A cross case analysis of special education legacy: international experience applicable for Nordic educational research (South Africa and Russia)

The pursuit of inclusive education in different countries is shaped by the nature of existing special educational provisions. The presentation focuses on two authoritarian regimes in the previous century: Soviet Russia (USSR) with its ideology of class (proletarian humanism and egalitarian universalism) and South Africa with its ideology of race (apartheid and discrimination). The research formulated two assertions on the basis of a cross-case analysis based on a policy historiography. First, state ideology is visible, explicit and prominent in the shaping of special education. Second, the challenges of transitioning to a more inclusive education system are compounded by the ideological legacy of these regimes. Current moves towards inclusive education in both countries must contend with these ideological legacies and pay attention to a greater recognition of the role of state ideologies in international and comparative studies of special and inclusive education. The argumentation of the current research application to the Nordic countries could be supported by sharing methodology research experience and building knowledge about societies in change within post-modern challenges in education.