School for all : experiences of municipal public schools with inclusion of students with disabilities, ASD, GDD and high ability/giftedness

Abstract

The study set out to identify and analyse the practices of municipal public-school networks in Brazil concerning the educational inclusion of students with disabilities, ASD and GDD, as well as gifted/talented students. The initiative arose out of a will to subsidise and strengthen processes for the formulation and implementation of policies, programmes and projects aligned with the principles of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (United Nations, 2006; Brazil, 2009) and the National Special Education Policy in the Perspective of Inclusive Education (Política Nacional de Educação Especial na Perspectiva da Educação Inclusiva) (Brasil. MEC/SEESP, 2008c). It is important to point out that those normative frameworks bring principles and presuppositions that have been reaffirmed in more recent documents such as the Incheon eclaration (World Education Forum, UNESCO, 2015) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) (United Nations, 2015). It will become apparent in the results of the study that there are considerable challenges to face throughout the country to ensure the right to education of students that are the focus of Special Education. Amid the many difficulties and challenges, various Brazilian municipalities are outstanding regarding their development and implementation of Inclusive Education in alignment with the principles and premises of the respective legal reference frameworks and the more recent national and international guidelines. Knowing and disseminating the experiences of municipal authorities represents a key step towards making the national inclusive education effort effective, which is essential to extend the right to education to all Brazilians.