The absence of the student counseling department and its impact on inclusive education processes, Quito, 2025
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.71112/zapc8m72Keywords:
DECE, inclusive education, specialized support, pedagogical practices, equityAbstract
The research analyzes how the absence of the Student Counseling Department (DECE) affects inclusive education processes in a rural educational institution in Quito during the 2024–2025 period. From a qualitative approach, it examines the perceptions of six teachers regarding the institutional, pedagogical, and socio-emotional limitations that arise in the absence of specialized support. The findings show that the lack of a DECE weakens the management of inclusive policies, hinders the implementation of curricular adaptations, affects school coexistence, and overloads teachers with responsibilities for which they are not always prepared. Although teachers demonstrate commitment, empathy, and a basic capacity to respond, inclusion becomes fragmented and dependent on individual efforts. It is concluded that the presence of multidisciplinary teams is essential to guarantee effective, equitable, and sustainable inclusive education.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Diana Veronica Maila Cahuasquí, Lupe Carmita Dután Ordóñez, Jenny Carolina Llulluna Cuichán, Nancy Rosario Logacho Ramírez, Jesenia Carolina Tocto Cajo (Autor/a)
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