The Ministry of Education (MEC) —through the Secretariat for Continuing Education, Youth and Adult Literacy, Diversity, and Inclusion (Secadi) and the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (Capes)—will offer 1.25 million spots in special education courses with a focus on inclusive education. The program is intended for all teachers working in basic education classrooms across the country. 

Registration will begin on October 21, with an initial offering of 250,000 spots. The course launch ceremony will take place in November, and classes will begin in March 2025. 

According to the 2023 School Census, there are 1.5 million students with special education needs enrolled in mainstream classes in the public elementary and secondary school system in Brazil. This data highlights the importance of investing in teacher training to improve teaching practices in schools. 

Course – Fifty institutions of higher education have already signed up for the course. They will be responsible for the registration process to fill the available spots. The program will be offered through the Open University of Brazil (UAB), in partnership with the Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRRJ) and the Federal University of Goiás (UFG). With a total of 120 hours, the course will be offered online through CAPES’ Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). 

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The training program will consist of four modules: Human Rights, Diversity, and Inclusive Education; Human Development, Teaching, and Learning from the Perspective of Inclusive Education; Curriculum, Technologies, and Inclusive Teaching Practices; and Inclusive Teaching Practices, Resources, and Materials in Schools. 

Each module will include reading course materials, interactive activities facilitated by tutors, case studies, reports on experiences with observation, and reflection on the strategies used. Assessments will be based on written assignments, resources, and projects.

The core themes, proposed instructional content, and bibliography covered by the course are in accordance with the legal frameworks for special education from the perspective of inclusive education, as well as with the research and scientific studies that guide the inclusion of students with special education needs in mainstream education systems. 

The goal of the course is to train educators to develop pedagogical concepts and practices aligned with the principles of special education policies from the perspective of inclusive education. It will also address political and legal aspects, participation, and human rights related to accessibility, intersectorality, interculturality, and intersectionality. 

The course aims to explore the diversity and unique characteristics of teaching practices in the teaching and learning process for students with special needs in mainstream classrooms. In addition, it will contribute to the development of teaching practices, resources, and materials that support an inclusive school model.

Source: MEC Press Office, with information from Secadi and Capes

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