To continue its work during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the Agency is using new methods and formats to keep its country contacts informed of Agency projects and updates.
The Spring 2020 Bi-annual Meeting was due to take place in Belgrade, Serbia at the end of May. However, together with the hosts, the Serbian Ministry of Education, the Agency cancelled the meeting due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the health and travel risks involved.
Bi-annual Meetings are an opportunity for the Representative Board members and National Co‑ordinators from Agency member countries to come together and exchange ideas and practices in inclusive education. They are also a chance for Agency staff members to outline projects and outcomes and gather information from member countries for future Agency work. This is the first time a Bi-annual Meeting has been cancelled in Agency history. The last Bi-annual Meeting took place in Budapest, Hungary, in November 2019.
As a result of the cancellation, the Agency team came up with different ways to share information with the country contacts. At the end of May, when the meeting was due to take place, a series of videos and other online materials were shared with the Representative Board members and National Co-ordinators. There were video updates from Agency Chair Ana Magraner and Director Cor J. W. Meijer. Other materials included administrative information, such as the Annual Report, and updates on projects, including:
- Supporting Inclusive School Leadership (SISL)
- Changing Role of Specialist Provision (CROSP)
- Country Policy Review and Analysis (CPRA)
- Preventing School Failure (PSF)
- Teacher Professional Learning for Inclusion (TPL4I)
For more information on the Agency’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, see the statement on the Agency website.