The Issue of Inclusion in Secondary Schools from the Czech School Principals’ Point of View

Abstract

Abstract Since the introduction of new legislation in 2016, questions of inclusive policy have been constantly discussed not only in schools, but also among professionals, parents, and politicians. This article is part of a larger research survey mapping the state of inclusive education at all Czech Republic secondary schools. It presents the results for two regions in order to show what attitudes and views are held by principals on the implementation of inclusion in the education system. The research was carried out as a qualitative study and semi-structured interview were employed as the research method. The obtained data were analysed using the grounded theory method. The results show that inclusion is not generally accepted by school principals. There are schools that are very pro-inclusive, but there are also schools that fundamentally reject inclusion. Initial assumptions that inclusion has been best received by general secondary schools were not confirmed. On the contrary, it turns out that the type of school does not matter as much as the attitudes of the seniors’ pedagogical staff towards inclusion. Their behaviour and attitudes significantly influence the whole school climate, which is passed on to all actors as well as how the school functions overall in working with pupils with special needs.