The use of ‘soft barriers’ to deter students with special educational needs (SEN) from accessing some schools has been reported in the Irish media. This article investigates the influence of ethos and culture on access to and inclusive practice in mainstream schools in Ireland. Ethos and culture are nebulous concepts yet are integral to how schools operate, how they present themselves and how they are perceived by the public. Findings from a small-scale, qualitative research study are used to illustrate this. In the study, the understandings and attitudes of principals, special education teachers and guidance counsellors in mainstream schools in relation to students with Social, Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties (SEBD) are investigated through the use of questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. In line with international experiences, an argument is presented suggesting that many sections of the education system in Ireland, while seemingly having been irrevocably transformed in response to national policy on inclusion, preserve very traditional structures, organisation and attitudes due to issues of ethos and culture remaining largely unchallenged in the inclusion debate. This phenomenon appears to have greater impact at post-primary level. Cosmetic, surface-level changes impede meaningful, systemic change in terms of access and inclusive practice.

中文翻译：

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“软障碍”——学校风气和文化对爱尔兰主流学校接纳有特殊教育需求的学生的影响

爱尔兰媒体报道了使用“软障碍”来阻止有特殊教育需求 (SEN) 的学生进入某些学校的情况。本文调查了风气和文化对爱尔兰主流学校获得和包容性实践的影响。精神和文化是模糊的概念，但对于学校如何运作、如何展示自己以及公众如何看待它们却是不可或缺的。小规模、定性研究的结果被用来说明这一点。本研究通过问卷调查和半结构化访谈的方式，调查了主流学校校长、特殊教育教师和辅导员对社会、情感和行为困难（SEBD）学生的理解和态度。根据国际经验，提出的论点表明，爱尔兰教育系统的许多部分虽然似乎已不可逆转地响应国家包容性政策而发生了变化，但由于精神和文化问题，在包容性方面基本上没有受到挑战，因此保留了非常传统的结构、组织和态度辩论。这种现象似乎对小学后水平产生了更大的影响。表面上的表面变化阻碍了在获取和包容性实践方面有意义的系统性变化。由于精神和文化问题而导致的组织和态度在包容性辩论中基本上没有受到挑战。这种现象似乎对小学后水平产生了更大的影响。表面上的表面变化阻碍了在获取和包容性实践方面有意义的系统性变化。由于精神和文化问题而导致的组织和态度在包容性辩论中基本上没有受到挑战。这种现象似乎对小学后水平产生了更大的影响。表面上的表面变化阻碍了在获取和包容性实践方面有意义的系统性变化。