Included as excluded and excluded as included: minority language pupils in Norwegian inclusion policy

Abstract

This article offers an analysis of four Norwegian policy documents on inclusion of minority language pupils. The main concepts of this policy will be reconstructed and re-described, applying Niklas Luhmann's systems theory at different levels of the analysis. Luhmann's theory about society as a conglomerate of selfreferential social systems investigates how these systems construct meaning and what consequences these constructions have for inclusion and exclusion processes. This article will focus on the Norwegian educational policy towards minority language pupils, defined by the policy as pupils who have a different mother tongue than Norwegian and Sami language. It is argued that this inclusion policy is excluding in its social form, and that it exhibits an increased emphasis on education when it comes to inclusion in society. Re-descriptions based on logic of forms will show how binary distinctions such as 'inclusion/ exclusion', 'majority language pupil/minority language pupil' and 'early intervention/wait and see' emerge in the timespan of 2004 -2012. Based on this, it is claimed that descriptions of inclusion and exclusion are mutually constituted in the policy, thus giving rise to the question of whether the policy goal -'full' inclusion in society -is realisable. A paradox will be uncovered: minority language pupils are being included as excluded as well as excluded as included in the documents, displaying how inclusion and exclusion are two sides of the same coin. The strategy early intervention is introduced to remedy exclusions, thus converting the problem of inclusion into a problem of time.

Education without a shared language: dynamics of inclusion and exclusion in Norwegian introductory classes for newly arrived minority language students

“…Luhmann (2002) defines inclusion as being addressed by a system. To be addressed is to become a person for the system at issue, and every system has its requirements for this 'personification' (Hilt 2015). In terms of logic of forms (Luhmann 1997a;Jønhill 2012b;Hilt 2015), inclusion can be visualised as shown in Figure 1.…”

“…In Norway, immigrant students are often categorised as 'minority language pupils' 1 in educational policy, defined as having a mother tongue other than Norwegian or Sami. This group has become a frequent addressee for inclusive policy measures (Hilt 2015).…”

“…It will become apparent how inclusions and exclusions in these systems are independent, yet related. A form analysis of inclusion (Luhmann 1997a;Stichweh 2009;Jønhill 2012b;Hilt 2015) will show how certain groups of newly arrived students have to cross several borders in order to be included in the mainstream system; thus they are at particular risk for domino effects of exclusions.…”

Constructing the multilingual child: the case of language education policy in Norway

“…Engen, 2010;Hvistendahl, 2009), as well as a continued monolingual bias in language policy documents, whereby multilingualism is constructed as a categorization assigned to native speakers of languages other than the dominant language, Norwegian (Sickinghe, 2013). Furthermore, while official policy documents increasingly narrow down the definition of inclusion as educational inclusion only (Hilt, 2015), a growing policy emphasis on equity rather than diversity and cultural recognition as essential ingredients in the educational success of Norway's ethnically diverse population has also been observed (Haugen, 2010).…”

‘They don’t know what it means to be a student’: Inclusion and exclusion in the nexus between ‘global’ and ‘local’

“…Pursuant to this, the so-called minority language pupils, the newly arrived ones in particular, are considered at risk of poor learning outcomes, school dropout and marginalisation. Accordingly, they have become a target group for educational policy measures (Hilt, 2015).…”