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International Education Studies

Vol. 2, No. 4

Should All Students with Special Educational Needs (SEN) Be
Included in Mainstream Education Provision? - A Critical Analysis
Huei Lan Wang
Department of Communication, Faculty of Social science
Nan-Hua University
E-mail: [e-mail]
Abstract
Traditionally, children requiring special educational needs (SEN) are segregated into separate learning environments.
While this education practice has been established for years, other educators and analysts have been questioning its efficacy. Most of them suggest that students with SEN should be included into mainstream schools to maximize their learning experiences. Several other benefits as well as issues have been raised in relation to this educational issue. In this paper, the factors related to the education and inclusion of students with SEN, including the curriculum, attitude of the educators, professional development, equality issues as well as learning experiences, will be discussed. The significance and relevant effects of these factors will be the basis of the conclusion of this paper on whether inclusion should be adapted.
Keywords: Special Educational Needs, Inclusion, Segregation
1. Children with Special Needs: A Historical Account
Historically, people with specific learning disabilities have been segregated from mainstream school practices as well as economic and social activities (Atkinson et al. 1997). Similarly, several people with sensory impairments as well as physical disabilities have been excluded from the society (Humphries and Gordon, 1992). At times, segregation of the disabled had led to severe social practices like sterilization and incarceration. Such practices had been observed due to misconceptions of physical and intellectual characteristics (Oliver and Barnes, 1998). The practice of separating the disabled from the rest had originated from the mistaken notion that human bodies must conform to a certain

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