Emily Glanville 31557512

Summary 1, Article 2.
Anderson J, Boyle C. Inclusive education in Australia: rhetoric, reality and the road ahead.
Support for Learning. 2015;30(1):4-22. doi:10.1111/1467-9604.12074.

Summary of main points:

This article states that segregation and exclusion are on the rise, and that it is exacerbated by
the inception of a national testing regime. It could be argued that this testing regime breaches
the Disability Discrimination Act because it excludes participation by particular groups of
students. The Inclusive Education (IE) philosophy is grounded in social justice. It aims to
reduce educational inequalities and exclusions in order to embrace all students in successful
learning. IE has the potential to break cycles of disadvantage, leading to increased innovation
and productivity. IE fosters tolerance and understanding and valuing difference. This is
reflected in the 2008 Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young Australians.
Goal one states that Australian schooling must promote equity and excellent. Goal two states
that all young Australians become successful learners, confident and creative individuals and
active and informed citizens. Australian outcomes show an increase in exclusion. Student
participation is decreasing, student achievement reflects that IE students are not included in
NAPLAN. Indigenous and low SES students score lower. Post school outcomes show that
Indigenous/disabled/low SES students are less likely to move onto higher education or gain
employment. There are also barriers to IE. IE has not been properly defined. The attitudes of
educators plays a significant role in IE. There is not enough resourcing or proper evaluation
processes. There is a gap in teacher education in IE. Categorising and labelling students also
affects student confidence. These issues are not dealt with in relevant policy.
Solution: funding allocated on needs basis, national curriculum and testing regimes need to
be revised to ensure they meet the needs of all learners. Teachers should be provided with
best practice instruction on the why and how of IE. Access to resources in the form of
funding, trained support staff and other professional. Commonwealth government must
develop policy and guidelines for IE that are reviewed and refined regularly.
How this article influences my thinking about inclusive education practice:
I have believed for a long time that the current education system in Australia lacks inclusivity,
and this article reinforces those views. One useful aspect of this reading is that it has given
me some indication of how to combat these issues. While it is not possible to attempt most of
these solutions as an individual teacher, I will think more carefully about how I can
incorporate solutions into my own classroom. What strikes me most is that students should
not be segregated due to ability. I do think that mixed ability classes work best. An approach
that allows students to access assistance if needed, but does not exclude or segregate students,
would be best for student well-being and development.
Questions the reading raised:
The reading focuses on how the current system does promote exclusion and a lower success
rate for students who are more likely to be segregated/excluded. It does provide examples of

how these issues could be resolved, but the solutions are not easy to achieve. Particularly
regarding funding and testing regimes. I personally question how idealistic these solutions are
in the face of a system that is already suffering from a lack of funding and resources.