Abstract
Education policy in the four countries of an EU-funded research project (QualiTYDES) operates under the shared policy environment of the UN, EU and European Commission. A shared policy cannot of be assumed to result in common legislative or pro-visional outcomes at national level.
The different sociocultural, political, historical and economic contexts in each country shape its journey towards inclusive education. This paper places the implementation trajectories of four European countries side by side as they attempt to move towards inclusive education systems.
Following a brief overview of the international education policy environment relating to the education of people with disabilities, we describe the national education policy responses in Ireland, Austria, Spain and Czech Republic in recent decades, including both legislation pertaining to special educational need and implementation of policies in practice. The comparison highlights the different manifestations of inclusive education current in each country, and also explores the challenges which have arisen as individual countries attempt to align international policy with provision in existing education systems, each with their own legacy interests, pressures and priorities.
Examples of gaps in this alignment are where learners with disabilities/SEN are likely to be failed, and represent the critical points at which barriers to fully inclusive education arise and negatively impact opportunity over the life course.