It was with a sense of dismay that I read the cover article of the TES Magazine. Do we really want a re-run of the sterile debate of the 1980s and 1990s about the meaning of inclusion when, in reality, life has moved on?
Today, there is a drive to break down barriers between the different sectors. This can be seen in the growth of outreach services, the move to co-locate mainstream and special schools, the opportunity for secondary schools (both mainstream and special) to become schools with a special educational needs specialism, and the increasing numbers of pupils having short-term, part-time or dual-roll placements.
We need to look forward rather than allow ourselves to be dragged backwards and to focus on continuing to create an inclusive education service that includes all pupils and all schools.
Dr Rona Tutt, SEN consultant and past president, National Association of Head Teachers.