This paper analyses the conditions for the implementation of policies of inclusive education in Brazil and in the United Kingdom of England. These policies are inserted in a movement of exclusive characteristics that has affected the western societies since the Second World War. Opposing to this movement that excludes persons and groups from the world of work, consumption and social rights, inclusive policies affirm the necessity of providing education to all individuals in a society. The implementation of these policies, in both countries considered is regulated by laws and official documents that aim at specifying the educational actions to be taken by the educational systems. Inclusive practices, however, face barriers derived from the conflicts and tension generated by the general social conditions as well as from the properties of educational systems. These, generally, have not been designed to offer an education that meets different kinds of needs. The paper argues in favor of a better understanding of the conditions under which inclusive policies are implemented. The analysis of these conditions aims to contribute with the process of decision-making by educators, and to help them to establish the priorities and to choose the proper tools for educational practice.
Inclusion; Public policies; Special education