Inclusion in education as the goal and content of reforms of the modern school system

Abstract

Inclusion in education, as a theoretical and practical concept, has been widely accepted and represents a common feature of the functioning of modern school systems, and is also included in global and national education policies. Over the last decades, modern education systems have undergone reforms aimed at developing inclusive educational practice, with admittedly varying levels of success. In addition to changes in teaching and school work, the successful implementation of inclusion in education requires changes in the content and structure of schools and in the functioning of the school system. Inclusive practice must be developed alongside the development of inclusive policies and a culture of inclusivity, which is only possible within an inclusion-oriented education and social system. Therefore, the characteristics of the social context can be regarded as a key determinant in the practical implementation of inclusion in education. After looking at inclusion in education as the goal and content of current reform processes, the paper analyzes the prerequisites for the successful implementation of this concept in the practice of school work and then goes on to consider the characteristics of the social context as a determinant of the development of inclusive school practice. In order to illustrate the authors' assessment of the importance of the characteristics of the social context as a determinant of the successful development of inclusive school practice, the paper gives a brief overview of the progress and results of the implementation of inclusion in education in Finland and India.