Inclusive education: definition, principles and benefits

Inclusive education addresses the diverse needs of all learners to provide them equal access to education and to reduce exclusion.

The rule is that no one is excluded and that the educational rights of all students are the same, wherever they are and whatever their disability.

According to UNICEF, in an article updated in June 2023 about children disability overview, 15 % of the world’s population has some kind of disability and almost 240 million of them are children.

This worrying figure is growing steadily, which makes it all the more relevant, if possible, that measures be adopted both in terms of functioning and psychosocial well-being so that inclusion becomes a real fact for all of them.

Against this background and to talk about inclusive education, we have prepared this article in which, in addition to clarifying what it is, we will also talk about its principles and benefits.

What is inclusive education?

Inclusive education is a schooling system focused on all the students to support them to learn regardless of their abilities or different needs.

Inclusion and ensuring equal opportunities for all means breaking down barriers of different kinds:

• Physical. Inclusion must be accomplished not only in classrooms, but also in play and recreation areas, transportation or common areas such as restrooms, among other spaces.
• Communication and information. The clearest examples are Braille books, audio books or communication with sign language interpretation.
• Attitudinal. Here we refer to not allowing stereotypes, compassion, condescension, harassment, bullying or similar attitudes that denigrate and violate fundamental rights.
• Gender, race, sexual orientation or political status. In many countries, inclusion in education also establishes differences and obstacles for groups such as girls, children of certain races, those who lack economic resources and are poor, immigrants, refugees or who belong to ethnic minorities such as indigenous and LGBTQI+ people.

Principles of inclusive education

The principles of inclusive education are based on 4 fundamental pillars.

1. Equality and diversity. All students have the right to have access to education and to be treated with respect and dignity, regardless of their background or abilities.
2. Collaboration and partnership. Creating an inclusive learning environment requires the joint participation of stakeholders such as educators, families -especially parents- and students.
3. Access and participation. These two principles are key within the 4 principles we present. Each and every student must have guaranteed access to education and be able to participate fully in it in order to complete their learning process.
4. Empowerment and autonomy. Students must be motivated and able to take charge of their own learning. This will also facilitate their ability to make the simplest to the most far-reaching decisions regarding their educational process.

9 benefits of inclusive education

The benefits of inclusive education are multiple, they focus on various aspects and have different effects on the educational environments in which it is implemented.

1. It improves expectations of achieving better academic results. Students feel empowered because they feel valued, well regarded by their peers and integrated within the educational community. Performance measurement systems such as the Likert Scale also help in this regard.
2. Helps students develop and reach their highest potential as educational programs meet the needs of each student and provide them with the individual support needed in each case.
3. Enhances and encourages creativity. With adapted and special learning programs in some cases to encourage divergent thinking, integrate curiosity as a key element in each class or move away from rigid and corseted educational structures.
4. It strengthens social skills and bonds between classmates, and increases the number of collaborative partnerships by getting to know each other better and sharing experiences. Both students without ability problems and those who have them develop better social skills by fostering a sense of community among all.
5. It fosters teamwork and makes it easier to take advantage of shared learning opportunities. Ultimately, everyone learns from everyone else and everyone works toward a common goal.
6. It prepares students for their post-school life on the same inclusive terms. Inclusive education shows students with disabilities the other realities that exist and prepares them for a real world where they will have to deal with people from all walks of life and from whom they will have to make themselves respected if they do not.
7. It brings benefits to the entire school community. This is achieved by creating more tolerant and understanding educational environments, where empathy and understanding of what is different are the leaders. Inclusive education promotes supportive and welcoming learning environments.
8. It exports the image of personal diversity as something natural, improving students’ self-esteem and confidence. It develops empathy and creates cultures of acceptance and understanding of difference. It is a great way to break down barriers between students with and without disabilities.
9. It promotes greater tolerance by reducing or nullifying environments where cyberbullying and harassment are practiced. On the one hand, students without disabilities become aware first-hand of the problems that their peers with disabilities face on a daily basis, and on the other hand, they become their own greatest advocates in the event of bullying or harassment.

It’s a fact that the learning and education impact on society has the capacity to transform the lives of citizens in the same way that it strengthens social cohesion and stability.

If we add to this statement an extra social component in which there are students with different needs, we find ourselves with an inclusion problem that we must pay attention to.At Smowltech, we offer the educational community proctoring plans that help create inclusive online monitoring environments focused on respecting user privacy.

Request a free demo and let us show you the solutions that we can offer to enhance your educational projects.