Today we talk about Inclusive Education, a book by MICHAEL SUBBEY published with our publishing house Europe Books.
Europe Books had the pleasure of interviewing the author MICHAEL SUBBEY to get to know him better, what prompted him to the writing of his book Inclusive Education, as well as how he describes his Writing style.
Below you can find our interview. Take a seat and enjoy your reading!!!
- What prompted you to write your book?
My decision to write this book was primarily shaped by my professional experiences in inclusive schools in Ghana. Although these schools were officially designated as inclusive, I observed that many teachers had only a superficial understanding of what inclusive education truly entails. As a result, learners with exceptional educational needs often did not receive the targeted support and differentiated instruction required for them to fully benefit from teaching and learning. This gap between policy and practice highlighted a critical need for deeper awareness, practical guidance, and sustained professional learning in inclusive classroom contexts. Beyond my local experience, extensive engagement with academic literature and discussions with colleagues at international conferences revealed a broader global challenge. While countries across the world endorse the principles of inclusive education, the ways in which inclusion is understood and implemented vary considerably. These differences are shaped by factors such as cultural diversity, interpretations of equality and equity, and crucially unequal access to economic and natural resources. Consequently, inclusive education does not manifest as a uniform practice but rather as a concept adapted to diverse national contexts, each with its own constraints and possibilities. Motivated by these insights, I wrote this book to contribute to global conversations on inclusive education by bridging theory and practice across contexts. The book aims to raise awareness, challenge assumptions, and broaden the perspectives of students, educators, practitioners, policymakers, as well as parents and caregivers. By presenting rich international viewpoints, it seeks to deepen understanding of inclusive education as both a shared global commitment and a locally negotiated practice.
- What personal life experiences did you write in your book?
My personal experiences are most explicitly reflected in Chapter Seven of the book, titled “Ideals and Reality of Inclusive Education.” In this chapter, I draw on my professional journey as both a classroom teacher and a monitoring officer working with inclusive schools. These roles gave me direct exposure to how inclusive education is interpreted and implemented at the school level, often revealing a significant gap between policy intentions and classroom realities. The opportunity to visit inclusive schools in different national contexts further broadened my perspective on how inclusive education is practised across education systems. Through these school visits and sustained interactions with practitioners, I was able to observe both shared aspirations and contrasting realities in inclusive education. While many countries demonstrate strong commitment to inclusion through constitutionally enshrined provisions and adherence to national and international treaties and conventions, the actual practices in schools frequently fall short of these stated ideals. Through continued engagement with teachers, school leaders, and practitioners, one recurring insight emerged clearly: disparities in the availability and distribution of natural resources, infrastructure, and skilled manpower significantly affect the quality of inclusive education. These inequalities; both material and human, create uneven capacities across schools and nations to adequately support learners with diverse needs. Consequently, the book advocates for a more contextualized and realistic approach to inclusive education; one that aligns educational practices with the human and material resources available within each national setting, while remaining firmly grounded in the core principles of inclusion. These principles include equality and non-discrimination, respect for diversity, participation and belonging, accessibility, Universal Design for Learning (UDL), individualized support, differentiated instruction, and collaboration and teamwork. My lived experiences therefore form the foundation for a critical yet constructive contribution to ongoing discussions about how inclusive education can be meaningfully realised in varied educational contexts.
- What would you like to hear from your readers?
I envision feedback from my readers along three interrelated dimensions: intellectual, practical, and professional. At the intellectual level, I would like readers to reflect that engaging with the book has broadened and deepened their understanding of inclusive education. I hope they recognize that the book has helped them move beyond surface-level interpretations of inclusion to a more nuanced appreciation of its principles, challenges, and contextual applications across diverse educational settings. From a practical standpoint, I particularly look forward to hearing from educators, especially teachers working in inclusive classrooms, that studying this book has strengthened their capacity to translate theory into practice. I would be encouraged to learn that the strategies, frameworks, and real-life illustrations presented in the book have equipped them with the skills, confidence, and reflective insight necessary to respond effectively to the diverse learning needs of their students. At the professional level, I anticipate feedback from colleagues, researchers, and practitioners in the field of inclusive education affirming that the book serves as a valuable resource for professional development. Ideally, I would like to hear that it is considered a useful training manual for both pre-service and in-service education, supporting the preparation and continuous development of professionals committed to inclusive practices. Such affirmation would indicate that the book contributes meaningfully to capacity building and to ongoing global efforts to advance inclusive education in principled and context-responsive ways.
- How would you describe your Writing style?
My writing style is primarily expository, as the book is designed to clearly explain the concept of inclusive education from national to global dimensions. I focus on unpacking key principles, policies, and theoretical frameworks in a structured and accessible manner, while also supporting these explanations with practical examples drawn from real educational contexts. This approach allows readers to develop a solid conceptual understanding alongside an appreciation of how inclusive education is enacted in practice. In addition to exposition, I intentionally incorporated descriptive elements in parts of the book. This stylistic choice is aimed at engaging readers more deeply by illustrating the lived realities of inclusive education. Through description, I seek to connect readers emotionally and intellectually to the subject, enabling them to reflect on the contrast between the ideals of inclusive education and the realities encountered in schools. By blending explanation with description, my aim is to inform, engage, and subtly persuade readers to critically examine inclusive education not only as a policy concept but as a human-centered educational practice.
- Are you working on a new writing project you can tell us about?
Yes, I am currently working on a new writing project focused on developing a model of inclusive education that offers a contemporary lens for understanding and conceptualising inclusion. This model seeks to respond to emerging educational realities by integrating theoretical foundations with practical considerations that reflect diverse learning contexts. My aim is to present a framework that is both conceptually robust and adaptable, helping educators, policymakers, and practitioners rethink inclusive education in ways that remain faithful to its core principles while addressing current and future challenges. I am optimistic about completing this work and publishing it in the near future.
Europe Books thanks the author MICHAEL SUBBEY once again for taking the time and answering our questions. We are really pleased to have walked alongside him on the editorial path that led to the publication of his book Inclusive Education. We wish him the best of luck for his book and for his future works.
To you, my dear reader, may this book capture your attention and provides you with interesting food for thought that can somehow broaden your vision in relation to the Inclusive Education.
So, my dear reader, all I have to say is to enjoy your reading!
Your Editor!