Editorial: Inclusive education - worldly views?

Abstract

The title of this editorial may be somewhat misleading: after all, the guest editors are putting forward only five views of inclusive education, and that can hardly be considered complete. This special edition has been planned so that it provides snapshots of various countries around the globe. England, India, Australia, Canada and the USA were selected so as to provide an understanding of how inclusion is conceptualised and actioned in these different jurisdictions. The guest editors acknowledge that these five countries will not provide a global view, but it is hoped that by presenting these perspectives, we can begin to understand how some countries are making attempts to educate students with additional support needs. We hope readers will find the snapshots useful to reflect on the inclusive education policies and practices of their own country. We hope this issue will stimulate discussion that will have relevance for educators, researchers and policy makers at the system level.