what is inclusion?

Girl with learning disabilities and young Muslim girl laughing together

The Index for Inclusion summarises some of the ideas which make up the view of inclusion within the Index as follows:

Inclusion in education involves:

Valuing all students and staff equally.
Increasing the participation of students in, and reducing their exclusion from, the cultures, curricula and communities of local schools.
Restructuring the cultures, policies and practices in schools so that they respond to the diversity of students in the locality.
Reducing barriers to learning and participation for all students, not only those with impairments or those who are categorised as `having special educational needs'.
Learning from attempts to overcome barriers to the access and participation of particular students to make changes for the benefit of students more widely.
Viewing the difference between students as resources to support learning, rather than as problems to be overcome.
Acknowledging the right of students to an education in their locality.
Improving schools for staff as well as for students.
Emphasising the role of schools in building community and developing values, as well as in increasing achievement.
Fostering mutually sustaining relationships between schools and communities.
Recognising that inclusion in education is one aspect of inclusion in society.

Page last updated: Wednesday 30 April 2008