Inclusive education is a key goal of education systems worldwide with much of the policy emphasis on educating children with special educational needs in mainstream schools. Part of the human rights agenda, the principle of inclusive education argues that any form of segregation for students is morally wrong. Ireland has lagged behind other countries in implementing inclusive education policies, although this has begun to change over the last decade. The Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs (EPSEN) Act (2004) was a landmark document. It emphasises the need for students with special educational needs to be educated alongside their peers in mainstream settings. Since its publication, the profile of mainstream primary classrooms has changed with over a quarter of children having some form of additional need. Despite these changes, many caution against simply physically including children with special educational needs in mainstream settings and stress the need for genuine inclusion with meaningful social participation. Previous research has shown that positive peer relations can affect not only the wellbeing of the child but also their academic outcomes
