Agency eBulletin February 2020

This eBulletin brings you news of several resources and reports that have been published on the Agency website. There are publications from the Teacher Professional Learning for Inclusion, Changing Role of Specialist Provision in Supporting Inclusive Education and Supporting Inclusive School Leadership projects. There are also new multimedia resources available on the Agency website, in the form of a downloadable infographic and a new animation video.

Read more about the Agency’s role in UNESCO’s 2020 Global Education Monitoring report and an update on its collaboration with the European Union’s Structural Reform Support Programme, as well as news about Agency collaboration with member countries.

Teacher Professional Learning for Inclusion

The Agency’s Teacher Professional Learning for Inclusion (TPL4I) project aims to identify the essential policy elements to ensure that all teachers are prepared for inclusive education.

The Literature Review forms the basis for the project. It explores what international and European-level policy documents and research literature say about teacher professional learning and what policy priorities require further investigation.

The TPL4I project developed an initial mapping grid to gather and categorise Agency member countries’ policy information on teacher professional learning for inclusion. The grid has developed into a Policy Self-Review Tool. The tool indicates different policy priorities that are important for developing policy to support teacher professional learning for inclusion.

The TPL4I Policy Self-Review Tool is an open-source material, which can be adapted to users’ own needs and contexts, provided a reference is included to the original source.

Download the TPL4I Policy Self-Review Tool from the Agency website.

Changing Role of Specialist Provision in Supporting Inclusive Education

The Changing Role of Specialist Provision in Supporting Inclusive Education (CROSP) project focuses on the shift in the role of specialist, separate provision (schools, classes and units) to support the right to inclusive education for all learners.

The project synthesis report, Mapping Specialist Provision Approaches in European Countries, is the outcome of phase 1 of the project. It describes the situation and trends in Agency member countries in relation to specialist provision.

Supporting Inclusive School Leadership

The Supporting Inclusive School Leadership (SISL) project team investigates how to develop and promote inclusive school-level leadership through national and local-level policy frameworks and support mechanisms.

The Inclusive School Leadership: Exploring Policies Across Europe synthesis report brings together the findings of phase 1 of the project. Using information from the project’s Literature Review, Policy Review and a country survey, the report summarises how leadership models and key policy levers can be developed to design a policy framework which supports inclusive school leadership.

Agency role in 2020 GEM report on inclusion and education in Central and Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia

The Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report is an annual, evidence-based report hosted and published by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) since 2002. Its mandate is to report on progress in education in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially SDG 4 on education, and the implementation of the strategies outlined in the Education 2030 Framework for Action.

The Agency is working alongside UNESCO and the Network of Education Policy Centres (NEPC) to produce the regional edition of the 2020 GEM Report on inclusion and education in Central and Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia.

The GEM report is expected to be published this April, and the regional edition will follow in late 2020 or early 2021. Learn more about the report and the Agency's role on the news page.

Agency participation in the European Union's Structural Reform Support Programme

The Agency continues to work within the European Union's Structural Reform Support Programme (SRSP). In co-operation with the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Structural Reform Support and the ministries of education in Cyprus, Czech Republic, Greece and Poland, the initiative aims to promote and improve the countries’ inclusive education systems.

SRSP Thematic Working Groups in Cyprus

The second phase of the SRSP action in Cyprus aims to formulate the Regulations to accompany the draft bill, which was developed in the first phase. The Regulations will provide details on the implementation of the educational reform.

A delegation took part in Working Groups on 22 and 23 January, sharing thoughts and expertise on specific thematic areas of inclusive education. Find out more about the SRSP in Cyprus and the Working Groups sessions on the Agency website.

Nordic Seminar on Democracy and Inclusive Education

The Nordic Council of Ministers seminar on Democracy and Inclusive Education in Reykjavik, Iceland took place on 9 and 10 December.

Entitled ‘Let’s strengthen together democracy in schools and inclusive education for all’, the seminar brought together stakeholders from across the Nordic region. Agency Director, Cor J. W. Meijer, and Assistant Director, Amanda Watkins, were both speakers at the seminar. To find out more, visit the Agency website.

Reference Group for Inclusive Education in Sweden

A new Reference Group for inclusive education has been formed in Sweden by the Swedish Agency for Special Needs Education and Schools (SPSM). Stakeholders include representatives from a range of Swedish agencies for education, inspectorates, school associations and municipalities.

The Agency and the SPSM are regular collaborators and Lars-Åke Larsson and Elisabeth Högberg from the SPSM are the Swedish country representatives for the Agency. This new Reference Group will allow a wide range of stakeholders to share and acquire knowledge and updates on inclusive education policy and practice.

Find out more about the group and its first meeting on the Agency website.