Inclusive Education Research: Evidence from Growing Up in Ireland

There is a new policy emphasis on inclusive education which means that more students with special educational needs (SEN) are being placed in mainstream education instead of special schools. Despite these changes little is known about the nature and characteristics of this group of children and there is little understanding of how they fare in mainstream schools. Using data available from the large scale and nationally representative Growing Up in Ireland study of nine year olds we can now provide much-needed insights into the experiences of children with SEN in mainstream primary schools. This paper provides an overview of recent research on children with SEN in mainstream schools. Findings show that 1 in 4 children in Irish primary schools have some form of SEN with strong gender differences and a clear social gradient in special needs prevalence. The research explores issues in the over-identification of SEN among some groups of students particularly boys from low-income families. In relation to the well-being and school engagement among children with SEN further analysis shows that 1 in 8 children with SEN "never like school". This suggests that children with SEN, and in particular those with learning difficulties, face barriers in engaging with school.