Page 47 - Looking_after_school

1. Today's discourse: why should the student be at the center of education?

norm as starting point is thus questioned. On the one hand, this is
based on the idea that a norm is a social construct, and that the appear-
ance of abnormality is a consequence of the way in which education
is organised. On the other hand, and related to the previous, the exis-
tence of a single norm is also challenged, based on the assumption that
we should start from learning needs and that these are different and
unique for every individual. Students with a disability have specific
learning needs, and the argument continues that these are not reasons
for exclusion, but in fact the starting point for the organisation of edu-
cation and instruction. The perspective on inclusive education in this
respect is also intertwined with the already mentioned perspectives
on individualised and personalised education.
Closely tied to this attention to inclusive education is the Universal
Design for Learning (UDL) movement. This movement has its roots in
architecture: under the headings of Universal Design and Design for All,
special attention arose at the end of the 20th century towards the acces-
sibility of buildings and spaces. The idea here is that certain physical
and mental ‘disabilities’ are only considered as problematic because
the spaces which the students inhabit are shaped in a certain way.
The idea is then to design buildings and spaces that are accessible for
as many different people, and need as little adjustment, as possible,
in order to accommodate specific target groups. In other words, the
goal is to maximise accessibility by taking diversity into account in the
design process itself. UDL applies the same philosophy to designing
learning environments and to building curricula. On the website of
the well-known Center on Universal Design for Learning (NCUDL), we
read the following description:

“Universal Design for Learning is a set of principles for curriculum
development that give all individuals equal opportunities to learn. UDL
provides a blueprint for creating instructional goals, methods, materi-
als, and assessments that work for everyone -not a single, one-size-fits-
all solution but rather flexible approaches that can be customised and
adjusted for individual needs. Why is UDL necessary? Individuals bring
a huge variety of skills, needs, and interests to learning. Neuroscience
reveals that these differences are as varied and unique as our DNA or
fingerprints.” (UDL, s.d.)

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