Preventing inclusion? Inclusive early childhood education and the option to exclude

Abstract

While there is increasing international commitment to inclusive education, as outlined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), many children remain excluded at school. One marginalised and frequently excluded group of people are people who experience disability. In the recently released first report on Australia under the CRPD, the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities has found that Australia is failing to meet its obligations under the convention, including failing to uphold the right of all children to inclusive education. Drawing from a conversation with a pre-service early childhood teacher in Australia, this article explores some of the exclusionary structures and practices that form considerable barriers to the realisation of the commitment to inclusive education. The intention of the article is to provoke discussion on these important issues.