ABSTRACT
This chapter begins to explore the idea, and origins, of inclusive education and some of the very different ways the term is used in different contexts. We will consider the possible meanings and values which underpin these different interpretations, and how these relate to the lives of schools and their communities. The term ‘communities’ is used here to mean both the communities of people who make up the internal life of the school, and to refer to a wider concept of community which encompasses the lives, cultures, practices and interests of those in the neighbourhoods associated with the school. This discussion will be linked to the often contradictory demands made on all those implicated in the complex relationships involved in the lives of colleges and schools, learning and teaching. Teaching assistants, teachers and pupils are at the sharp edge of where these contradictions are most keenly felt – in the day-to-day life of the classroom. In the course of the discussion the chapter will draw on some examples of research to raise some issues about the role of teaching assistants in developing inclusive relationships and practices. It will end with some issues and questions which may be helpful in making connections between some of the points raised in the chapter and the particular challenges faced by those committed to developing inclusive education and who work in a support role in education.
