Inclusion or delusion: Can one size fit all? GARRY HORNBY Making decisions The major controversy in the field of special education worldwide at present is the move toward the inclusion of all children with special educational needs (SEN) in mainstream schools. Seven years ago, my concern about this issue led me to write an article for Support for Learning in which I reviewed the literature on theory, policy, research and practice regarding inclusion which was available at that time (Hornby 1992). My conclusion was that the theory and practice of inclusion had gone beyond national policies on inclusion despite the lack of research evidence about its effectiveness. Because of the cautionary note which I had sounded, I expected to receive some negative feedback from personnel in the field of special education and I did in fact receive more letters about this article than any other I have written. The feedback I received, from teachers in both mainstream and special schools, was, however, unanimously supportive! It seemed I had stuck a chord of concern about inclusion with people on the ground – that is, teachers who worked with children with SEN on a daily basis. Since the publication of that article, however, there has been an increasing international trend towards the inclusion of children with SEN into ordinary school placements even though this has remained controversial. For example, some writers have suggested that such inclusion should be regarded as a ‘right’ of all children with SEN (Oliver 1996), whereas others have warned that widespread adoption of inclusive models could lead to a deterioration in the education provided for many children with SEN, as well as the eventual demise of the field of special education itself (Kauffman and Hallahan 1995). Perhaps this situation is not too surprising, since the field of special education seems to be particularly susceptible to controversies. There is disagreement among special education professionals about many issues and practices (see Hornby, Atkinson and Howard 1997). Therefore, it is important for everyone involved, including parents and teachers, to be sceptical about the efficacy of interventions until they are presented with convincing evidence, one way or another. This article will review recent literature on inclusion in order to update the comments made in the article published in 1992. Progress in the development of policy, theory, research and practice concerning inclusion will be considered in an attempt to evaluate whether inclusion is now a realistic goal for special education or whether its proponents are really deluding themselves and others into thinking that it will lead to more effective education for children with SEN. Policy Public policy in both the USA and the UK supports the principle of including as many children with SEN as possible in mainstream schools but at the same time mandates education authorities to maintain a continuum of special education provision. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Re-authorization (1997) in the USA is quite clear about this (Yell 1998) as are the 1993 and 1996 UK Education Acts. The recent Green Paper on SEN (Department for Education and Employment 1997) maintains the principle of a continuum of provision, including special schools, but states, ‘We support the UNESCO Salamanca World Statement on Special Needs Education (1994). This calls on Governments to adopt the principle of inclusive education, enrolling all children in regular schools unless there are compelling reasons for doing otherwise.’ The Code of Practice for SEN (Department for Education 1994), while making the point that the needs of most children with SEN can be met within mainstream schools, took a moderate stance on the inclusion issue by emphasising the importance of having a continuum of provisions to meet a continuum of needs. However, some writers (such as Booth 1994) have openly criticised the Code of Practice for recognising the need for a continuum of SEN provision rather than adopting the philosophy of inclusive education and promoting the integration of all children with SEN into mainstream schools and classes. The policy of the major professional organisation in the field of special education in the UK, the National Association of Special Educational Needs (NASEN), has been one of general support for the Code of Practice along 152 Support for Learning Vol. 14 No. 4 (1999) © NASEN 1999.