When talking about Educational Inclusion, we must consider that the current conditions the world is experiencing have impacted all spheres of social life: mobility between territories, political and economic changes, the recognition of the rights of vulnerable social groups, technological advancements, the opening of markets, among others, have made our world and our society increasingly diverse, more open, more dynamic.
Accordingly, a new order, a new social dynamic, has begun to emerge, which, undoubtedly, impacts education: students and their families, teachers and educational administrators, and the corresponding authorities face different realities, which bring with them an infinite number of questions, but also opportunities.
What is Educational Inclusion?
Current educational systems have several challenges to face in light of the new social reality, one of them, and perhaps the most important, is QUALITY EDUCATIONAL INCLUSION.
For several decades internationally, through various Declarations and exhortations, a call has been made to countries to adopt an inclusive perspective for their educational systems, from initial to higher education. Various international organizations have laid the conceptual foundations for educational inclusion, practices, and regulations to make the educational process an opportunity in which the entire educational community is welcomed and valued based on their own characteristics and identity.
Educational inclusion entails a process of renewing school culture; it is an invitation to openness and the recognition of diversity, not only personal, but also of systems, levels, forms, methods, supports, and opportunities. It implies not only recognizing that all people, regardless of their personal condition, have the right to education, but also that this right must be supported by QUALITY.
When the right to education is inclusive, we all undoubtedly win, that is, we all benefit, since this process allows us to:
Benefits of Educational Inclusion
- Equity, this becomes the basis of relationships; we can all access support and resources depending on our characteristics and identity.
- Quality, which allows us to always do our best for the benefit of all; processes are optimized and resources are strengthened in order to provide satisfaction to everyone according to their conditions.
- Ethics, with it we guarantee that all involved in the inclusive process always strive to do what is appropriate, seeking the greater good for all.
- Institutional Strengthening: institutional organization is renewed with the new demands of the inclusive process; people, processes, resources, and supports experience new management. Self-evaluation plays a central role because it allows constant monitoring and timely decision-making to feed back into the foundations of the process.
- Teacher Professionalization: the challenges of addressing diversity require constant training, both internal and external to the institution. Contributions from pedagogy, didactics, psychology, neuropsychology, sociology, among other areas of knowledge, allow us a better recognition of individuality and therefore of the necessary resources and supports that allow us to respond with quality and equity to the challenges of the inclusion process.
- Identity Construction and Potential Development: the possibility of accessing quality educational inclusion processes allows each person to take ownership of their life, recognize themselves and be recognized individually and collectively, challenge limits, and achieve accomplishments that lead to concrete goals. Supports and resources are decisive in this process; these must be adjusted to each person’s condition and consistent with their expectations and life project.
Educational Inclusion without limits
The educational inclusion process is an opportunity to strengthen individual, institutional, and social identity; it is the opportunity to recreate new possibilities and foster new relationships. A quality educational inclusion process grants everyone, both individuals and groups and institutions, the opportunity to be based on their own potentials and expectations; we all have the possibility to be more, there are no limits.