The justification for inclusive education in Australia
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The justification for inclusive education in Australia Christopher Boyle1 · Joanna Anderson2
© The Author(s) 2020
Abstract This article discusses the justification for inclusive education in Australia, whilst being cognizant of the wider international landscape. Separate educational provision is increasing in many countries, including Australia. Inclusive education has plateaued to a degree with demand increasing for non-inclusive settings. There are three main components to the argument for and against inclusive education and these are the educational, social, and the economic justification. There is clear evidence that inclusive education in Australia can be justified across these areas. There is a dearth of evidence that inclusive education is less than beneficial for all students in mainstream schools. In fact, studies show that there is an economic advantage to being fully inclusive, but this should not be seen as an opportunity for cost saving in the education sector but rather as proper deployment of resources to ensure effective education for all students no matter what their background. The evidence for social and educational benefits is vast with both parents and students reporting positive outcomes. Inclusive education can be fraught with difficulties, but this article clearly shows the positive justification for inclusive educational environments. Keywords Inclusive education · Justification · Australia · Educational inequality · Special education Inclusive education is a firmly established and recognised part of educational discourse and policy in Australia and has been for more than quarter of a century. As this special issue considers the developments and challenges of inclusive education around the world, this article will primarily focus on inclusive education in Australia. What actually constitutes * Christopher Boyle [email protected] Joanna Anderson [email protected] 1
Graduate School of Education, University of Exeter, Exeter EX1 4LU, UK
2
School of Education, University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2350, Australia
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C. Boyle, J. Anderson
inclusive education has been the subject of various levels of debate, from both a practical (Boyle et al. 2013; Varcoe and Boyle 2014; Hoskin et al. 2015; Page et al. 2019) and a philosophical (Anderson and Boyle 2020a, b) viewpoint. Yet, Richler (2012, p. 177) laconically states “Inclusive education is good education”, nothing more, nothing less. From this paradigm, the implementation of good inclusive education practice necessitates high-quality teaching approaches as well as positive social interactions that respond to the educational needs of all students. Richler’s assertion that the implementation of inclusive practices within an inclusive environment is commensurate with enacting “good” education is a simple declaration that belies the complexity tied up in the notions of both “inclusive” and “good” education. While an in-depth exploration of these constructs and the relationships between them is beyond the
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