The document discusses two models of inclusive education: the medical model, which focuses on disabilities as individual impairments requiring intervention, and the social model, which views disabilities as socially constructed barriers to participation. It emphasizes the principle of inclusive education as advocated by the Salamanca Statement and critiques the segregation of disabled students in special schools, highlighting the need for equitable access to education for all children. It calls for further research and investment in inclusive practices to support diverse learning needs and challenges the overrepresentation of marginalized groups in special needs classifications.

1. Inclusive education
MEDICAL MODEL:
• Feature of a person, which has been caused by disease, injury, or health condition
• Calls for medical intervention, to “correct” the problem
• Any restriction or lack, resulting from an impairment, of ability to perform any activity in the manner or
within the range considered normal for a human being.
• a disadvantage for a given individual, resulting from an
• impairment or disability, that prevents the fulfilment of a role that is normal depending on age, sex, social
and cultural factors for that individual
Social Model:
• Socially created problem, not a feature of the person it is understood as an
unequal relationship within society
• It is society which disables people by the fact that they exclude them from
participation within mainstream of society as result of physical, organizational and
attitudinal barriers.
• These barriers prevent them from gaining equal access to information, education,
employment ect…
• Created by disabled people
• An answer to the medical model
(Carlson, 2009)

2. What is Inclusion?
 1. Inclusion as a concern with disabled students and others categorised as
‘having special educational needs’.
 2. Inclusion as a response to disciplinary exclusion.
 3. Inclusion in relation to all groups seen as being vulnerable to exclusion.
 4. Inclusion as developing the school for all.
 5. Inclusion as ‘Education for All’.
 6. Inclusion as a principled approach to education and society
Inclusion is all about groups, vulnerable to exclusion
(Ainscow et al, 2006)

3. Salamanca Statement
 UNESCO, Salamanca World Statement on Special Needs Education (1994) called on
governments to adopt the principle of inclusive education, enrolling all children into regular
schools.
 Every child has fundamental right to education and must be given opportunity to achieve
and maintain acceptable level of learning
 Every child has unique characteristics, abilities and interests and learning needs
 Education systems should be designed to take diversity and these needs into account
Why?
 Placing children with disability into special schools is seen by most as a neutral response to
their special needs, and that some of those children a best served by special settings
 From rights perspective, however this compulsory segregation is seen as an oppression of
disabled people, just as other group marginalize groups on the basis of religion, race, gender,
sexual orientation
(Abberely, 1987, Corbett, 1995)
 Perpetuates the view, that some children need to be segregated due to their defect or
deficiency
 Massive over-representation of working- class boys and African- Caribbean boys within SEN
group due to “emotional and behavioural difficulties”
(Blair, 2001)

4. Good effects
 Friendships: between disabled and non-disabled children help to develop their social cognition and
self- concept
 Social Skills: deeper and better understanding and awareness of the needs of others
 Self-esteem
 Earlier development of ethical and moral principles
 Comfort level with people who are different from the typical, and competence in communicating with
them
 Patience with people who are slower learners
 Creation of a considerate, emphatycal environment
 Valuing and appreciating the experiences and differences each child brings to the class
 Cooperative learning
 Better communication skills
(Staub, 2005)

5. Critical points to consider:
 SEN definition is used too widely, which results in children being diagnosed as having SEN
who would not truly fit the definition
 SEN group predominantly consisting of working- class children
 Assessment method should be revised as SEN may well be a label used by schools to cover
up poor teaching
(Osted, 2013)
 More investment should be done in educational research which could assess the long term
efficacy of inclusive education and thus help the disadvantaged to raise their voice
(Slee, 2001)
 Issue is the rights of children not the evidence of the system working so empirical evidence
is unnecessary and unconclusive
(Gallagher, 2001)
 Benefits of inclusion is difficult to research, as SEN involves too many different types, and
therefore there is no sufficient amount of research
(Lindsay, 2003)

6.  Rigorous research is needed for the government to produce an inclusion
framework, which takes into account effectiveness of education as well as rights
of children
(Lindsay,2003)
 Do special schools really go against childrens’ right to learn?
 Differences between right and effectiveness