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This book represents an original and innovatory series of insights, ideas and questions concerning inclusive education and cross-cultural understandings. Drawing on historical and cultural material, policy developments, legislation and research findings, the book provides a critical exploration of key factors including Inclusive Education, human rights, change, diversity and special educational needs. It is a key focus of consideration how these are defined and experienced within particular societies. Contradictions, ambiguities, complexities and differences within and between societies are identified and discussed. Each contributor offers some insights into their own developments and struggles in the pursuit of inclusive thinking, values and practices. Overall, the book enriches our existing knowledge and understanding and provides a stimulus for further work of a conceptual, theoretical and empirical form, concerning this fundamentally important topic of cross-cultural perspectives on Inclusive Education. It is essential reading for policy makers, students, teachers and researchers.
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POLICY, EXPERIENCE AND CHANGE: CROSS-CULTURAL REFLECTIONS ON INCLUSIVE EDUCATION Inclusive Education: Cross Cultural Perspectives VOLUME 4 Series Editors Len Barton, Institute of Education, University of London, United Kingdom Marcia Rioux, School of Health, Policy & Management, Atkinson Faculty of Liberal & Professional Studies, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada Editorial Board Mithu Alur, National Resource Centre for Inclusion, Bandra(West), Mumbai, India Susan Peters, College of Education, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, U.S.A. Roger Slee, Faculty of Education McGill University, Montreal, Canada Ronald G. Sultana, Euro-Mediterranean Centre for Educational Research, University of Malta Msida, Malta SCOPE OF THE SERIES This series is concerned with exploring the meaning and function of inclusive education in a world characterised by rapid social, economic and political change. The question of inclusion and exclusion will be viewed as a human rights issue, in which concerns over issues of equity, social justice and participation will be of central significance. The series will provide an inter-disciplinary approach and draw on research and ideas that will contribute to an awareness and understanding of cross-cultural insights and questions. Dominant assumptions and practices will be critically analysed thereby encouraging debate and dialogue over such fundamentally important values and concerns. For other titles published in this series, go to www.springer.com/series/6123 Policy, Experience and Change: Cross-Cultural Reflections on Inclusive Education Edited by L. BARTON Institute of Education, University of London, UK and F. ARMSTRONG Institute of Education, University of London, UK Editors L. Barton Institute of Education, University of london, UK F. Armstrrong Institute of Education, University of London, UK ISBN: 978-1-4020-8731-8 e-ISBN: 978-1-4020-5119-7 Library of Congress Control Number: 2008931098 c 2008 Springer Science + Business Media B.V. No part of this work may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, microfilming, recording or otherwise, without written permission from the Publisher, with the exception of any material supplied specifically for the purpose of being entered and executed on a computer system, for exclusive use by the purchaser of the work. Printed on acid-free paper. 987654321 springer.com CONTENTS Acknowledgements vii Contributors ix Foreword xiii Introduction 1. 1 Policy, Experience and Change and the C