Reading encourages students to analyze, identify with, and challenge what they read; to reflect on their own experiences; and to see themselves within the story. When schools recognize the power of reading and its contributions to learning—by giving students freedom and even taking on the role of listeners and observers—we then have the opportunity to achieve an uplifting education.

We talk more and more about the importance of diversity and how it manifests itself in schools. Reading is one of the most important ways in which diversity is revealed. It makes us think about the direct relationship between difference and reference—after all, one cannot exist without the other. And what are our references? Why are some of them considered superior to others?

In Piraporiando’s Diversity Education Program, for example, teacher training, activities for students and their families, and the management of dynamics among early childhood, elementary, and high school groups are all focused on diversity. This theme is featured in our books and is also reflected in the stories written by the students themselves.

Students’ intellectual capacity, in addition to deserving attention, must also be viewed as a key factor in the construction of knowledge. We, as educators, have an impact on student learning, but we are even more effective when we guide students to discover, perceive, understand, and share what they have learned with their peers. Beyond specific subjects, education is primarily concerned with developing the individual in all areas, so that they can contribute both to society and to themselves.

By encouraging reading and recognizing its important role in developing students’ critical thinking skills, we emphasize the importance of diversity—which, for example, is based on the principle that all people, cultures, and social structures deserve respect, deserve to be heard, and deserve to have their rights protected. We also emphasize that, regardless of age, gender, or economic class, everyone is capable of contributing to a more just society.

We cannot separate the school from what we hope it will achieve in society. We advocate for an education that empowers, that gives meaning, and that builds; therefore, the school must always act in accordance with this purpose.

Learn more about the author

Did you like this content? Share it on your social media: