Children, Social Inclusion in Education, Autonomy and Hope

ABSTRACT

Social inclusion can refer to the ability of individuals and groups to participate in social activities and the extent to which they feel included and recognized as valuable and able to make contributions. I explore the social inclusion of children in K-12 education (ages 4 - 18), and argue it is vital for the development and exercise of attitudes and capacities such as hope and local autonomy. Since schools are tasked with developing children's skills and knowledge, the extent to which they succeed will play a large role in limiting or enabling children's social inclusion both when they become adults and as children. Children's relationships are an important aspect of their school experiences, as they affect not only whether they feel connected to others but also what they deem to be the grounds of their inclusion. Schools can also equip children with the skills and experiences required for social interactions with others in better and worse ways, fostering children's attitudes towards themselves, others, and the world and affecting whether they think they have the resources to have an impact on their environment and society and can achieve both personal and shared goals.

KEYWORDS:

• Children
• autonomy
• education
• inclusion
• hope

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 Ontario Ministry of Education (2006).

2 Mitra (2005) provides two contrasting examples of partnerships between adults and children in schools, with one including more of a role for the children in setting the group agenda and choosing tactics.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Amy Mullin

Amy Mullin is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Toronto. She works on children and autonomy, as well as the roles and responsibilities of children and those who care for them more generally. She also works on topics in esthetics relating to connections between morality, politics and the imagination.