Exclusion: the downside of neoliberal school policy

This article reports on an empirical, social-anthropological study of inclusion/exclusion in Danish public school education. The study sheds light on the downside of a neoliberal education policy that emphasises achievement. In spite of the best intentions of Danish education policy that inclusion and learning achievement should be two equal goals, it seems that inclusion, differentiation, and children in need are overlooked by teachers (during teaching), resulting in some children being excluded from classroom activities. The study is a case study of two teams of teachers over a two-year period (2014 and 2015) in one school. By analyzing vignettes of the practice of teaching, as well as interviews and discussions with teachers, the study reports on the downsides of neoliberal education policy. This policy leads to a form of teaching which focuses on school subjects and student achievement, thereby overlooking and thus excluding children who do not live up to expectations regarding their school performance.