The basic context behind inclusion in education relates to democratic values and social justice.
Inclusive education concerns all students with special educational needs. Cultural and structural factors play an important role in inclusive education and often influence student placement. Student placement describes where the teaching occurs and with whom. The most common and dominant assessment of the quality of inclusion is a placement that avoids excluding or segregating students from their peers1. The successful implementation of inclusion is often challenging and is highly dependent upon political priority.
In working with health promotion at school, it is essential to be aware of, if the health promotion program or initiative is excluding students even further. For example, when implementing a physical activity which is unfamiliar to most students, do you succeed in including the students less confident with being physically active2.
1. Haug, P., 2017. Understanding inclusive education: ideals and reality. Scandinavian Journal of Disability Research, 19(3), pp.206–217. DOI: http://doi.org/10.1080/15017419.2016.1224778
2. Guldager, J. D., Leppin, A., von Seelen, J., & Andersen, P. T. (2019). Program Reach and Implementation Feasibility of a Physical Activity School Health Program: A Qualitative Study of Teachers’ Perception. Journal of Physical Activity and Health, 1(aop), 1-8