1. Schools want kids to be labelled as special needs, so they can get more government funding (they get more per special needs student than per "normal" student). Period. There is no other motivation for them. It is not exactly a secret in education circles.
2. Psych workers want more influence, patients, and relevance, so they're happy to diagnose as many urchins as possible for the schools. Very few people in the world fail to qualify for some disorder under the book: DSM IV.
and...
3. Parents are usually happy that their child will get extra time, attention, and help on all assignments and tests... as well as increased responsibility for the schools, rather than for themselves. (Let's try passing a law that increases parental contributions to their child's education, and see how many suddenly oppose... I'm not saying all parents of diagnosed kids are bad/lazy/whatever, I'm just saying you'd see many change their minds once some measure of increased responsibility falls on their shoulders.)
4. Students are often happy to go along with the scheme, because it is far easier to get better grades, there's less stigma (now that everyone is getting diagnosed with something), and you get far more free time if you're "high-functioning" in the special ed classes.
Thanks for your contribution. The only problem with the scheme you describe is that the drugs they are prescibing to these children are no joke! Ritlan, Adderal and the like are all dangerous stimulants on par with cocaine and other illegal drugs. They all have serious side effects that I do not think anyone takes into account. In addition the children themselves may be having real problems that are not being addressed. I think this situation will go on for the time being but eventually the chickens will come home to roost!
A very nice summary of how it works...oo bad others can’t get the “dear old Mr. Chips” image of school administration out of their heads. And then there is the current generation of parents...