The ethics of inclusion: A case-based inquiry into educational decision-making for (im)migrant students

Abstract

This article addresses the ethical dimensions of refugee education and the responsibilities of schools to more fully realize inclusive practices that respond meaningfully to the unique challenges posed by migration. Drawing on the Springfield City School District’s ongoing response to an influx of (im)migrant students, we develop two distinct analyses of the case to provide resources for educators and theorists alike to engage in informed ethical analysis that closely considers the realities of educational decision-making. In the first analysis, we argue that there are three duties incumbent upon school systems to fulfill with regard to newcomers: (1) to mitigate hierarchy for equal moral standing, (2) to provide quality education even at the cost of maximum achievement for all, and (3) to protect student physical and dignitary safety. Here we argue that on two accounts not all newcomers are owed the exact same – namely that the second duty of schools is specific to involuntary (im)migrants. Our second approach reveals further complexities in educational decision-making, identifying and evaluating three types of interventions implemented in the case in terms of their efficacy in promoting ‘educational goods’ as well as the extent to which they uphold the duties identified in our first analysis.