What is inclusion and how is it reflected in education?

What is inclusion? That is the first question that we should resolve in order to unravel its full meaning and how far it can go.

Sometimes, we can find ourselves with the confusion of the real meaning of this word and we confuse, using interchangeably, the word integration and inclusion without finishing seeing the difference. So I want to start at this point... What is integration? What is inclusion?

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Inclusion and integration

There are substantial differences between these two terms that directly affect the practice and the human rights of minors. The same objectives or ends are not sought and, therefore, the same means are not used to reach the end.

When we speak of integration, it implies the non-exclusion of any member of society. If we refer to this term, related to education, we will be referring to taking into account that boys and girls must be in school, without distinction, but... In what conditions? This is where a new term appears. Segregation, which implies grouping students by their needs, by their diagnosis.

However, the term inclusion implies much more. Knowing what integration is, we can say that inclusion implies everything that integration is, but also we are aware of its involvement and we put all the necessary resources and strategies to be able to carry it out cape.

Inclusion implies, in addition to being part, belonging. And in addition to belonging, it implies making present that rights belong to everyone and it is our obligation as a society to facilitate the reach of each one of them by each of the members of society.

As a legal reference, we have the royal decree signed by Spain (UNESCO, 2015) that approved the Incheon Declaration and that sets Education 2030 as the horizon. In it, it tells us that we must promote learning opportunities for all our students regardless of any of them. their conditions, in addition that they are of quality and throughout life for everyone and in all contexts and levels educational.

The real difficulty for our school to be inclusive is not in the policies, nor in the resources or lack of them, or in the ratios, characteristics and peculiarities of the students... The real difficulty lies in the questioning of our teaching practice. In looking at ourselves, in observing our students, in looking beyond.

That is, if our gaze is cleansed of prejudices and is willing to look at the boy and the girl from the ethics of our work, the ethics of the take care of ourselves and the minor, we can change our class, its methodology, its accessibility, its design and we can start inclusive practices that manage to develop the full potential of each of our students, guaranteeing the basic principles of the inclution.

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What is the inclusive school?

The inclusive school aims to achieve a school for all, based on participation and non-discrimination. With this term, a more meticulous perspective is given to education, highlighting:

• The fundamental right of all to receive a quality education.
• Diversity is considered a reality of every person, making it clear that every person is different, unique and different from the other, but with the same rights.
• The ordinary environment, that is, the ordinary school, is the most realistic, natural and effective environment for develop an inclusive education, where participation and coexistence are essential in the day to day day.
• It promotes the involvement of all the agents of the educational community. Without this participation, the school is built without its pillars, and if so, the chances that it will falter are high.

Throughout the decades we have observed that:

• The terms were clear almost from the beginning and that little by little we have, at least tried, to put them into practice, but without great success in Spain.
• It is not a methodology, nor a pedagogy, but an attitude, a philosophy, a system of values ​​and beliefs of each of the people who are part of the fabric of education, health, family, school, society.

In reality, what we can and should only do is open our eyes to the world around us, be able to look at people, look up, remove the bandage to look straight ahead at what bothers us, hurts us or we do not know how to face due to ignorance, lack of information or afraid. Ask them, the students, share our doubts with them, count on the families to help us clear them up and question how we have done so far and how we think we could improve. Our gaze is the key.

It is a personal job and it is necessary for us to get going.

It is not about fitting people into systems, but into adapt environments so that people grow, flourish, promote, perform and become part of society. Does integration guarantee this? Well, as we have seen, no. The integration system guarantees education, but not equitable. Can we reach an inclusive education? I am convinced that it is.

Author: Irene De La Granja Muñoz, Teacher in Special Education and member of the Psychopedagogy area of ​​Centro TAP.