The Future of Education

This paper challenges the conceptualization of inclusive education, arguing that it has become an unfinalisable construct [3] that remains separate from the broader pursuit of a good education. While inclusive education is framed as a necessary component of equitable schooling, its implementation remains hindered by systemic barriers, contested definitions, and policy stagnation [1]. The continued treatment of inclusive education as a distinct entity risks reinforcing its status as an add-on rather than an integral component of quality education. Instead, this paper contends that a good education is inherently inclusive, eliminating the need for a separate inclusion agenda. Drawing on Bakhtin’s concept of unfinalisability, this paper critiques the dominant discourse surrounding inclusive education, which often seeks definitive solutions to what is ultimately a complex, evolving process. Education systems that frame inclusion as a ‘problem’ to be solved overlook its inherently dialogic nature, which requires continuous adaptation to the diverse needs of learners. Scholars such as Armstrong [2] have positioned inclusive education as a ‘wicked problem’—one that is resistant to straightforward resolution due to its competing demands. However, this paper extends Armstrong’s argument by asserting that inclusive education is not just wicked but fundamentally unfinalisable. This paper calls for a reorientation of educational discourse and policy away from a distinct notion of inclusive education and towards a model of good education that is inherently equitable, accessible, and responsive to diversity. By embedding inclusive principles into core educational structures—curriculum design, assessment, and pedagogy—education systems can move beyond the limitations of inclusion as a separate construct. This shift is necessary to dismantle the persistent dichotomy between ‘inclusive’ and ‘mainstream’ education and to reframe quality education as one that, by design, meets the needs of all learners.

Keywords: Inclusive education, Good education, Bakhtin philosophy, Wicked problems, Education systems.

REFEREMCES

[1] Anderson, J., & Boyle, C. (2020). Chapter 2 Including into What? Reigniting the ‘Good Education’ Debate in an Age of Diversity. In (pp. 15-34). Brill. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004431171_002

[2] Armstrong, D. (2017). Wicked problems in special and inclusive education. Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs, 17(4), 229-236. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1111/1471-3802.12402

[3] Bakhtin, M. M., & Emerson, C. (1984). Problems of Dostoevsky's poetics (1st ed.). University of Minnesota Press.