An Exclusive Education

by Searle, Chris

"The exclusion of pupils from schools is a hotly contested issue in contemporary British education, and former headteacher Chris Searle is at the heart of current debate. Searle is a passionate advocate of inclusive education, arguing that it is a key task of any school to actively work for the full inclusive motivation of all its students: excluding pupils is not an acceptable educational option, particularly since a disproportionate percentage of those excluded are black and working class." "The book provides statistical information, together with many case studies of wrongly excluded children. It also describes the attacks made on Searle when he instituted a no permanent exclusion policy as a headteacher in Sheffield." "Searle's view is that exclusions are symptomatic of a wider culture of structural exclusion, and he puts forward alternative policies for dealing with disaffected students. Such policies should be based on strong community participation, and a recognition that feelin