This edited volume discusses UNESCO's contributions to inclusive education over the past 20 years, the normative and technical leadership roles this organization has been playing together with its peers and competitors in educational development, and the current status of this issue in academic debates, as well as conceptualizations from different cultures. The chapters reflect and critically discuss a range of positions on the relation between inclusive education, education for all, and special needs education and particularly express the role disability plays in these thematic contexts. The book brings to light that although the term inclusive education is commonly associated with people with disabilities, there are contexts - e.g., research strands on school development in the UK - in which inclusive education is considered as an approach in which the focus of special (needs) education is widened in terms of the target group, reaching out to the heterogeneity of learners, thus taking diversity as a starting point for educational theory and practice. This book highlights the differences in narratives of inclusive education in the United States and abroad and is intended to bridge the various approaches to the study of inclusive education and disability, particularly in the US, the UK, and the Nordic countries within Europe. Although academics and students in Disability Studies are the target audience, the book is also of high relevance to policy makers in the growing field of inclusive education, as well as being potentially interesting for practitioners in education and social work.

This edited volume discusses UNESCO's contributions to inclusive education over the past 20 years, the normative and technical leadership roles this organization has been playing together with its peers and competitors in educational development, and the current status of this issue in academic debates, as well as conceptualizations from different cultures. The chapters reflect and critically discuss a range of positions on the relation between inclusive education, education for all, and special needs education and particularly express the role disability plays in these thematic contexts. The book brings to light that although the term inclusive education is commonly associated with people with disabilities, there are contexts - e.g., research strands on school development in the UK - in which inclusive education is considered as an approach in which the focus of special (needs) education is widened in terms of the target group, reaching out to the heterogeneity of learners, thus taking diversity as a starting point for educational theory and practice. This book highlights the differences in narratives of inclusive education in the United States and abroad and is intended to bridge the various approaches to the study of inclusive education and disability, particularly in the US, the UK, and the Nordic countries within Europe. Although academics and students in Disability Studies are the target audience, the book is also of high relevance to policy makers in the growing field of inclusive education, as well as being potentially interesting for practitioners in education and social work.

Seeks to engage with researchers, students, education professionals, leaders, advocacy organisations, and people experiencing exclusion to consider human rights in relation to inclusive education.

This volume focuses on inquiry into inclusive education from the perspective of scholarly influences in the field of practice and research.

This comprehensive resource provides a range of perspectives on inclusion, giving Special Educational Needs Co-ordinators (SENCOs) the opportunity to consider the principles and practice that underpin their leadership role. Offering a blend of academic and professional knowledge, each chapter explores different aspects of the role of the SENCO and supports areas that will be considered as part of the National Award for SENCOs. A variety of essential topics are covered, from the importance of SEND provision and multi-disciplinary practice, to the role of the SENCO and leadership. Key features of this book include: Contributions by leaders of the National Award for Special Educational Needs Co-ordinators working with trainee SENCOs across the country A focus on encouraging SENCOs to think deeply about their own individual practice through engagement with cutting-edge research A flexible structure that can be read as a whole, or dipped in and out of as professional learning needs require This book provides an opportunity for readers to engage with a multiplicity of voices and approaches, allowing them to critically explore their role as leaders of SEND provision in schools. It is an invaluable resource both for students and those already within the role of Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator.