to become accredited instructors for their own children, if they should choose homeschooling.

4. Allows member nations to restrict the mental ability evaluation service to children who are legal residents,
Co-authored by Ararakaur

In the future please spoiler your previous drafts

old draft goes here

so we know what edits have been made. I wrote up a bunch of suggestions on how to save characters only to notice now that Ararakaur's already helped you get below the limit.

[Araraukar]

Co-authored by Ararakaur

Co-authored by Ararakaur

OOC: *cough* Araraukar, not Ararakaur.

I like Aclion's restructuring, though I'd probably make the definitions to have list code letters as well, and make clause 2 list code letters lowercase, but those are just cosmetics and personal preferences.

A minor fix that might be a good idea - the first preamble clause, changing "Applauding existing legislative" to "Applauding previous legislative". In case someone repeals the currently existing one(s).

[Thyerata]

A "mentally challenged student" as a person under the age of majority, who has been evaluated by medical professionals specialized in mental disabilities to have trouble with the attention, communication and understanding required to attend regular basic education,

A "severely mentally challenged student" as a person under the age of majority, who has been evaluated by medical professionals specialized in mental disabilities to have severe trouble with the attention, communication and understanding required to attend regular basic education,

For RL reasons, I'm very uncomfortable with that definition. I'm autistic (albeit very midly) which can lead to difficulty with attention and communication (see, for example AD/HD, where people can struggle greatly with their attention and communication skills), and if that definition were true, it would mean that I have a "mental disability". I might have a disability, but it's not mental. I strenuously object to a classification that would classify autistic people with those who are truly mentally ill, such as the insane. Additionally, autistic people have difficulty with communication, we can and do - sometimes with quite a lot of support - succeed in education.

For IC purposes, and because of my RL concerns, we are opposed. We would suggest that the author write in some examples of what disabilities would fall under "mentally challenged" or "severely mentally challenged"

[The New European Order]

A "mentally challenged student" as a person under the age of majority, who has been evaluated by medical professionals specialized in mental disabilities to have trouble with the attention, communication and understanding required to attend regular basic education,

A "severely mentally challenged student" as a person under the age of majority, who has been evaluated by medical professionals specialized in mental disabilities to have severe trouble with the attention, communication and understanding required to attend regular basic education,

For RL reasons, I'm very uncomfortable with that definition. I'm autistic (albeit very midly) which can lead to difficulty with attention and communication (see, for example AD/HD, where people can struggle greatly with their attention and communication skills), and if that definition were true, it would mean that I have a "mental disability". I might have a disability, but it's not mental. I strenuously object to a classification that would classify autistic people with those who are truly mentally ill, such as the insane. Additionally, autistic people have difficulty with communication, we can and do - sometimes with quite a lot of support - succeed in education.

For IC purposes, and because of my RL concerns, we are opposed. We would suggest that the author write in some examples of what disabilities would fall under "mentally challenged" or "severely mentally challenged"

OOC: Don't intend to offend you, my brother has a mitochondrial disease and is deemed mentally retatrded. Also, adding specific names would be a rl reference.

[Thyerata]

For RL reasons, I'm very uncomfortable with that definition. I'm autistic (albeit very midly) which can lead to difficulty with attention and communication (see, for example AD/HD, where people can struggle greatly with their attention and communication skills), and if that definition were true, it would mean that I have a "mental disability". I might have a disability, but it's not mental. I strenuously object to a classification that would classify autistic people with those who are truly mentally ill, such as the insane. Additionally, autistic people have difficulty with communication, we can and do - sometimes with quite a lot of support - succeed in education.

For IC purposes, and because of my RL concerns, we are opposed. We would suggest that the author write in some examples of what disabilities would fall under "mentally challenged" or "severely mentally challenged"

OOC: Don't intend to offend you, my brother has a mitochondrial disease and is deemed mentally retatrded. Also, adding specific names would be a rl reference.

I would defer to a Secretariat ruling on this, but I don't think that's how one reads the RL rule. In full, it states as follows:

WA laws are written for the world of NationStates and the fictional countries therein, so your proposal should not contain any real world references. This includes but is not limited to, world leaders, real world persons, places, organizations and/or events. Generic references, however, are permitted, such as religions, political philosophies, languages, general scientific terminology, and phenomena

. Notice I've emphasised "generic references" and "general scientific terminology". Now, I'm not saying that one can refer to or invoke something like the DSM, becuase that is too specific, but - to use personal experience as an example - I think "autism" is generic enough that it wouldn't fall foul of the rule. If we were to interpret the rule literally, we would end up with situations wher a person couldn't refer, ICly, to blindness or insanity because they're RL disabilities/mental ilnesses, even though, in RL, they're used as generic terminology.

[The New European Order]

OOC: Don't intend to offend you, my brother has a mitochondrial disease and is deemed mentally retatrded. Also, adding specific names would be a rl reference.

I would defer to a Secretariat ruling on this, but I don't think that's how one reads the RL rule. In full, it states as follows:

WA laws are written for the world of NationStates and the fictional countries therein, so your proposal should not contain any real world references. This includes but is not limited to, world leaders, real world persons, places, organizations and/or events. Generic references, however, are permitted, such as religions, political philosophies, languages, general scientific terminology, and phenomena

. Notice I've emphasised "generic references" and "general scientific terminology". Now, I'm not saying that one can refer to or invoke something like the DSM, becuase that is too specific, but - to use personal experience as an example - I think "autism" is generic enough that it wouldn't fall foul of the rule. If we were to interpret the rule literally, we would end up with situations wher a person couldn't refer, ICly, to blindness or insanity because they're RL disabilities/mental ilnesses, even though, in RL, they're used as generic terminology.

I feel the need to disagree with you on this. Blindness and insanity are conditions, as well as concepts. Autism is a specific case of developmental disabilities ranging on a wide spectrum. It would classify under rl reference.

Besides, how would mentioning specific cases make any difference at all? The effect of the proposal is the same.

[Thyerata]

I would defer to a Secretariat ruling on this, but I don't think that's how one reads the RL rule. In full, it states as follows:
. Notice I've emphasised "generic references" and "general scientific terminology". Now, I'm not saying that one can refer to or invoke something like the DSM, becuase that is too specific, but - to use personal experience as an example - I think "autism" is generic enough that it wouldn't fall foul of the rule. If we were to interpret the rule literally, we would end up with situations wher a person couldn't refer, ICly, to blindness or insanity because they're RL disabilities/mental ilnesses, even though, in RL, they're used as generic terminology.

I feel the need to disagree with you on this. Blindness and insanity are conditions, as well as concepts. Autism is a specific case of developmental disabilities ranging on a wide spectrum. It would classify under rl reference.

Besides, how would mentioning specific cases make any difference at all? The effect of the proposal is the same.

I think that without specific examples of each type of disability, the definitions can be read too broadly (going back to my point on autism).

[Wealthatonia]

Could I get my question answered? Does this affect public school only or would it affect private education as well?