ABSTRACT
Educational strategies and guidance are often developed by applying ‘expertise’ and particular kinds of knowledge in accordance with established ‘good practice’ from a professional perspective. How inclusive are those strategies from the perspective of the pupils? Educationalists committed to equality and to widening participation constantly strive to encourage the development of an ‘inclusive ethos and curriculum’ within schools, but what does this actually mean? Inclusion within the education system must not only support every pupil’s basic human right to education but also ensure that each pupil feels that education to be accessible and relevant to them and that their cultural and linguistic identity is valued. Booth suggests that inclusion involves the wider community, cultures and identities, and acceptance of the value and diversity of pupils. He argues that inclusion, and thereby participation, in the education system is more than simply access to education:
It [participation] implies learning alongside others and collaborating with them in shared lessons. It involves active engagement with what is learnt and taught and having a say in how education is experienced. But participation also involves being recognised for oneself and being accepted for oneself: I participate with you when you recognise me as a person like yourself and accept me for who I am.
