The Regional Director for Education and Training said today in Ponta Delgada that students neither learn in the same way, nor at the same pace nor with the same ease, stressing that there is no "one size fits all learning."

Graça Teixeira spoke on the occasion of the International Congress "Universal Design for Learning" (UDL) taking place at the University of the Azores where participants will reflect on the theme of Innovation in Education and Learning.
Giving special attention to UDL tools, the Regional Director for Education and Training revealed that these tools "make possible to rethink education in an innovative way, boosting the relevance of the knowledge acquired by students."

Universal Design (UD), created about 20 years ago, has been used in the field of architecture for long. The concept is based on the work developed by architects in the design of buildings for a variety of users and the creation access option from scratch to improve the quality of life of all individuals.

In the area of education, the UDL allows people to become acquainted with the latest scientific data in the areas of neuroscience, cognitive science and learning psychology, which have a considerable influence in the teaching and learning processes.

In this context, the Regional Director for Education and Training emphasised the methodologies developed by UDL, stressing their importance as a "philosophy of education that changes practices and rituals embedded in the teaching practice, which do not take into account the diversity of student profiles, and awakens in teachers the desire to follow other learning pathways."

The government official assured that the Universal Design is introduced in the field of education not as a new programme, but as "a series of principles that guide educators towards a new perspective on the curriculum" with the possibility of adapting it to the individual differences of students in terms of their skills.

Graça Teixeira also stressed that the educational curriculum should address the transformation of students into lifelong learners so that they may be able to face the future challenges brought by citizenship and professional life, with special emphasis on "learning to communicate, argue, explain, discuss and seek knowledge on various sources and forms."

The Regional Director for Education and Training conveyed the wish that this international Congress "inspire and encourage other educational pathways," and provide an opportunity for teachers to find their place in the educational decisions they take on a daily basis.