Inclusion and Diversity in Education. Guidelines for Inclusion and Diversity in Schools

Rasid, N., Tikly, L. (2010)

Charta of young Europeans on inclusion and diversity at school.
Presented Friday, February 29, 2008 at the European Parliament, as part of the project INDIE - Inclusion and cultural diversity and school coordinated by the British Council
'Inclusion' is used in reference to the processes of recognition of rights and needs of minority groups within traditional schools, in this case with particular reference to cultural, linguistic and religious minorities.
A culturally inclusive school model

• Develop leadership on diversity and inclusion.
• High expectations and success for everyone.
• Respond positively to diversity.
• Encourage innovation and change.
• The opinion of the students.
• Ethics of respect.
• Culturally inclusive curriculum.
• Involving parents, carers and families.
• Staff learning for inclusion and diversity.

1. At school, both students and staff should learn to appreciate and value the differences in religion, culture and sexual orientation that exist in the school community, even if their opinions are conflicting with the beliefs of others.
2. Young people should be able to express their opinions when making decisions that affect them - for example, by conferring an effective right of speech and intervention at student assemblies and recognizing their right to be consulted.
3. School programs should offer students the opportunity to learn about cultural diversity.
4. Schools should offer students the opportunity to share their experiences and different points of view with the community, promoting better communication and integration.
5. The school should be the place where the person is educated in its totality, in order to reach a maturation in the study but also on an emotional, physical and moral level, in order to fully develop the potential of each.
6. Schools should propose new methods of teaching and learning, to help young people learn better - for example, through courses taught by professionals specialized in intercultural training, so that students can benefit from their experience and passion.
7. Schools should be inclusive with respect to an ever-wider range of cultures and religions, including more diverse language training.
8. Schools should have "mentors" to help newly arrived students, foreigners and disabled students to integrate - for example: organizing extracurricular activities to facilitate the learning of the language of the host country, and others oriented instead to maintain the knowledge of one's mother tongue; also ensuring that the individual learning needs of students, especially the disabled, are duly taken into account and reflected in the school environment and curricula.
9. School staff training programs should ensure that teachers are able to address the problems and demands of students with adequate cultural sensitivity. Within the school staff the different "ethnic minorities" should always be represented.