Abstract
In this talk, I focus on the issue of marginalisation of children with specific characteristics (visible or not) and their exclusion from school mathematics. Specifically, I look at how different educational systems, within specific cultural contexts, construct the notion of who underperforms. In doing so, I draw from my research experience in three educational contexts (Cyprus, Scotland, Norway). In closing, I turn the attention toward the concept of intersectionality, highlighting the importance of understanding how social inequalities work in combination regarding marginalisation and the exclusion of children from school mathematics.