Together We Learn Better. Inclusive Schools for Quality in European Context

The Role of School-Family partnership in successful inclusion education

On 25th of February 2022 an online meeting between teachers and parents has taken place about the “Role of School-Family partnership in successful education”. After a short introduction of the topic, through a Power Point presentation, the teachers made a brief exam of the basic characteristics of the Project. In particular, they asked parents to think about the meaning of the sentence “Together we learn better” and above all to reflect upon the fact that the cooperation between school and families can give a great contribution to a more inclusive school, where everybody learns successfully.

Then, they pointed out that school has the task to promote and include and they tried to explain the difference between the words “Integration” and “Inclusion”. Inclusive education is a process which gives quality education to everybody respecting different needs and abilities, students’ and community’s expectations, avoiding any form of discrimination.

An inclusive school is that school which, taking into account their different social, biological and cultural characteristics, gives students the opportunity to feel as an active part of the group and, above all, to obtain the maximum level of learning. Thanks to parents and their reflections, we can synthesize the fundamental principles of an inclusive school:

1. Accept diversity: diversity is an essential characteristic of human condition

2. Garantee active participation: to be inclusive means to give the student the opportunity to have an active role in the pedagogical and social context

3. Develop collaborative practices: inclusion is a process which needs the support of all the school staff

The following quotation from the famous French writer Daniel Pennac well synthesizes the topic of the meeting:

“Each student plays his instrument. The difficult thing is knowing our musicians and finding harmony. A good class isn’t a regiment that marches in step, it’s an orchestra that plays the same symphony”