What "Inclusion" Means

Inclusion is about access (an “in”) to a group's best. It does not mean total agreement, sameness, or group think. It has social, intellectual, & physical dimensions.

- “Inclusion is who we are – not what/how we do things” ie. it is a collective way of thinking and behaving; so it must come from a person or people. It is personal and cannot be spread any other way. (FPPL)

- Inclusive Education (IE) is voluntary – everyone gets to decide - and therefore takes time – for each person to explore, find their fit and make their choices.

- One teacher alone cannot design for the many because they alone are not diverse enough. (FPPL – we need each other)

- It is essential for each person to know their role, purpose in education, which involves knowing their unique contributions within a group, so that they can truly belong. (Act of contributing is part of a group’s identity/best)

- Since strengths-based mindset is the foundation for IE, “growth mindset” on a collective level must be incredibly important.

The former system was built in a way that emphasized "deficits." Its language and assessment priorities (learning goals etc.),  implicitly told teachers and students that any deviation from the "gold standard" was a deficiency and therefore needed to be rejected and replaced or "fixed" or "solved." 

Now, with the curricular redesign, diversity is being acknowledged and embraced. Realization of diversity (or variance) is now seen as the engine that builds a truly "inclusive" environment for our children to thrive in. (a united, strong community of learners). Discovering each person's contributions (strengths), and uncovering each person's potential (stretches) is key to unlocking this future united, resilient, community of learners. A strong, united society is a diverse, well-educated society.