The concept of inclusion has been around for many decades, with those in the education field witnessing a wide range of practices, from high-quality, well-supported services to very limited opportunities for students to succeed in mainstream classrooms. Teachers, on one hand, often express frustration about insufficient training to support students with special needs, while school leaders contend with competing priorities and funding issues that threaten equity in education and the true fulfillment of the slogan “Education for All.”

Throughout my career as an educator and researcher in teacher education for inclusion and educational leadership, I have engaged with numerous school leaders and teachers, hearing firsthand their definitions of inclusion and observing how they interpret and apply this concept in their schools. In both formal and informal discussions, educators consistently highlight the challenges of high student-teacher ratios, conflicting views on what inclusive education entails, and assessment methods that often seem disconnected from inclusive practices. Despite this wealth of insights, I sometimes feel that, as researchers and professionals, we have made little progress toward improving the landscape of inclusion.

Yet, inclusion remains a persistent and contentious issue, both regionally and globally.

When speaking with school leaders and teachers, I continuously hear recurring issues surrounding inclusive education and leadership. Interestingly, governments in countries like the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Oman have been comparatively generous in their funding for education, exceeding the average according to resources provided by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Yet, inclusion remains a persistent and contentious issue, both regionally and globally. This raises the question of the core reasons why inclusion remains so challenging to implement effectively. Many school leaders mention that training is a routine part of their work with teachers, especially when it comes to inclusion and strategies for supporting diverse learners’ needs. However, this prompts me to ask further questions: What kind of training is being provided? What are its key components? Who is responsible for delivering this training, and, perhaps most critically, what concrete practices are teachers implementing afterward? Reflecting on these questions, I also find myself wondering about teachers’ perspectives on professional training in inclusion and whether all truly embrace and believe in the concept.

Among the good practices that some leaders have adopted to support inclusion in their schools are:

• Designing high-quality curricula that revolve around students’ individual needs, which, in some cases, allows for more meaningful learning experiences to emerge.
• Being creative in implementing teaching and learning practices while remaining within the framework of the curriculum, particularly in schools where teachers have limited autonomy over curriculum content and delivery. We all agree that this limitation of autonomy among teachers and leaders has undoubtedly impacted how well inclusion is translated into practice.
• Keeping up with evolving trends in learning and teaching to support diverse learners, while ensuring an open discussion continues to explore new conceptualizations of leadership and inclusion.
  
  

In recent years, I have conducted several studies with colleagues on school leadership and inclusion policies, revealing critical insights into the challenges and possibilities for improving inclusive practices. Studies such as Massouti et al. (2023) and Massouti et al. (2024), both published in Sustainability, as well as Saadaoui et al. (2024) in the International Journal of Leadership in Education, consistently highlight a pressing need for increased parental involvement as integral stakeholders in the inclusion process. These studies suggest that schools would benefit from partnering with charitable organizations to provide financial support for students with special education needs or those from lower socio-economic backgrounds, as many parents struggle to cover the costs of hiring learning support teachers for their children.

While I share the perspective that parent engagement is vital, it is also evident that some parents feel disconnected from their child’s school. This disconnect often stems from cultural differences between parents and teachers or the perception that the school should shoulder full responsibility for the child’s learning. These barriers have led to a pronounced gap between school and home—one that requires urgent attention in future inclusion policy development. Closing this gap will likely involve finding creative, innovative approaches to actively involve parents in their child’s educational journey and equipping teachers with better strategies to support diverse learners.

However, school leaders can be creative in supporting parents’ engagement in their child’s learning journey by:

• Ensuring the existence of clear communication channels between parents and school staff (emails, phone calls, newsletters, or apps).
• Facilitating workshops that help parents learn more about their child’s progress and how they can support them at home using various resources provided by the school.
• Recognizing that each family has different needs and offering flexible opportunities for engagement, such as virtual meetings, which can be very helpful.
• Establishing parent groups on social media platforms where parents can share resources, advice, and help build a connected community.

In conclusion, these are just some of the practices that school leaders and teachers are adopting, along with the challenges they encounter as they strive to include all students in their daily practices. The hope is that these stories from the field will encourage us to rethink what makes our schools happier environments and our classrooms more positive, supportive, and engaging. Perhaps school leaders will reconsider how they distribute roles among school personnel to provide students with diverse needs more individualized support and care. Achieving this, however, requires substantial investment in additional human resources and equipping teachers with the necessary tools to become more inclusion oriented.

Until our schools recognize the need for a fundamental shift in how we approach inclusion, we will continue witnessing incremental but promising advancements in inclusive teaching practices. These evolving practices are a source of pride, reflecting the resilience and creativity of educators committed to serving all students.