ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the connections between education policy and inclusive education, drawing on our experiences of working as academics and/or consultants with the Enabling Education Network. We explore processes of policy formation, interpretation and adaptation, and how information flows at various stages and across layers of an education system. Taking the view that effective inclusive education policy is wider than a focus on SEND alone, and enables teachers to increase student access, participation and achievement, we consider some common barriers to achieving this. We discuss policy process through three case studies: the writing of teacher competences in the context of English medium instruction in Rwanda; the roll-out of competency-based curriculum in low-fee private schools in Kenya; and the implementation of inclusive education policy for disabled learners in the Maldives. We highlight how inclusive education policies cannot be viewed in isolation from other education policies and reflect on our role as external consultants to explore the content, structures and resources that are needed for policy change. Finally, we reflect upon the problems that arise during national education reform and discuss the need for contextually appropriate interpretations of policy to build inclusive education systems that empower teachers to deliver change for all learners.
