Who’s In? Who’s Out? Issues of Inclusion and Exclusion in Education Policy was produced by pre-service teachers in  the  applied  seminar  group  of the EducationPolicy, Schools and Society subject, at the University of Melbourne. It was conceived as a resource guide for student teachers and beginning teachers, outlining issues of inclusion and exclusion in critical areas as these teachers begin work in education today. Each chapter gives an overview of policy, theory and contested issues in a given area, with a guide to strategies and action provided in selected chapters.

            The diversity of students within our classrooms is immense, and the diversity of challenges faced by our students is similarly broad. As beginning and student teachers, we need to be aware of and sensitive to the various factors that may exclude students from access to and success in education. An understanding of educational policies and the debates pertaining to them can help us to recognise and meet the needs of our students. Who’s In? Who’s Out? Issues of Inclusion and Exclusion in Education Policy seeks to give beginning and student teachers an introduction to issues and policies with which they may not be familiar, but which affect our students’ access to education daily.

            We would like to thank Roger Holdsworth for his enduring support and guidance in this project, which has been a productive and formative learning opportunity for all of us. We would also like to thank the Department of Education Policy and Management for the financial support which made the publication of this book possible.