The debate about school inclusion in Brazil has become more and more a true collision, provoking controversy, stridency and polarization. One of the largest impacts is taking place in the arena of Special Education, in which one of the recurrent arguments is the proposition that deals with a new paradigm that should radically alter the education of children and youngsters with special educational needs in the Brazilian context. In order to "illuminate" rather than to "warm up" this debate, we intend, first, to contextualize the historical roots of the movement. Secondly, we examine the possible impacts of school inclusion and full inclusion on the Brazilian educational system. In conclusion, we discuss the thesis that we have to face the challenge of dealing with the contradiction of an imported ideology that represents an alignment to the latest fashion, but that at the same time can be one of the strategies used to overcome chronic problems of special education in the country.
history of special education; school integration; inclusive education; school inclusion; full inclusion