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International Congresses
In 2013, the International Federation of Fe y Alegría Congress XLIV was held in Brazil.
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We present an abstract summary of the Final Document of the International Congress XLIV “Inclusive Education in the Mission of Fe y Alegría.” Inclusion should not be seen merely as a way to treat people with different capacities, rather, refers to an appreciation of cultural, ethnic, linguistic, religious, social diversity, learning styles, abilities, gender, among others, as an enrichment of the educational community and the reality in full. All of this requires a profound transformation of visions impacting a changing of attitudes and concrete actions: methodologies, education systems, infrastructure and educational communities, which respond to diversity.
What does
inclusive education mean?
In pedagogy, inclusive education is a concept that attempts to better address one of the main features of our societies, which is diversity. It is a term that aims to overcome the term integration, as it is not the students who must adapt to the educational system, but it must the educational system which must adapt to them: the new education system should be open to diversity, understanding it as an asset without pretending to homogenize.
UNESCO proposes the inclusion as the fourth and most important step on the ladder that goes from exclusive education to inclusive education. Historically it has demonstrated a long process that started from the deep exclusion, which then moves on to segregation or formation of ghettos in which all people were confined and considered different. Then the way to integration was achieved by creating “special” spaces to integrate those not adapted to the dominant educational system. But what you want is to get a true inclusion, creating a new culture of openness to diversity, in which equity and quality are inseparable.
Inequality populates our world. Resources, income, and opportunity have been disproportionately focused in the hands of a minority of the world population, a situation that has been systematically consolidating over the last several decades mainly due to neoliberal policies, thus causing deep poverty. This is expressed not only in the economic sphere, but also in the educational, cultural and human spheres, speaking of inequality of opportunity to enjoy the basic rights: access to health, housing, work, education and participation.
Education systems do not counteract this inequality; by contrast, they reproduce and legitimize it. Far from generating development and inclusion, education has produced social disintegration and discrimination. This exclusive reality mainly affects indigenous peoples, women, those who have suffered from forced migration, and those who have some kind of functional or intellectual diversity . Ethnic and social origins, sexual orientation and gender remain causes of exclusion in our societies and, therefore, in the school settings. Fe y Alegría’s collective commitment is to building an inclusive culture, understanding that in our countries it means a countercultural and contextualized bet. It is a process in constant tension; there are no patterns or recipes that respond equally to situations of each social context. To achieve inclusive communities, a change in the culture of the school system is necessary.
Considering inclusive education as a new culture, it’s most important characteristics are:
• Be collaborative • Have high expectations for students and teachers • Consensus on values • Possess skills to work effectively with differences • Must be supported by a safe and orderly environment, • Recognizes and stimulates educators to assume a variety of leadership roles.
Since inclusive education poses the need of a society for everyone and also built by everyone, that means a structural and cultural change must take place. Fe y Alegría assumes the accusation and public advocacy towards barriers that promote exclusion and is committed to promoting an inclusive ideology. To approach our proposed goals, we must fight for policies in the service of a just, equitable education, with equal opportunities, understood as the recognition of common features and needs, as well as the uniqueness of each student’s “knowledge” and “abilities.”
Inclusion has been around since our origin and is fundamental to our practice. It has always chosen the right of the poor, excluded and marginalized to receive a quality education in order to transform their realities. Education should be at the service of social transformation which defines our vision of a spirituality based in service of a more dignified and humane life for everyone.
As a result, Fe y Alegría put in place practices, which are driven to achieve conditions of equity, complete quality, continuous education, strengthening teaching, public funding, and equitable and quality education management.
As the Movement, Fe y Alegría seeks constant destabilization that is creative, daring, self-critical and a constant reinterpretation of reality, while also promoting the practice of a pedagogy of inclusion, social promotion, community development, job training and job placement and the use of ICT, involving every stakeholder within the community.
How does Fe y Alegría assume inclusive education?
For Fe y Alegría, inclusive education is the condition without which it is impossible to build just, equitable and democratic societies. An equitable and quality education is a powerful instrument of social transformation, which is possible if the context affects concrete actions, creating a space in the public sphere that facilitates active participation. From there, Fe y Alegría takes on the challenge of moving towards an increasingly inclusive education, open to diversity to create new social and power relations.
From our different areas and types of education (formal, non-formal, radio, technical employability, special education, social promotion, community development, etc.), we appreciate and celebrate the cultural, ethnic, linguistic, religious, social, cultural diversity of skills of learning styles, gender, and others, we know that education enriches our communities and each of us.
Fe y Alegría understands that inclusion as: presence, a commonplace that everyone has regular access to, the
Congress XLIV,
Inclusive education in the mission of Fe y Alegría, Brazil 2013.
school; student participation, their views, valuation; a comprehensive development of their potential and the practice of active citizenship, social and labor integration, promoting cohesion and collective commitment of the school and community.
How do we educate for inclusion?
Faced with the challenge of building an inclusive education, Fe y Alegría poses the following challenges:
• Opt for the excluded, with the conviction to serve the most vulnerable • Continuously review the eligibility criteria, accompaniment or continual support of the students to prevent exclusionary mechanisms, which may be hidden • Review the curriculum, which often results in exclusion for not taking into account the specificities of context and people • Foster an inclusive quality education that promotes the overall development of each and every student • Promote a society built on the collective, seeking cultural transformation. • Overcoming academic ranking processes that reproduce patterns of inequality • Rate the difference by promoting collaborative learning systems among heterogeneous peers.
• Influence States for increased investment of public funds in education, since it is known that inclusive education has an increased economic cost, since it requires more special professionals and more individualized attention • Encourage and promote the role of the excluded in advocacy, raising awareness for the value of diversity and the pursuit of inclusive education strategies.
Commitment of Teachers for Inclusive Education
Teachers and management teams who are passionate about education, are able to adapt to change, learn and unlearn practices, modify ideas, concepts, attitudes are needed. It is key that they honestly question what they really think about the inclusion, what their fears, apprehensions, and hopes are. Reflection and a questioning attitude to their own beliefs about their difficulties in learning from their students can lead to a significant increase in the development of new ways to address barriers to learning and participation progress. The management teams also have a key role in promoting a continuous and inclusive education. They are responsible for creating the conditions for the educators to reflect and become a truly collective educational community.
And you, as an educator, what is your commitment to bring to life inclusive education at your school?
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