The value of ‘Universal Design for Learning’ for Inclusive Education

Abstract

In Latin America, many children and young people attending school are not learning what they need to learn. The different national, regional and international assessments carried out to date consistently show that a high percentage of students in basic education do not achieve the minimum competencies in the areas of language and mathematics, or in any of the other areas assessed. This fact, beyond generating alarming headlines, has and will have serious consequences for the academic and professional future of these millions of students.

While there are many personal, family, school and social factors that affect academic performance, the inequality in results between the most and least advantaged social sectors and groups reveals the worrying reality that affects the most disadvantaged and vulnerable students. In particular, those living in precarious socio-economic conditions, in rural or isolated areas, from minority cultures and ethnicities, with learning difficulties or some kind of disability, systematically achieve worse results.