The contribution of special education to our understanding of values, schooling and the curriculum

Abstract

This article presents an analysis of how special education contributes to our contemporary understanding of educational values, schooling and the curriculum. We argue that special education is not simply and only a separate part of education, it is inherently connected to all aspects of education. This connective position is contrasted with the recurrent view that the full range of educational needs can be separated out neatly into the majority with ‘normal’ needs and the minority with ‘special needs’. There are indications that the New Labour government is engaging in this oversimplified distinction in its educational policy. The article focuses on two key changes in the education service over the past decade from a special educational needs perspective: The introduction of the National curriculum and the policy move towards greater school specialisation. It argues for a multi-dimensional concept of educational needs as the basis for connecting special and mainstream education. The contribution of special education to our wider understanding of education is presented in terms of three key areas: the nature of values in education, the impact of market choice and the stress on achievement as a leading value. © 1998, Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. All rights reserved.