Representatives of kindergartens, schools and high schools in the region met at the ULS to share various experiences of inclusive teaching practices for preschoolers, children or adolescents who present some characteristic of groups that have historically been excluded.

With the objective of promoting the dissemination of inclusive educational practices in the Coquimbo Region, the Disability Support Program and the Department of Education of the University of La Serena, with the institutional support of the Accreditation Office, organized the First Meeting of Inclusive Teaching Practices: “Diversity Enriches Our Learning” to exchange knowledge and experiences of this type of practices in kindergartens, schools and high schools in different communities and towns in the area.

The meeting held in the Pentagon Room of the Andrés Bello Campus of the ULS, brought together university and regional authorities, teachers, students and representatives of kindergartens and educational establishments. The latter shared with the attendees various experiences of inclusive teaching practices for preschoolers, children or adolescents who present some characteristic of groups that have historically been excluded (disability, race, language, religion, gender, sexual orientation, social vulnerability or other characteristic).

One of the speakers was María Trinidad Tapia, from the “Rinconcito” Kindergarten and Nursery Room, dependent on the Integra Foundation and located in Pan de Azúcar (Coquimbo), which welcomes 4 children with disabilities, 13 foreign minors and 69 children who They come from various locations in the sector. “Our garden has gone through various stages of development and processes of structural evolution, but also a pedagogical evolution, an incorporation of learning and teaching, and a diversity of people who, with their knowledge, with their knowledge, were building a garden. wonderful, an inclusive garden that has everything that is needed for boys and girls to have dignity in their first years of learning: ramps, an elevator and above all, more than its infrastructure, a committed team that has been formed through of time,” said the professional.  

The academic of the Dept. of Education and in charge of the campus's Disability Support Program, Mg. Georgina García stated that “it is an honor to welcome kindergartens, schools and high schools from our region that are promoting inclusive education processes, especially because this type of education is a process of working in collaborative and cooperative networks, work that not only It occurs within each institution, but also with other educational institutions. Sharing knowledge and experiences of inclusive educational practices is also critical to promoting cultural changes and driving human development, development that is inclusive. Therefore, it fills me with pride that these institutions have come to share their knowledge with us and that as a state University we are promoting the coordination between all the educational system, demonstrating once again that our University assumes with conviction its social commitment to promote changes in "improvement in education to become a more just and democratic country."

Regarding the activity, the Rector of the University of La Serena, Dr. Nibaldo Avilés, pointed out that it is part of a series of initiatives that the institution has been promoting, for several years, in terms of inclusion. “We are aware of our social role in the community in which we are inserted. For this reason, we share the knowledge, experiences and resources that we have been generating in this instance of supporting students with disabilities with educational organizations and other entities interested in the social and cultural development of our region,” he assured. Furthermore, he maintained that the University “assumes the concept of inclusive education as a process that must occur at all educational levels, but that can only be carried out in participatory and democratic educational organizations.”

The Regional Director of Senadis, Yuri Gahona, highlighted the relevance of this event for the region and indicated that according to his impression “we have two universities in the country that are leaders in terms of inclusion or that have made great progress in this matter, in Punta Arenas We have an example and at the University of La Serena, which is a state university. We have been developing projects with the University for quite some time, but it is not only about the financing that we can provide as the National Disability Service, but about how we transfer to other people what we know and what we have learned regarding inclusion.

New inclusive collection for SIBULS

Taking into account, precisely, the importance of inclusion for the University, the Rector Nibaldo Avilés and the academic, Mg. Georgina García, made a symbolic delivery of copies of books written in Braille, which were donated to the institution and are now available in the Library System of the university.

The head of SIBULS, Héctor García, thanked this donation, indicating that these are texts “with which the Library System begins a new inclusive collection. The idea is that it has various types of media, in Braille format and audiobooks (...), that it can grow and be able to make this an inclusive library concept."

Inclusive education

Inclusive education is an educational modality that promotes different and diverse students learning side by side in the same classroom, participating in the same extracurricular activities, belonging to the same student centers or other student organizations, and attending the same sports activities. and recreational.  

Additionally, it recognizes and values ​​the diversity and specific contributions that each of the students brings to the classroom. To achieve this, this type of education promotes that each child or young person feels safe, valued and feels like another member of their class group, that is, it promotes that each student develops a sense of belonging. This sense of value and belonging is promoted when students and their parents or guardians actively participate in establishing learning objectives and take part in decisions that affect them and when teachers and other education professionals have training, support, flexibility. and resources to nurture, encourage, and respond to the needs of all students.

Finally, it is necessary to highlight that inclusive education is one of the Millennium objectives that all countries that belong to the United Nations have proposed, because it provides quality education for all children and young people and is essential to change discriminatory attitudes and promote more sustainable human developments.

Kindergartens, schools and high schools constitute the social space where the first contacts of children and young people outside their families occur. The quality of these first contacts has a strong impact on the development of relationships and social interactions of new generations. Respect, understanding and valuing of others, and a sense of humanity grow when students of diverse abilities and backgrounds play, socialize, and learn together. This educational modality also promotes civic participation, employment and community life. On the other hand, if education excludes and segregates, it perpetuates discrimination against groups that have historically been marginalized.