Inclusive education in some Western European countries: different policy rhetorics and school realities

This chapter discusses the present state of inclusive education in some Western European countries by approaching the relationship between intentions and realities in special education. We are well aware that inclusive education is not an equivalent to special education. The responsibility to create inclusive education must be much broader than special education alone; it is a concern for education policy at large and for the whole school community (Vislie, 2003).