Greek education stakeholders have taken part in a study visit to Portugal as part of a European Union Technical Support Instrument (TSI) project.
The Implementation of the European Child Guarantee – Promoting Inclusive Education in Greece, Phase 2 project is funded by the TSI and is being implemented by the Agency and the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Structural Reform Support (DG REFORM).
The Greek visitors included representatives from the Ministry of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports (MERA) and from five regional education Directorates. The study visit aimed to give them an insight into the inclusive school provision and support services in Portugal.
The visit took place in two schools in Lisbon: Seomara da Costa Primo Secondary School and António Arroio Artistic School. During the visit, the participants met head teachers, teachers, parents and learners, as well as support staff including school psychologists. They discussed inclusive practices and challenges and saw how the schools cater for learners with a range of needs.
Participants particularly recognised the success of the schools’ autonomy, with flexible curricula and preventive methods in place to reduce barriers to learning. They also noted the culture of communication in the schools, within and between all levels, from learners to school leaders.
The observations from the study visits will be reported back to MERA and to the wider TSI team. The participants have discussed several options for next steps, including piloting combined special needs and mainstream education on a Greek island, and organising seminars and discussions on topics such as gender identity, differentiation, co-teaching, peer learning and personalised learning.
More information on the Agency’s work within the TSI is available on the TSI web area.
