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Hailee Robinson
Professor David
Education 226
18 August 2013
Inclusion the Great Debate
Inclusion can be a very controversial subject. Some people feel that inclusion is a good
thing for special needs students, and others feel that students are not getting the support they
need in a general education setting. Inclusion is a term applied to educating students with and
without disabilities together (Kavale, Kenneth A. and Steven R. Farness. 279-96).
Mainstreaming which is another term for inclusion is defined as placing special needs children in
a regular classroom setting for at least part of the day (Sadker Miller, and Zittleman R. 50-56).
These definitions are what most people have problems with because they feel that special needs
children need more support, than other students or general education settings can be too stressful
for special needs students. Then on the other hand there are many who feel that inclusion will
help special needs children build social skills.
Mainstreaming and inclusion are sometimes called full inclusion, which is a stronger
commitment to educate each student in a least restrictive environment to the maximum degree
(Sadker Miller, and Zittleman R. 50-56). In special education there are six provisions educators
have to follow, and inclusion falls under the least-restrictive environment provision. Least-
restrictive environment protects special needs children from being wrongfully segregated
(Sadker Miller, and Zittleman R. 50-56). Inclusion is more than just sticking a special needs
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child in some classroom; in that classroom the students have accesses to both the regular
education teacher and a special needs teacher. As well as having specific accommodations just
for them in the classroom. These specific accommodations are predetermined in the student’s
IEP meeting. IEP stands for individualized education program, and was created in 1997. IEP
which is where parents, teachers and even sometimes the students meet up to discuss what goals
they have in mind for the student and how they are going to achieve those goals.
From 1972 through 1974, 47 right-to-educate cases were heard in 28 states (Crockett,
Jean B., and James M. Kuaffman.74-77). While many parents felt that their children had the right
to be taught in the same environment as regular students, many parents had different views.
Those parents felt that regular classes could not provide meaningful opportunities to learn
(Crockett, Jean B., and James M. Kuaffman.74-77). In 1997 95 percent of students with
disabilities were being taught in an inclusion setting (Kavale, Kenneth A. and Steven R. Farness.
279-96). Prior to 1997 in 1995 there was a huge debate on different visions.
In the debate they described inclusion as a movement to meet the needs of all students in
a learning community. The debate was called the debate of "the vision of the anointed vs. the
vision of the benighted." This debate focused on the differences between how to describe
students that fall into the description of inclusion. The vision of the anointed involves the
perceptions, believes, and assumptions of an elite intelligentsia whose revelations prevail over
others in determining policy (Kavale, Kenneth A. and Steven R. Farness. 279-96). The
benighted, whose perceptions, believes and assumptions are depicted as being at best perceptions
more often stereo types and false consciousness (Kavale, Kenneth A. and Steven R. Farness.
279-96).
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Inclusions philosophy not only focuses on students with disabilities (of any type or
severity), but also seeks to alter the education for all students and hence general education
(Kavale, Kenneth A. and Steven R. Farness. 279-96). Inclusion as one can see from the
information provided that inclusion can be both beneficial and hindering. Inclusion helps
students who are socially ready, as well as intellectually ready to be exposed to a general
education setting. Inclusion helps challenge them, and it allows them the chance to interact with
other children their age. Inclusion also helps them because these inclusion students are not just
thrown into general education settings, but eased into it by their accommodations and so forth.
Inclusion allows these students also to gather the confidence to go out and explore their options,
such as clubs, dances and social interactions. Inclusion also gives them the confidence to excel in
school.
Inclusion however can be difficult to some students, because not all students are ready for
an inclusion setting. Some students may feel left out, or may feel like they are not as good as the
other students. As well as the students that are in the inclusion setting, run the risk of being
bullied and picked on by the general education students. These students may also face some
general education teachers, who have no clue (who are supposed to be informed about) about the
student’s disabilities or accommodations. These students will also possibly be worried about
going out of their comfort zones.
Inclusion has been debated greatly since it was first introduced. People are always going
to feel differently on allowing special education students into general education settings. While
most people feel that inclusion is good and helpful (for some students) there is always going to
be those opposing groups. Either way, neither side is wrong, nor right. One would say that
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inclusion is here to stay and, even then, one would also say that inclusion will continue to
improve and expand its meaning and qualifications.
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Citation
Sadker Miller,, David, and Karen Zittleman R. Teachers, Schools and Society. A Brief
Introduction to Education.. 3rd. New York : McGraw-Hill, 2012. 50-56. Print.
Kavale, Kenneth A. and Steven R.Farness "History, Rhetoric, and
Reality: Analysis of the Inclusion Debate." Remedial and Special Education 21.5 (2000):
279-96 ERIC. web. 18 Aug. 2013
Crockett, Jean B., and James M. Kauffman “Taking Inclusion Back to it’s Roots.” Education
Leadership 56.2 (1998): 74-77. ERIC. Web. 18 Aug. 2013
