Developing inclusive education systems: the role of organisational cultures and leadership

Including all children in education is the major challenge facing educational systems around the world, in both developing and developed countries. Drawing on research evidence and ideas from a range of international literature, this paper argues that leadership practice is a crucial element in gearing education systems towards inclusive values and bringing about sustainable change. In so doing, the paper considers the organisational conditions that are needed in order to bring about such developments, focusing in particular on the role of leadership in fostering inclusive cultures.