Uruguay, European Union Region · 23 October, 2019

European institutions inspire inclusive education policies in Uruguay

A delegation from the National Administration of Public Education (ANEP) has developed an exchange visit in Europe, within the framework of a support action by EUROsociAL+ for the development of an inclusive education model in Uruguay for children and adolescents with disabilities.

The Uruguayan delegation has met with the Ministry of Education with which it has been able to learn about Italy’s inclusive education model. This model began in the 70s when special schools dedicated to the education of students with disabilities were closed and a process of inclusion of these people in other schools began. In addition, the delegation visited a Territorial Support Centre in a school in Rome that aims to help the implementation of the model of inclusive education in schools in the territory, it met with civil society actors and representatives of associations of people with disabilities.

On the occasion of this visit, on September 25, the social policy area of EUROsociAL+ held a discussion between Italian and European institutions and actors working on this issue and in the field of international cooperation, at the Italo Latinoamericano Institute (IILA). Among the participants were the Italian Ministry of Education, the University of Macerata and the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation. On the one hand, the exchange enabled a deepening of the experiences of Uruguay and Italy and, on the other, the development of a dialogue between institutions and countries that enriches the process launched in Uruguay.

The Uruguayan delegation also travelled to Portugal and Finland to learn about experiences in inclusive education in those countries.

Country: Uruguay, European Union Region
SDG: Quality education, Reduced inequalities
Policy area: Social policies