The missing voices: students as a catalyst for promoting inclusive education

ABSTRACT

Despite the progress that has been made over the 25 years since the Salamanca Statement, there is still room for improvements in order that schools can be developed that include all students. Drawing on a programme of research carried out over a period of 20 years in various European countries, this paper argues that children and young people themselves should have a central role in informing thinking, policies and practices in education. Although this is in line with the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child, their views continue to be largely absent from important discussions that directly affect them. Using examples from two interconnected studies, this paper illustrates how students can be a catalyst for inclusive development, provided their views are heard and acted upon. In so doing, it describes the evolution of the author’s thinking, as the research moved beyond an initial focus on students’ voices as relating to conversations with students, towards a much more radical approach that seeks to promote dialogue about learning and teaching amongst students and teachers. This move is seen to involve a cultural change which, in itself, is a manifestation of a commitment to inclusion as a principled approach to education.

KEYWORDS:

• Dialogue
• students’ voices
• inclusive education

Acknowledgments

This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein. I would like to thank all the teachers, students and university researchers who took part in these projects. Without their cooperation, the projects would have not been possible.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

ORCID

Kyriaki Messiou http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3412-3108

Notes on contributor

Kyriaki Messiou is Professor of Education at the University of Southampton. Her research interests focus on inclusive education, students’ voices, and participation and marginalisation in school contexts.

Notes

1 https://reachingthehardtoreach.eu/

Additional information

Funding

The first project ‘Responding to diversity by engaging with students’ voices: A strategy for teacher development’ (2011–2014) was funded with support from the European Commission [project number 518637-LLP-2011-UK-COMENIUS] [grant number 2011-3933/001-001]. The second project ‘Reaching the ‘hard to reach’: Inclusive Responses to diversity through child–teacher dialogue’ (2017–2020) is funded by Erasmus+ Key Action 2, School Education Strategic Partnerships [grant number 2017-1-UK01-KA201-036665].