Inclusion and education

participation and overcome barriers to learning and 
participation for all by focusing on well-being and 
success of students with disabilities. It requires an 
in-depth transformation of education systems in 
legislation, policy, and the mechanisms for financing, 
administration, design, delivery and monitoring of 
education. (Committee on the Rights of Persons with 
Disabilities, 2016, p. 3)
Two key points from General Comment No. 4 are central 
to this report. First, as the description of the requirements 
makes clear, inclusive education involves a process 
that contributes to the goal of social inclusion. The 
attainability of this goal should not affect the resolve of 
those responsible for implementing this process or those 
holding them accountable for fulfilling their commitment. 
Inclusive education should embody the principles 
of dialogue, participation and openness, bringing all 
stakeholders together to resolve emerging tensions and 
dilemmas. Decisions should be based on human dignity, 
without compromising, discounting or diverting from the 
long-term ideal of inclusion.
The efforts of policymakers and educators should not 
override the needs and preferences of those affected. 
Beyond upholding the fundamental human rights and 
principles that provide moral and political direction for 
education decisions, fulfilling the inclusive ideal is not 
trivial. Delivering sufficient differentiated and personalized 
support requires perseverance, resilience and a long-
term perspective.
Moving away from education systems whose design 
suits some children and obliges others to adapt cannot 
happen by decree. Prevailing attitudes and mindsets must 
be challenged; otherwise, ‘inclusive education may prove 
intractable even with the best will in the world and the 
highest possible level of commitment’ (De Beco, 2018, p. 
410). ‘The correct approach is not to seek justification for 
the limits to the goal of inclusive education, but rather to 
establish the legitimacy of making efforts towards that 
goal despite such limits (De Beco, 2018, p. 408).
The second key point of General Comment No. 4 is that 
inclusive education is much broader in scope. It entails a 
‘process of addressing and responding to the diversity of 
needs of all children, youth and adults’ (UNESCO, 2009), 
to eliminate barriers to the right to education and change 
the culture, policy and practice of mainstream schools to 
accommodate and effectively include all learners.
It is not only learners with disabilities who are excluded 
through discriminatory mechanisms or who would benefit 
from improved teaching and learning opportunities. 
For instance, the disproportional referral of minorities 
to special education indicates how cultural biases are 
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GLOBAL EDUCATION MONITORING REPORT 2021

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embedded in identification of special needs. All over the 
world, layers of discrimination deny students the right to 
be educated with their peers or to receive education of 
the same quality (
Figure 1.2
).
Belief in the principle of inclusion should not obscure the 
difficult questions and potential drawbacks raised by 
including groups of learners at risk of exclusion. In some 
contexts, inclusion may inadvertently intensify pressure 
to conform. Group identities, practices, languages and 
beliefs may be devalued, jeopardized or eradicated, 
undercutting a sense of belonging. The right of a group 
to preserve its culture and the right to self-determination 
and self-representation are increasingly recognized. 
Inclusion may be resisted out of prejudice but also out 
of recognition that identity may be maintained and 
empowerment achieved only if a minority is a majority 
in a given area. Rather than achieve positive social 
engagement, exposure to the majority may reinforce 
dominant prejudices, intensifying minority disadvantage. 
Targeting assistance can also lead to stigmatization, 
labelling or unwelcome forms of inclusion (Silver, 2015).
Another example of difficulty in providing inclusive 
education relates to the role of parents of children with 
disabilities. They are often motivated to send their 
children to mainstream schools to build social relations, 
hoping they will develop contacts with neighbourhood 
children that will teach them how to handle social 
situations and be included in the local community. 
However, if the children end up socially isolated, it may 
harm their social-emotional development and even 
make them victims of bullying. Often, teachers tend to 
overestimate the extent to which students with special 
education needs are socially included and underestimate 
the degree of bullying.