Assessing the impact of legislation on special education policy ‐‐ An historical analysis

Abstract

For a century following the introduction and enforcement of compulsory school attendance after 1870, special education developed along increasingly categorized and segregated lines. The Warnock Report in 1978 made comprehensive recommendations redirecting and reversing these policies towards greater flexibility and integration. Such radical change required responses and political will. Like much previous legislation in special education, the 1981 Education Act was a permissive measure, open to diverse interpretations. The 1988 Education Reform Act encourages market forces in education, driven by parental choice and a currency of measured educational attainment. Children with statements of special needs may be exempted from the national curriculum and greater flexibility and integration for them discouraged in such a competitive environment.