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Guidelines for inclusion: Ensuring access to education for all
Marana Matei - Psychology researcher
25 June 2014
Review of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization report (2005) Guidelines for inclusion: Ensuring access to Education for All, http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0014/001402/140224e.pdf.
The document published by UNESCO, "Guidelines for inclusion: Ensuring access to education for all", offers to interested readers a working definition of the inclusion concept and arguments for its implementation in education, including in working with immigrant children. The document is also targeted to decision makers for whom the authors provide precise recommendations, specific instruments and methods for implementing integration in the educational system. The central argument of the paper is the idea that the inclusion implemented in schools has a positive impact not only on vulnerable groups but also on children outside this category. In short this document is a handbook of guidelines and practices for inclusive education.
The following aspects are discussed in the document: a tuition strategy for excluded children, going from an integration strategy to an inclusion strategy from several perspectives, as well as support elements for formulating an education policy for all categories of persons who have a right to education. The final aim of this document is to help build a quality educational system accessible to all categories of pupils.
In addition the material reviews certain preconceptions regarding the term of inclusive education, which may represent obstacles to action and to a global beneficial change. These preconceptions are:
- inclusion is a costly process;
- a change in attitude in society should occur first;
- inclusion is a theoretical concept, with no applicability;
- special skills and competencies are required, which are difficult to develop;
- inclusion is not the responsibility of the Ministry of Education;
- inclusion is only a disability-related issue.
Inclusive education means not only an organisational change but also a change of philosophy and approach. A working definition of inclusion according to UNESCO is "a dynamic approach of responding positively to pupil diversity and of seeing individual differences not as problems, but as opportunities for enriching learning". The principle of education for all is based on:
- access to free compulsory education;
- equality, inclusion and non-discrimination;
- the right to quality education.
Inclusion is thus conceptualised as follows by the authors:
1. Inclusion is a process - in other words inclusion involves a continuous learning process, a challenge to find new work methods; the pupils’ individuality is thus a stimulus leading to progress and is seen positively.
2. Inclusion means identifying obstacles and overcoming them - in other words inclusion involves collecting data from convergent sources in order to propose better policies and practices.
3. Inclusion involves the presence, participation and performance of all pupils - in other words, inclusion is about using education services, getting real benefits from education and reaching the maximum potential of each pupil.
4. Inclusion means a special attention paid to groups of pupils facing a high risk of marginalisation, exclusion and results below their actual capacities - in other words inclusion means the responsibility to monitor and intervene when necessary to ensure participation and performance of these pupils at risk.
The authors emphasise the idea that pupils experience school difficulties not because of the particular problems they face, but rather because of the current organisation of schools and the rigid tuition methods used. Inclusive education proposes a number of changes in this line:
- overcoming the limitative attitudes and values;
- a better knowledge and understanding of the existing situation;
- skill development;
- efficient use of limited resources;
- a better organisation.
Considering all the aspects above, we can conclude that inclusion means a shift from seeing the pupil as a problem to seeing the system as a problem which can be solved. Adapting the educational environment means that all persons involved should act to ensure that pupils in the education process study, overcome their limits and accept the challenges of novelty.
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