Justice and Equality in Education : A Capability Perspective on Disability and Special Educational Needs

What constitutes a just educational provision for disabled learners? This book contributes to the debate on justice and equality in education by dealing with the timely and contentious issue of provision for children with disabilities and special educational needs. The topic of educational provision for these learners is currently controversial in almost all Western industrialized countries. It involves arguments related to public policy as well as considerations of educational theory and practice, but philosophical issues have often been neglected. Lorella Terzi employs a version of liberal egalitarianism in her research and makes a unique contribution to the current debate by presenting a philosophical analysis of disability and special educational needs, and by dealing with the question of educational equality in terms of Amartya Sen's capability approach. The book is a work of applied philosophy, which brings political and moral theory to bear on questions central not only to special and inclusive education, but also to educational theory and policy more generally.