Connecting Our Stories. Inclusion Matters

The Lectorate of Inclusive Education had its official start at the inaugural speech by Aminata Cairo on January 17, 2018. Since then a team of dedicated people have given shape and form to the lectorate. Some have come and gone since then, each contributing in their own way. Inclusive Education is an elusive term. It is not clear-cut and many people do not know what it means. Inherently it is linked to diversity issues, which have become associated with 'having to deal with the other', discrimination, exclusion, and more of such bothersome issues. Inclusion is about doing it however, about making it happen. Inclusive education is about creating optimal learning opportunities to accommodate students of all backgrounds, but requires dealing with those difficult issues. The language is not available, the level of comfort is not available, and so here is a whole lectorate dedicated to dealing with this pesky implication that somehow we are not doing something right. That is one way of looking at it. There is some truth in that as well. As successful as our educational systems have been throughout hundreds of years, we now acknowledge that it has not been successful for all who attempt to partake and not necessarily due to their lack of effort. So, somehow we have fallen short. Who wants to talk about that? We need to talk about that, but how? We need to have the sensitivity that the conversation might be difficult and complex. We need to acknowledge that the conversation might require us to open up and be vulnerable. We need to be brave, but the conversation must happen. In this volume the members of the knowledge circle and student branch have taken a first step. The assignment was to write about their involvement with the lectorate, but to share where their passion came from. There is a reason why you are so passionate about this (difficult) topic, something about your story that drives you to want to do this. Share that. It was not an easy task for all, even if only in one paragraph. After all, it requires one to open a window into one's soul. We cannot expect and lead people into the difficult conversations if we are not willing to lead by example. As you will see, they lived up to the task. Hoping that our first step will be an inspiration for you to take the next.