Inclusive education: Open debates and the road ahead

This special issue is devoted to the outcomes of the 48th international conference of education , inclusive education : the way of the future (geneva, 25-28 november 2008). in addition to presenting the conclusion s and recommendations from the conference, this introduction tackles a wide range of questions in the field of inclusive education on which there are still controversy and debate . the issue draws together a selection of articles that analyze these open debates at a deeper level. special emphasis is placed on several issues: should inclusive education be a comprehensive approach or follow a policy of piecemeal social engineering ? how can educational systems pursue equity and quality simultaneously? what is the role of government , and of decentral ization and autonomy ? what teaching methods are needed, and what changes in teacher education , development and motivation ? finally, what are the roles of communities , social attitudes, and behaviours?