Search

Reform processes in contemporary education systems taking place over the last few decades have aimed to implement a model of inclusive education in schools. Since the development of inclusive school practice is determined by a country's political, economic, cultural and historical context, school system reform in line with the ideology of inclusive education is one of the greatest challenges in the functioning of contemporary school systems. It is therefore important to consider the key characteristics of inclusive school practice, and the requirements that need to be met for the practice to be successful. The paper begins with an overview of the theoretical foundations, policies and practice of inclusive education, and then goes on to analyze the question of instruction differentiation and individualization in an inclusive educational context. Starting from the position that instruction is the central segment of school education, the characteristics of instruction in an inclusive context are considered and interpreted as the key characteristics of inclusive school practice. In addition to the quality of teaching, other requirements for the development of inclusive school practice that are singled out and analyzed are inclusive policy of school work and inclusive school culture. The concluding section emphasizes that the orientation of the school system and social orientation towards the philosophy of inclusive education are the basic requirements for the development of inclusive school practice and the determinants of its quality.

Inclusion in education, as a theoretical and practical concept, has been widely accepted and represents a common feature of the functioning of modern school systems, and is also included in global and national education policies. Over the last decades, modern education systems have undergone reforms aimed at developing inclusive educational practice, with admittedly varying levels of success. In addition to changes in teaching and school work, the successful implementation of inclusion in education requires changes in the content and structure of schools and in the functioning of the school system. Inclusive practice must be developed alongside the development of inclusive policies and a culture of inclusivity, which is only possible within an inclusion-oriented education and social system. Therefore, the characteristics of the social context can be regarded as a key determinant in the practical implementation of inclusion in education. After looking at inclusion in education as the goal and content of current reform processes, the paper analyzes the prerequisites for the successful implementation of this concept in the practice of school work and then goes on to consider the characteristics of the social context as a determinant of the development of inclusive school practice. In order to illustrate the authors' assessment of the importance of the characteristics of the social context as a determinant of the successful development of inclusive school practice, the paper gives a brief overview of the progress and results of the implementation of inclusion in education in Finland and India.