UNESCO Salamanca Statement (1994)

The UNESCO Salamanca Statement, adopted in 1994 at the World Conference on Special Needs Education in Salamanca, Spain, marked a historic turning point in global education. It declared that inclusive education should be the foundation of education systems, where schools welcome all learners regardless of their physical, intellectual, social, emotional, linguistic, or other conditions. The Statement emphasized that education is a fundamental human right and that schools must adapt to the diverse needs of children rather than expecting children to fit rigid systems.