The drive for Education For All (EFA) has seen significant progress in many countries, with increased allocation of resources to basic education. But the scale of the challenges remains high, with social biases often preventing poor and marginalised groups from getting access to education.
This issue of the IDS Bulletin examines the barriers and asks two fundamental questions: how can policy processes respond to the challenge of promoting inclusive education and how can this policy research be understood and implemented within local contexts? Drawing on the findings of a 20-month research project based in India and South Africa, contributors examine the meanings ascribed to ‘caste’ and ‘race’ and take another look at the loaded and contested terms of ‘inclusion and exclusion’. It’s essential reading for anyone involved in development and education policy and practice.