Radical Inclusivity/Exclusivity: Reconsidering ‘exclusive’ schools and their role within ‘inclusive’ education

Project Description

The dominant philosophy of ‘inclusive education' is that all children should be educated together within the same schools, regardless of gender, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, looked after status or dis/ability. This research project is not challenging the notion of inclusive education in itself. Rather, it is exploring - and this makes the project distinct - whether the goals of inclusive education are always best achieved through this ‘mainstreaming'. Through undertaking a detailed investigation of schools which explicitly choose to separate children into ‘exclusive' provision, in particular, those aimed at children who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgendered, it seeks to address the central question of whether it is desirable and justifiable - in terms of ethics and values as well as in relation to curriculum and pedagogy - to separate some children from their peers.