Inclusive education is another country; developments, obstacles and resistance to inclusive education

Abstract

Inclusive education has been part of the global educational vernacular for more than 25 years, based on the premise that for education to achieve its goal of providing access to an inclusive society and its common goods, education itself should be inclusive. Universalism underpins inclusive education, but it is commonly perceived as relating to specific populations, namely disabled students. Developments in inclusive education have been multi-levelled, influenced by international and national policy, as well as grassroots advocacy. Even in systems with strong segregation and exclusion structures, islands of inclusive practice are to be found but fully inclusive systems are elusive, and the nature of inclusive education remains contested. This paper uses Australia as a case study to explore this complexity by illustrating the arguments surrounding inclusive education, the evidence used to support these arguments, and the implications for future developments. The analysis indicates that in the Australian context there is tremendous noise around inclusive education, but very little evidence of realising it. The separation of inclusion as a broader value from inclusive education has been successful in operating as a smokescreen, detracting attention from a system that becomes more selective, exclusive and with increased segregation.