Conceptualizing Professional Ethics in Inclusive Education

This chapter explores professional ethics within inclusive education. The conceptualization of inclusion is founded on ethical principles, as it concerns issues of equity, access, justice, and care. Many would argue that inclusion is a fundamental right, supported by the Salamanca Statement (1994) and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (2006). Internationally, educational systems have adopted inclusive education in varying capacities and structures. Nevertheless, the ethical dimensions of inclusion are often absent in theoretical and practice related discussions of inclusion in teaching and learning. The nature of professional ethics within inclusive schooling is presented, with an examination of ethical dilemmas, challenges, and tensions, grounded in empirical data, that occur in the nuances of a teacher’s work.