Questions/Answers

Inclusive education in Brazil seeks to understand differences as a positive factor and, at the same time, structure regular public schools to serve everyone with equity and quality, promoting social inclusion and citizenship. In Jaboatão dos Guararapes, from 2017, with the Unir para Incluir Program aimed at specialized educational assistance for students with disabilities and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), cognitive evolution and social inclusion were guaranteed to all those who sought assistance in the District network of Education. The program promotes quality education with interaction and equity to all students with disabilities and ASD, including those unable - temporarily or permanently - to attend one of the teaching units of the District network, for health reasons. The Program works in four areas for specialized educational assistance: 1. Breaking communication barriers, in which the objective is to provide sign language teaching to deaf and listeners enrolled in educational units, this being the second official language of Brazil. 2. Breaking the barriers of literacy, in which the objective is to guarantee students with disabilities enrolled in full-time schools, new learning opportunities in Portuguese; 3. Essential and early stimulation, with the goal to work in partnership with health, multidisciplinary intervention to students who have some developmental delay, as well as carrying out educational activities aimed at the full development of students with disabilities and the congenital Zika virus; 4. Home care and interactivity, aiming to offer continuous teaching to students with chronic illness, while providing opportunities for real-time interaction with the teacher and students of the student's home room in the school unit. The four strands converge for a single purpose, which is to offer specialized educational services of excellence that provide cognitive advances, social interaction, and development of the beneficiaries' skills.

The initiative promotes access, permanence and full participation in the educational context to all students with disabilities and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), even guaranteeing continuous education for those suffering from chronic illness - temporarily or permanently - unable to attend school. It generates social inclusion, equity and citizenship for the most vulnerable, through specialized educational assistance, with multifunctional resource rooms, teaching materials aimed at each type of disability and ASD, assistive technologies and remote interaction with other students in the District network. It offers technological innovation, connectivity to promote interaction without leaving anyone behind.

The Unir para Incluir Program promotes social inclusion and equity in the education of the vulnerable, which are students with disabilities, with ASD, and those with chronic illnesses who are generally poor, providing access to assistive technologies and interaction with other students in the network. It provides improvement in schools' infrastructure and access to new digital technologies, in order to ensure connectivity, social interaction and valuing diversity. It promotes students' cognitive development, enabling their intellectual development, raising self-esteem, as well as equal opportunities. By promoting the evolution of learning for these students, the initiative offers the world a more active mind, capable of collaborating with the construction of improvements for everyone. The interaction and social inclusion promoted by the initiative between students removed from the school environment and other students in the network, via an interactivity kit, also promotes coexistence between them, encouraging respect for diversity. It ensures educational strengthening of the most vulnerable, reducing inequalities and social inclusion.

The initiative is socially sustainable because it serves the most vulnerable, poor students with disabilities, with ASD or people with chronic diseases who totally depend on these services to advance in learning, improve autonomy and health status. From an economic point of view, considering the mandatory spending on education for this segment of the population, provided for in Federal Law, the maintenance and expansion of funds for specialized educational assistance is irreversible. Regarding the environmental sustainability, there is no consumption of inputs that generate environmental impact or make it impossible to continue the project in the long term.

The program serves the population with disabilities and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) enrolled in the District school system, who, due to their condition, live on the margins of society, often having their universal rights denied. In 2019 these students accounted for 3% of the network's total enrollments, equivalent to 1,723 students. Since 2017, special education has also been guaranteed for those undergoing health care who are unable to attend school. These students are offered specific assistive technologies and educational home care, with social interaction, to promote the evolution of skills, cognitive development, and life quality. For the other students in the program, several resources are provided, such as: Sign language teachers for hearing impaired and deaf students; sign language course for the community; guidance and mobility for blind students; Braille teaching; specific teaching material for each type of disability; specialized educational assistance in multifunctional resource rooms; support professionals; priority referral to medical and social services, among others. The program is structured to guarantee significant cognitive advances, through social interaction and respect for diversity. It is a welcoming, stimulating and learning space that promotes the evolution of skills, autonomy, and life quality.

The initiative guarantees access to education for all citizens with disabilities and Autism Spectrum Disorder, in an equitable way, respecting the individuality of each student and contributing to equal access to all genders. It prioritizes respect for diversity and promotes social inclusion and interactivity of the most vulnerable, valuing the human being and promoting social development for the construction of a fair and inclusive society.

The initiative guarantees education, continuous learning and social inclusion for all students with disabilities and with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), being those with down syndrome, cerebral palsy, deafness, blindness, poor sight, intellectual disability and, other disorders. It also serves students with chronic illnesses, who are unable to attend school. The absence of specialized education makes learning impossible, leading to withdrawal from school and reducing social interaction, which causes severe traumas and impacts on the emotional aspect, reflecting on the clinical picture of the student and in the family. Many students, before being included in the program, had low self-esteem, depression, social confinement, worse health conditions and slow school flow. With the Unir para Incluir Program, the City of Jaboatão dos Guararapes gave back the right to learn, rescuing their dignity and promoting social inclusion and citizenship. Assistive technologies and the interaction with other students, even when remotely, provide the opportunity to improve self-esteem and the evolution of learning, in addition to other skill gains that lead to autonomy and independence. Enabling social inclusion and development and valuing diversity is the path to progress with social justice and sustainability.

The Unir para Incluir Program was implemented in May 2017, as an initiative of the District government to strengthen inclusive public policies in the District, after data collection and mapping of flaws, which showed a low development of students with disabilities and Spectrum Disorder Autism (TEA) and parent/guardians dissatisfaction. In June, teachers from specialized educational services and teaching assistants were hired and an exclusive coordinating team was created for special education. From July to December, training was offered to all professionals in the Education Department, to better serve students with disabilities. New adapted materials were acquired, with the objective of promoting consistent cognitive developments. In July, there was a search for assistive technologies and a partnership with the Handsfree institute, which enabled interaction with students with chronic illness - unable to attend school - and teachers were made available for home care. In August 2017 there was the official launch of Unir para Incluir Program with the first remote student (due to chronic illness) connected to a classroom and with home care. Reinforcement classes in Portuguese, twice a week, were offered to students with disabilities who attend full-time schools in order to guarantee literacy. During this year, sign language classes were also implemented for hearing impaired and deaf students. There was the opening of the sign language teaching pole for the community and a typhlology course, in addition to the increase in the number of Multifunctional Resource Rooms and restructuring with furniture, educational games and alternative communication application for students with cerebral palsy not verbalized, via Livox software.

The lack of adapted materials, qualified professionals, and the low supply of assistive technologies with connectivity, made the implementation costs high, however, some partnerships such as the one with the specialized Handsfree Institute, made the project amount feasible. The lack of interest of students with deafness in learning sign language, as they would not be able to communicate with other people, and the community's lack of information about all the services offered are obstacles that are being overcome through the routine presentation of the program to public agents and society in general, aiming to reach everyone who needs it.

It is innovative because it focuses on the most vulnerable individuality, providing a more humanized treatment which enables autonomy and life quality. Broke communication barriers to deaf students, with the inclusion of deaf teachers in classrooms who taught sign language to both deaf students and listeners, as many did not know their mother language. It also innovates by using pioneer technology in the country, such as the Handsfree system where the student at interacts remotely from home with the teacher and classmates. It offers the material transcription in Braille and blind students receive the same material as other students.

The initiative was not based on any others but sought inspiration from accessible digital technologies to promote a continuous education with inclusion and connectivity, even if remotely. It works with accessible technological resources, providing educational assistance with social interaction to students with disabilities, as humans have an innate need to belong. Interactivity makes it possible to develop the feeling of belonging, generating positive reflexes in the offered learning and in student's health condition. The District's inspiration is in the certainty that it is providing a government for everyone and that education is a tool for social transformation in any society.

The partnership with the Handsfree Institute made it possible for students with chronic illness, unable to attend school, with connection to a classroom and interaction with other students, essential elements for the learning development of vulnerable students. Livox technology, an alternative communication application with artificial intelligence, gave voice to people with speaking disabilities and it is another technology available to students of the Unir para Incluir Program. Technology is an essential tool and a reality in Jaboatão dos Guararapes, but they are complementary resources for special education professionals.

No, but it was presented at the 1st District Education Seminar of Deaf Students, attended by the State of Pernambuco with the Education Secretariats from Recife, Igarassu, Paulista, Cabo de Santo Agostinho and Ipojuca. After this meeting, representatives of the Districts of Cabo de Santo Agostinho and Igarassu sought the coordination of Unir para Incluir for more information about the program, aiming at the implementation of similar actions in their respective community school. Regarding Home Care and interactivity from the Handsfree Institute's Home School platform, an Implementation Term is in progress with the Department of Science and Technology of the Federal Government to be replicated in all Districts from Distrito Federal. The idea is that Handsfree's interactive assistive technology platform becomes available to all students with chronic illness in the region.

The program is adaptable and transferable to most Districts in Brazil and in the world. It requires specific investments that must be included in the education budget of that location. It is necessary to survey the number of students by disability type and those with ASD, so that they can search for specific resources and services for each group, focusing on cognitive development, interaction, social inclusion and the skill development that leads to autonomy and life quality. The information on the topic should be offered to all education professionals and assistive technology for the connectivity of students with chronic illness and is already available at the Handsfree Institute, as well as Livox technology, which helps with communication.

To implement the program, R$ 9,329,168.90 was invested in 2017, equivalent to U$ 1,696,212.00 considering the exchange rate R$ 5,50 per U$ 1,00. Of this total, 93% refers to hiring and training a specialized educational service team, 5% refer to the development and implementation of the new interactive assistive technology and connectivity platform in partnership with the Handsfree institute and a balance equivalent to 2% refers to invested in the acquisition of teaching materials for the Multifunctional Resource Rooms and for visually impaired students. In 2017, 1.593 students were benefited, with an average cost of U$ 1,064.00 per beneficiary.

After the Program's development, its maintenance cost was reduced, making the assistive technology of Handsfree and the technological structure more accessible for continuity and expansion. In Brazil, the mandatory provision of basic education for everyone is ensured by Federal Law 7.853 of 1989 and requires the public administration to guarantee this right, institutionally strengthening the program. The cognitive evolution of the beneficiary students and its reflection in their health condition, aside from family's recognition are other relevant aspects for the sustainability of the initiative over the years.

Yes

It was evaluated through the number of students and the types of disabilities to plan specific actions. In December 2019, the initiative was evaluated by an external organization, during the I Meeting of the Family of Students with Disabilities and Autistic Spectrum Disorder (TEA), where a questionnaire was presented with the actions developed between 2017 and 2019. Those responsible and representatives of civil institutions in a total of 438, rated each action as Excellent, Good or Regular. Suggestions for other actions were also requested for the coming years. The external organization consolidated the results, as detailed in the attached report.

The indicators used for the evaluation are: number of students enrolled with disabilities or ASD; classification of students by type of disability; actions developed by the Unir para Incluir program between 2017 and 2019. The tools used were: the structured questionnaire to evaluate the program's actions, with a suggesting box for new actions, and the annual evaluation report. The suggested actions were evaluated for their implementation feasibility and classified by the quantity to define the implementation schedule.

Regarding the number of students, there has been an increase over the years, which may reflect on program's recognition since the Special Education Coordination is aware of the migration of students with disabilities or TEA from the private network to public schools. Regarding the types of disabilities, there is no significant change over the years, with intellectual disability (46%) and Autism Spectrum Disorder (28%) are the most common. After the external evaluation, it was possible to observe the need for more investments in the qualification and training of teachers and pedagogical support for attending special education. The need for improvements to Multifunctional Resource Rooms was also pointed out, to acquire new pedagogical resources and expand the number of rooms. However, the external evaluation of the program showed that more than 80% of the parents or guardians participating in the meeting, rated the actions presented as “Good” and “Great”, which confirms the success of the Unir para Incluir Program. The result is perceived by cognitive development, increased self-esteem, and improvement in life quality for both students and their families.

The initiative works horizontally, involving different portfolios of the District management, and the Coordination of Special Education, the Secretariat of Education, is responsible for articulation, evaluation, and control. The Department of Education also selects and trains teachers from the District network with training in inclusive education, to work in educational units, as well as in homes with students undergoing treatment. The partnership with the third sector guarantees assistive tools, with connectivity, installation of equipment and supporting the District network in adapting to students. The Information Technology and Infrastructure Secretariat works to promote the remodeling and installations necessary for the implementation of technologies, whenever there is new demand. There is also the involvement of the legal sector to execute contracts with third parties and the District Health Secretariat to prepare medical reports, support with specialized services - speech therapy, psychologists, nutritionists - in addition to priority medical care, when necessary. It is a robust and fully collaborative initiative, which would not be implemented and available to the most vulnerable if it was not a priority of the District management, which elected it, vertically, as extremely necessary due to the fragility degree of students and their families.

The Program's implementation involved the Department of Education that selected, hired, and trained teachers with training in inclusive education and the assistant team for pedagogical support, in addition to Braille interpreters. It involved family members to jointly build care alternatives that would promote interaction and cognitive advances for the students. The students who were in home care, family members established the hours of connection for classes and the presence of teacher at their home. There was also the participation of physicians, especially those from the Help Group for Children in Need with Cancer in Pernambuco, who exposed the frequent weaknesses of some patients and pointed out safety procedures to deal with them. There was also interaction with partners specialized in assistive technologies, such as the Handsfree Institute, which developed the interactive platform they called homeschool and the company Agora Eu Consigo Tecnologias de Inclusão Social Ltda, responsible for Livox software. The support departments, Information Technology, Legal, Infrastructure, brought collaborations at different stages of implementation. The District Secretariat of Education, through the Special Education Coordination, planned, articulated, monitored, and guaranteed the necessary resources for the implementation of Unir para Incluir, being responsible for the implementation and control of the program.

Inclusive education represents a major challenge for public managers, as disrespect and right violation of people with disabilities are frequent in Brazil and worldwide. Promoting inclusive education for poor and vulnerable students has been a challenge successfully faced by Unir para Incluir. Among the lessons learned, there was cognitive evolution and improvement in the health conditions of students cared for at home, in addition to low school dropout and significant cognitive and skills development, also among students with disabilities and ASD. These indicators are definitive for the maintenance of the program because it translates into actions for life transformation placing man at the center of the process, recovering dignity, and promoting inclusion, equity and social justice. Among the planned improvements are the search for new assistive technologies, permanent training of education professionals and the best dissemination of the program, so that no student with a disability, ASD or a person with chronic illness is left without specialized education. It is necessary to look around us, especially to poor and most vulnerable, and realize that public policies can go beyond legality, being instruments for ensuring human dignity and social transformation.