Inclusion as a Dilemma

Abstract

Inclusion in the field of education is essentially complex to address in terms of the diverse meanings attributed to it in different contexts and the breadth it has acquired as a result of its evolution. Thus, it would be safe to say that the concept of inclusion in education has blurred boundaries, is sometimes ambiguous and sometimes controversial and dilemmatic, and has developed through a process of progressive extension, becoming an aspiration on the public agenda internationally and in many countries, and increasingly influencing policy decisions in education systems and their institutions. While it is difficult to trace the origin of this term and the increase in its use over the last decades - its expansion dates back to the mid-1990s - it is certain that it is now an obligatory term in political documents and discourses, even becoming a kind of ‘slogan’ in what could be called politically and ethically appropriate thinking. Some experts and critical followers of the inclusion movement have noted with some concern that the term has become an ‘international fad’, often lacking in meaning and coherence.