Educating Peter

"Educating Peter" is an enlightening and informative look into the life of a child affected by Downs Syndrome.

It's fun to watch as Peter adapts to his new school and learns to interact with other children, and it seems as though they learn as much from him as he does from them. His zany misadventures with his classmates serve as moments of laughter because all of us wish, at times, we could be as care-free as Peter.

This Academy Award winning documentary should be seen by everyone; it is unforgettable and Peter will provide a topic of discussion for a long time to come.

What everyone needs to remember is that there was so much more to his life than what was seen on film. The town this documentary takes place in is very small and he was the first of many students to try this new approach to education. With that being said, I know Peter. I was in fifth grade when this was filmed and i went to that school. Not only that, he lived in my neighborhood. To me and to the rest of the students at GLE, seeing peter overcome such obstacles was an everyday occurrence. I haven't seen the movie graduating peter, but i did see the actual ceremony. For the record, Peter ended up excelling so well that he actually graduated a year after I did.

Educating Peter is the Academy Award winning documentary of the experiences of a grade school child with a special handicap . Not many documentaries focus on what it is like to live with Down's Syndrome , and these filmmakers do a commendable job .

Worth noting is the reaction Peter has to his classmates , as well as his classmates interaction with him . The trials , tribulations and yes , dare I say it , funny moments . An endearing scene was when Peter drop kicks little Kenny Kerr right in the face during a gym class , and regrets what he did , exclaiming in his heartfelt way ( with a little encouragement from his teacher ) , " sorry " . Magical .

I highly recommend this to anyone .

Geraldine Wurzburg's Oscar-winning "Educating Peter" focuses on a boy afflicted with Down's syndrome, and how he tries to overcome it in his school. Despite Peter's occasional outbursts, his teacher and classmates do what they can to help him. It's safe to say that while a lot of people see the Oscar-winning feature films, not enough people see the documentaries (and they're the important nominees). "Educating Peter" is an example of a documentary that everyone should see. It reminds us that despite our differences, deep down we're all human. Indeed, people with Down's will likely suffer a lot of bullying. Whatever can get done to raise awareness about this needs to get done. This documentary is a good starting place.

I would be furious if my child's education was so disrupted.

Why is Peter's education more important than the rest of the class combined?

We would never tolerate any of the other children smacking another with their lunch box. Why does he get to do that?

If this system is like many others the students in that class will get to enjoy Peter's presence for many years.

How was it decided that the reduction in quality of their lives and their productivity is acceptable?

In an era of shrinking resources, the money spent to deal with this child detracts from what is available for the others.

Imagine how much any of the other kids could accomplish if they had a dedicated handler and this kind of support.