Through the comparison between the official discourse and the social practices, the present study seeks to understand the trajectory of implementation of the policy of inclusion. The history of special education in Brazil is marked by social and educational exclusion, and therefore guaranteeing the right to education of handicapped people is a complex process requiring political actions in various spheres. The reflection about the guidelines, materials and documents of the Inclusive Education Program: the right to diversity, based on the testimonies of administrators from a hub municipality, made it possible to raise questions related to the way in which the policy of inclusion in being implemented. The analysis reveals tensions and conflicts associated to the possibilities of bringing to practice actions of formation and multiplication; to the conceptual discussion about inclusion; to the locus of service to handicapped students; to the financing aspect and to the relations between the public and the private sectors; and also as to the responsibilities of the different agents involved in the process. The results point to the fact that these tensions can be understood from the multiple relationships established between a teaching system that tends to homogenization and the principles of inclusion, which presupposes the respect to rights, the appreciation of diversity, and the fulfillment of individual needs.
Special education; Public policies; Inclusive education