The Schools as Inclusive Hubs final seminar took place on 24 September at the Åbo Akademi University in Vaasa, Finland, attracting approximately 90 participants.
This hybrid event brought together educators, analysts and practitioners from across Europe. It provided a platform for engaging discussions on how schools can better serve diverse learners, particularly those with an immigrant background.
The event showcased key findings from the ‘A whole school approach to transform schools into inclusive hubs’ project, which is co-funded by the European Union. A presentation by Dr Lucie Cerna from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) highlighted promoting diversity, equity and inclusion within educational systems.
The seminar also included reflections from practitioners in Cyprus, Greece and Portugal, who shared their experiences in implementing inclusive education practices in their respective countries. A panel discussion further explored the work of professionals supporting immigrant learners in Finland.
Agency representative Pamela Zoe Topalli delivered a closing keynote on new trends in inclusive education, emphasising approaches that create supportive learning environments for all learners. She outlined the Agency’s mission and position on inclusive education systems. Her presentation also highlighted innovative trends through examples from Agency activities, such as the Thematic Country Cluster Activities, the Technical Support Instrument projects and the European Agency Statistics on Inclusive Education.
The Inclusive Hubs website has more information on the project.