An agreement for a fair and inclusive education for all

A collaboration that aims to create a more inclusive and sustainable society: this is the meaning of the Memorandum of Understanding signed on February 16, 2018 by the Rector of the Unversity of Padova, Rosario Rizzuto, and  the General Director of the regional School Office, Daniela Beltrame.

The aim is to make schools and universities more open to the different needs present in today’s society; not only the needs of people with disabilities, but also, for example, of students with learning difficulties, or those coming from contexts of social unrest. These are people who should be perceived as resources to be valued, rather than elements to be marginalized and excluded. But to reach this goal, not only we need a cultural change, but also the creation of paths of confrontation and training, both for teachers and for students.

"Although often taken for granted, we must remember that the strength of a society lies on the freedom and justice of all people, especially the most weak” said Rector Rizzuto during the presentation of the agreement, “In addition to inclusion, we must also focus on sustainability, aiming to guarantee the same rights for future generations. This is why we are working on the 'UniPadova Sustainability Project’ as a catalyst for initiatives regarding sustainability."

The agreement signed today was part of a series of actions and services carried out by the University of Padua on inclusion: "We can now say that the University of Padua has placed a solid path towards this field to it becoming a tradition,” says Prof. Laura Nota, Rector Delegate on Inclusion and Disability, and head contact of the project for the University of Padua along with Pro Rector for Buildings and Safety Francesca Da Porto.  “In fact, we were the first to start the University placement of students with disabilities, set forth in the ‘90s.” In a statement from the University of Padua’s General Director Alberto Scuttari, “The challenge today is to cherish this tradition while transforming it.  We must move from the concept of “assistance”, which conveys the idea of separation, to the improvement of everyday activities, including the ways lessons are organized, the ways in which space is managed, such as the dining hall, and the management of the educational calendar.” Because appreciating diversity also means that we all have to change our habits and ways of thinking.

The first concrete actions of the agreement is defining the elements and duration of the agreement, which is currently three years. According to Professor Nota a pilot project will be launched with high schools to include up to 200 students, as well as representatives of educational and instructive courses. Then, secondly, the aim is to involve school teachers in the General Course in Human Rights and Inclusion launched in 2016 by the University of Padua. Finally, an inter-university master's degree programme dedicated to inclusion will be launched within the next academic year. The University signed an agreement in February 2017 with which the Coordination of the  Triveneto Universities for Inclusion (UNI3V) was established. This coordinated effort underlines actions aimed at strengthening the culture of inclusion by creating study and work factors by providing answers to the needs of people with various difficulties.