Competition, selection and inclusive education: some observations

This paper seeks toprovide an introduction tothe complex matrix of issues tobe considered by the papers in this Special Issue. The focus is placed upon the contradictory educational policy imperatives of ‘competition’ and ‘selection’ on the one hand, and ‘inclusive education’ on the other. At the core of this discussion lies a rejection of the belief in the operation of market forces as the optimal instrument for planning educational provision. Rather than narrowing the definition of ability and effectiveness, this paper asserts the importance of education for all and the issues of identity, recognition and redistribution that such an assertion necessarily implies.