Agency eBulletin May 2023

This eBulletin brings news of new case studies on the Inclusive Education in Action website. It also provides an update on the Technical Support Instrument project in Italy, Portugal and Spain, and details of a new journal article about the Teacher Professional Learning for Inclusion activity.

There is information on the Agency’s involvement in a conference in Malta, a COFACE conference on inclusive education in Europe and the European Commission’s Working Group on Schools.

The newsletter outlines the Agency’s accessibility efforts in the run up to the forthcoming Global Accessibility Awareness Day on Thursday 18 May. Finally, it presents examples of the resources available on the Agency website.

New case studies on Inclusive Education in Action website

The Inclusive Education in Action (IEA) website is a joint initiative of the Agency and UNESCO. Since 2009 it has provided a useful collection of resources and case studies for policy-makers, inclusive education practitioners and other stakeholders. New case studies provide examples of inclusive education in action, such as a programme to support vulnerable learners in mainstream education.

Visit the news page to find out more about IEA.

European Commission Technical Support Instrument project in Italy, Portugal and Spain

A steering committee meeting discussed the next steps in the multi-country project within the European Commission’s Technical Support Instrument (TSI), which will aim to ensure equal access to inclusive education across Italy, Portugal and Spain. The Agency, which is working as technical provider in the project, presented the findings so far and informed participants of forthcoming working groups, study visits and peer learning activities.

The news item provides more details on the multi-country TSI project.

New article on participation in teacher professional learning for inclusion

A new academic article has been published based on findings from the Teacher Professional Learning for Inclusion (TPL4I) activity. Entitled ‘Supporting all educators to take part in teacher professional learning for inclusion’, the article was published in the Trends in Higher Education journal in April 2023. It outlines the TPL4I activity, which mapped and analysed teacher professional learning across Europe.

Find out more about the article in the news item.

Embarking on the Route Towards Quality Inclusion in Malta

A conference organised by Malta’s National School Support Services in February examined the implementation of Malta’s Inclusion Policy and Framework. It welcomed participants from across Malta and Europe and included presentations and practical workshops. The Agency presented the its Key Principles for supporting policy development and implementation for inclusive education and considered how these key principles align with the Maltese education system.

Read more about the conference in Malta in the news item.

COFACE conference on Inclusive Education for an Inclusive Europe

The Agency took part in a one-day conference organised by COFACE Families Europe’s Disability Platform for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and their families in March 2023. The conference examined key actions to implement the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and to build inclusive societies. The Agency presented its Voices into Action activity and discussed the importance of including learners’ and families’ voices in policy-making for inclusive education.

Find out about the conference on the news page.

Assessment policies and practice to support inclusive education: European Commission Working Group on Schools

The European Commission Working Group on Schools has begun a series of activities on the topic of assessment to support inclusive education. Assessment plays a key role in enabling teaching and learning processes to adapt to learners’ needs. The Agency is an active member of this and several other Commission Working Groups.

Read more about the Working Group on Schools activities.

Global Accessibility Awareness Day 2023

The 2023 Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) will take place on Thursday 18 May. Through events and activities, GAAD aims to get everyone talking, thinking and learning about digital access and inclusion in an increasingly technological world. The Agency is committed to accessibility.

Learn more about the Agency’s accessibility work.

The Agency’s latest open-access resources are freely available on the website.

A Policy Self-Review Tool, produced as part of the Changing Role of Specialist Provision in Supporting Inclusive Education (CROSP) activity, is available in all Agency member country languages under the Tools section. The tool is designed to allow education policy- and decision-makers to reflect and develop a continuum of support for inclusive education.

A report from the Voices into Action (VIA) activity which examines the critical issue of including the voices of learners and their families in educational decision-making is available under Publications. The ‘VIA Framework for Meaningful Participation’, which is described in the report, is also presented in an infographic under the Multimedia section.