Education, Disability and Inclusion (original) (raw)

have given us all a gift with this muchneeded book on education, disability and inclusion from the vital and powerful counter-hegemonic discourses of insiders and participants. As we accompany Rafael, his family and allies through their experiences in school, we learn first hand the ways in which schools as social institutions reconstruct culture and identity all too often to the detriment of students like Rafael. The layered discourses throughout the book, coupled with an analytical framework and empirical evidence, leave us with no doubt that our approaches to teaching and learning need to change. This book begins with the premise that Rafael, and all children and youth have the ability to learn and grow, and are born with the potential to be educated. Part one of the book devotes considerable attention to issues that have long plagued our classrooms and society: issues of equality, fairness, opportunities to learn, attitudinal barriers, and the ways in which our current policies and practices compromise and impede progress. This section provides ample evidence that disability and intellectual aptitude are not characteristics of the student as much as they are a characteristic of the situation. Schools seem to be more about categorization, sorting, labeling, and testing students rather than they are about preparing students for a life of active citizenship and community and family involvement-in short, life after school. After all, students are ultimately tested in the experiences of life, not on math or reading scores. Rafael's experience in particular puts a spotlight on the effect schooling has on a sense of cultural belonging and positive self-identity-the essential tools for community living. Throughout the book, the depth and breadth of this portrait of action research is impressive in and of itself. Covering over a decade of experiences, the internal and external researchers use multiple sources of data: standardized tests, student and family narrations, observations, informal interviews, and extensive written documentation of reports and letters. The authors exhort the reader to engage with the text actively and critically, to undertake a self-examination of his/her own attitudes and practices. They ask us to consider: what responsibility is assumed by the school as an institution? What is the purpose of assessment and diagnosis? What should be taught? When should it be taught? How should it be taught? Is it ever considered that the cause of a problem could be found outside of the student being evaluated? Answering these questions with a critical reading and response requires a different frame of reference and analysis than the scientific positivism of biology and psychology that has permeated and driven special education thinking and practice. The authors challenge this thinking and practice with an alternative analytical framework that draws from discourses, theories and interpretation systems which take into account issues of social justice, culture and resistance. Specifically, the x FOREWORD xi ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This book is not the work of the authors, but the result of the continuous effort and trust of many individuals. We are immensely grateful to the family, including Rafael, for the determination, trust and enthusiasm they have shown throughout the research process and during the preparation of this report; to Domingo, Rafael's friend, for his joy and for the lessons learnt from him; to the Musical Directors of the Junior Music Band 'Miraflores-Gibraljaire', José María Puyana and Manuel Aragu, who never doubted Rafael's ability and professional potential, for their encouragement; to some of Rafael's teachers, for the ability to disregard the unfair demands made by the school; to his music teachers for their good work, in particular to José Antonio Aragón, who contributed to making this story stronger; to support teachers Eli, Daniel and María del Mar, who for years have helped Rafael and his family to not become discouraged, and to increase their confidence; to Nuria Aragú, for her confidence, knowledge and interest, and for showing us new avenues for research and intervention in education with great potential; and to our neighbours, to the Ombudsman for Andalusia, Spain, and to a large number of professionals committed to justice and equality in education, for their support. The authors are very grateful for the generosity of Editorial Octaedro (the Spanish publishers) and the translators Julian Thomas and Susana Quintas, who have worked hard altruistically to make this history accessible in English. Finally, we would like to thank