The Swedish education system encompasses goals towards inclusion, where all schools according to the school law also shall work towards equity. Such ambitions may can be seen as contradictory to business goals and principles of competition in an evolving school market. The aim of the study is to describe solutions used in five schools, classified as having different local school ideologies, in their work with Pupils in Need of Special Support (PNSS) and to describe motives for these solutions.

Eight schools were initially chosen, in a stratified purposeful sampling procedure, from 546 independent comprehensive schools answering a national survey comprising all independent comprehensive schools in Sweden (response rate 79,5%). These schools have previously been classified within a theoretical framework related to inclusion. They represent very clearly different value patterns in relation to inclusion.

Three schools are labelled holistic-inclusive and two schools are labelled market-oriented-exclusive. Holistic-inclusive local school ideologies are fully in line with inclusion whereas market-oriented-exclusive local school ideologies show a value pattern which is entirely the opposite. These five schools were finally chosen for this study.

Interview data from semi-structured interviews with principals, special educators, class-teachers, pupils in need of special support and class-teachers provide major source of data. The data was analysed in regard to school situations for Pupils in Need of Special Support (PNSS).

Preliminary results show substantial differences between schools with different local school ideologies in allocation of resources and competence to pupils in need of special needs. The resources allocated to pupils in need of special support are restricted in market-oriented-exclusive schools. This may be seen as an indication that neither the pupils’ needs nor goals of equity are of high priority in these schools. Results show the opposite situation in holistic-inclusive schools.

Private equity companies have been questioned as owners of schools due to profit demands. Interview data show that the situation in some schools with private owners may be an complication as well in regard to goals of inclusion and equity.