Issues of Inclusive Education in the 21st Century

There are many issues associated with the implementation of inclusive education in the international arena. Of key importance is the impact on the role of teachers and their capacity to enact the philosophy in an effective way. Considering the current effectiveness of teacher preparation for inclusion, preliminary data were collected from a university in Japan to identify the perceptions of pre-service teachers regarding inclusion and their perceived self-efficacy in being able to implement it. The discussion focuses on a range of initiates to help overcome some of the challenges faced to implementing effective inclusive education. Consideration is given to reforming education systems to become inclusive; removing barriers to inclusion; restructuring schools for inclusion; preparing teachers; and the role of universities in teacher education.