ABSTRACT
Every institution embodies a set of contradictions which are partly established by its history but are also a simple reflection of contradictions within society. If the Open University were to be a truly non-selective institution it would cease to qualify as a university. Special education or in-service training initiatives cannot be exempted from the reality and require careful attention to be paid to their underlying principles and general implications. If cooperative teaching and planning between support teachers and others are to become a reality then teachers need to share a common language and jointly devise policies for their schools. It is essential therefore that they should share in in-service training. As teachers share their knowledge and expertise and accept a more generic role in secondary as well as primary schools, 'every teacher a teacher of science' may become as relevant a slogan as 'every teacher a teacher of special needs'.
