The Hare and the Tortoise: a comparative review of the drive towards inclusive education policies in England and Cyprus

ABSTRACT

This paper explores the process of policy formulation and implementation in relation to children commonly described as having ‘special educational needs’ and disability (SEND), in Cyprus and in England. Drawing on qualitative research evidence from key primary documentary sources including legislation, statutory and non-statutory guidance and reports, it provides a comparative analysis of the content and the spirit of policy in both countries over the cycle of a century. The findings indicate that Cypriot policymakers have engaged in a process of ‘policy snatching’ from England, following four phases: charitable segregation and categorisation; enlightened legitimisation and categorisation; integration, ‘special educational needs’ and categorisation; inclusion, SEND and categorisation. Using the analogy of Aesop’s well-known fable ‘The Hare and the Tortoise’, the paper concludes that England, symbolically characterised as the hare, appears, overtly at least, to have moved ahead; while Cyprus, characterised as the tortoise, has been following slowly behind. However, progress has been slow in both countries, and the hare may well have fallen asleep. It is argued that whilst some common ground exists between the two countries, there is an inherent danger in transplanting selected elements of policy texts from one socio-cultural historical context to another.

KEYWORDS:

• Inclusion
• special educational needs
• policy
• qualitative
• Cyprus
• England

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Caroline Jones is a part-time Associate Fellow in the Centre for Lifelong Learning, University of Warwick. She is a founder member of the National SEFDEY Network and former Chair of the Midlands Region. Her key research interests are Leadership and Professional Development in Early Childhood Education, and Special Educational Needs. She has published a number of articles and chapters in edited books. Caroline’s most well-known publications are Supporting Inclusion in the Early Years (2004) and Leadership and Management in the Early Years: Principles to Practice (2008). Caroline is active in research and in consultancy abroad. She owns two early years settings and is committed to collaborative working with local authorities and developing partnerships with local schools and early years settings.

Simoni Symeonidou is an Assistant Professor (Inclusive Education) at the Department of Education of the University of Cyprus. Her research interests include teacher education for inclusive education, curriculum development for inclusive education, inclusive education policy and practice, and disability politics. Her publications include articles in international peer-reviewed journals, book chapters, two books in Greek, and a book in English (Purpose, Process and Future Direction of Disability Research, 2013), co-edited with Karen Beauchamp-Pryor. Simoni is the scientific co-ordinator of the research project ‘Tessearae of Knowledge’ ( www.ucy.ac.cy/psifides-gnosis); a project focusing on the collection, digitisation, dissemination, and usage of material produced by disabled people and people with chronic illnesses.