Achieving a truly inclusive education is one of the challenges of educational centers today. Schools in which students with different abilities can coexist in the classroom. But for some parents, the inclusive school can be an advantage or a disadvantage for their children.
For UNESCO, guaranteeing equal opportunities for all in education continues to be a global challenge. Sustainable Development Goal 4 for Education and 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development emphasize that inclusion and equality are the foundation of quality education.
Although more educational centers are seeking this inclusive school every day, sometimes the parents of the so-called good students are not so convinced that keeping students with different abilities in the classroom can be positive for their children. Many fear, for example, that the pace of the class will be delayed and their child will be harmed.
Everyone with the same opportunities
In order for all students to have the same opportunities, they must be well cared for in the classroom. Students with special educational needs need sufficient attention from the teacher and can benefit from teamwork in their classroom.
For example, students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, high ability, and those with dyslexia, dyscalculia, or dysgraphia may need the support of the entire educational community.
UNESCO defends inclusive education, not segregation. A common education that recognizes, values and adjusts to the characteristics of each one of them.
A student who does not have special needs is enriched in an inclusive classroom. He becomes more tolerant and understanding of the difficulties of others. It makes them more collaborative and empathetic to problems.
Organizations such as Save the Children are committed to an educational model in which all boys and girls learn together, regardless of their personal, social or cultural conditions.
This gives them the opportunity to qualify for the same learning and development opportunities. To achieve this, the administrations, the centers and the entire community have to help identify the barriers that hinder their learning.
5 Ideas for inclusive education in the classroom
The inclusive education model is not easy to apply by the teaching staff and the educational center. Course content, teaching methods, and even class organization need to change. We are going to give you some useful ideas from which inclusive education should be worked in the classroom.
1. Meet the students
If a teacher wants to apply inclusive education in his classroom, the first thing he has to do is get to know his students well.
He must know what are the fundamental difficulties of his students and also their capacities. To achieve this he has to spend his time observing the boys at the beginning of the course.
2. Encourage diversity
From the first day of class, students should be told that diversity enriches the class. Being different enriches the group and should never be a burden or an inconvenience.
Differences must be positivized and students value them. Each student has their own intelligence and can contribute their grain of sand to the group.
3. Change the methodology
An inclusive class cannot work with a classic methodology. It has to be based on student participation and actual activities.
It is important to encourage critical thinking in the classroom and teamwork in which each one can contribute the best of themselves to the group.
4. A new evaluation
Nor can students be assessed using traditional grade-focused assessment. It is best to have an ongoing evaluation that allows learning from mistakes and runs away from fear of school failure.
Each student must give the maximum of their ability and work at their own pace. Students must be set real goals that are not unattainable.
5. Student participation
It is essential that all students feel integrated into the class and a good idea is to create projects that interest them. It’s about encouraging their creativity and initiative.
They will surely be a success and the whole class will be involved. It is important to encourage communication in the classroom throughout the course. It will help detect any problems or friction that may arise between students.
Final Word
The challenge of inclusive education is getting closer and more schools are interested in implementing it every day. But it is clear that it is not easy and it is necessary to invest time, space and changes in the methodology.
The new paths of education should not be based only on educational innovation and the use of tablets and digital whiteboards in the classroom. It should be tried that all students are able to live together and enrich themselves in a classroom for students with different abilities. A challenge that we hope that together we can achieve in the near future.
Image Credit: Pixabay
