Rethinking Inclusive Education : The Philosophers of Difference in Practice

With Warnock, the so-called ‘architect’ of inclusion now pronouncing this her ‘big mistake’ and calling for a return to special schooling, inclusion appears to be under threat as never before. This book takes key ideas of the philosophers of difference – Deleuze, Foucault and Derrida – and puts them to work on inclusion. The book offers new challenges for those involved with education to invent new ways of tackling the ‘problem’ of inclusion.

The inclusion of disabled children and those with difficult behaviour is increasingly being seen as an impossible challenge and, not surprisingly, concerns are being expressed by teachers unions and researchers about teachers’ capacities, and willingness, to manage these demands. With Warnock, the so-called ‘architect’ of inclusion now pronouncing this her ‘big mistake’ and calling for a return to special schooling, inclusion appears to be under threat as never before. This book takes key ideas of the philosophers of difference – Deleuze, Foucault and Derrida - and puts them to work on inclusion. These ideas allow the task of including children to be reframed and offer, not solutions, but different ways of working which involve altering adult-child relationships –subverting, subtracting, and inventing and restructuring teacher education – recognition, rupture and repair. The propositions also include making use of the arts to challenge exclusion and to establish more inclusive practices. This is a must for teacher educators, researchers, student teachers and practising teachers concerned about the future of inclusion. It offers fresh insights and a steer towards possibilities for a more productive, and political, engagement with inclusion.