Inclusion and budget cuts – The contours of educational psychology in the marketplace

Abstract

The aim of this paper was to investigate the economic contours of present day educational psychology in the light of movements towards consultative and inclusive practices. At a time of economic crisis, public budget cuts and changing educational policies are creating new conditions for educational psychology practice. This paper deals with the extent to which economic considerations implicitly and explicitly regulate the practice of educational psychologists. Within the work of educational psychologists, school-based consultation has become increasingly popular and widespread. Over the past 10–15 years, consultation has been put forward as an alternative approach to traditional work based on IQ assessments and special educational evaluations. Concurrent with the implementation of the consultative approach in educational psychology practice, inclusion of children with special needs has become a predominant feature in educational policy and practice. Based on a small-scale empirical project in a Danish educational psychology service centre, this paper analyses the implications of recent budget cuts in educational funding for (1) the implementation of the consultative approach and (2) for the role of educational psychologists in facilitating inclusive learning environments in schools. It is argued that inclusion is a complex notion, but that the budget cuts could paradoxically foster a rethinking of established inclusion practices. The paper concludes with a discussion of whether educational psychology can still legitimize itself as a relevant profession in relation to the facilitation of inclusive learning environments in schools.