NEISE Centre for Studies in Social and Educational Inclusion

Presentation

Inclusion is an issue of Human Rights and Social Justice, which encompasses several dimensions such as cultural diversity, poverty, social exclusion, disability, among others. In all these dimensions, participation and learning is a major issue for the learning community.

In the last 45 years, due to the Revolution of 25th April 1974, which implemented democracy, Portugal has made remarkable societal advances, particularly in the field of Education and, consequently, Inclusion in Education, currently seen as Inclusive Education.

More recently, the extension of compulsory education until the age of 18, full-time schooling, curriculum flexibility and autonomy, and numerous other policy decisions have contributed to clear improvements in this field. Examples of this are the type of projects launched by the General Directorate of Education (Direção Geral de Educação – DGE), such as the Intercultural School, which promotes the recognition and appreciation of diversity as an opportunity and source of learning for all, and the National Program for the Promotion of School Success. Similarly, the valorisation of the area “Citizenship and Development”, within the National Strategy for Citizenship Education, demonstrates the concern to “… prepare all students for life, in a time of increasing social and cultural diversity” (ENEC, 2017), so that they are democratic, participatory, humanistic, and non-discriminatory citizens.

Currently, three basic documents make Portugal one of the most advanced countries in terms of educational policies: The profile of students at the end of compulsory education, DL 55/2018, of July 6, which defines autonomy and curricular flexibility, and DL 54/2018, of July 6, which presents the guidelines for Inclusive Education. This legal framework allows schools to implement pedagogical projects that, considering the cultural and social diversity of students, respond more adequately to the needs of each and every one. It is in this context that, as far as disability is concerned, today about 99% of students are in regular education schools and, of these, about 85% attend public education.

With changes on such a large scale, the coexistence of tensions, contradictions and paradoxes is inevitable.

This core of studies intends to address these tensions that are part of the processes of inclusion in school and society, which, when highlighted, may themselves be a lever for educational and social change.

Objectives:

  • To know attitudes, values, beliefs and representations towards inclusion.
  • Analyse and develop Inclusive Pedagogies that bring practices closer to concepts.
  • Produce knowledge about social and educational inclusion, from the perspective of combating all forms of exclusion.
  • Train new researchers.

Thematic areas or programmatic content

  • Attitudes, values, beliefs and representations towards inclusion.
  • Concepts and policies in educational and social inclusion.
  • Curricula, systems and organizations of education and intervention.
  • Inclusive education throughout life.
  • Pedagogical innovation and educational practices.
  • Early Childhood Intervention.
  • Transition to Post-School Life.
  • Inclusion, leisure and quality of life.

Coordination

Researchers