Intersectionality: A pathway towards inclusive education?

Abstract

AbstractThis article aligns with recent international approaches to inclusive education and argues for a broadened understanding of the term, specifically in the context of Austria, which currently focuses only on children with disabilities. The article not only sets out the thesis of intersectionality, but calls for the adoption of an intersectional lens in inclusive education in order to identify the interaction of multiple factors that lead to discriminatory processes in schools towards different student groups. Inclusive education means opening access to a wide range of educational and social opportunities for all children, not only those with disabilities or identified special education needs. The current system, in which children possess one identity marker, does not provide the support children need. Furthermore, it also reinforces inequalities not only within the education system, but also within society at large.