Policies related to learner and family rights should indicate clear processes for implementation and be developed through cross-sectoral collaboration. Throughout, it is important to recognise the role of families in supporting and enabling the voices of learners to be heard and included in decision-making.

Learner and family participation at the policy level must be genuine and not tokenistic. It should actively include groups and individuals who have not been able to influence policy-level decisions that affect them, their peers, their schools and their communities.

Ethical approaches apply to issues of participant consent, safety and privacy. They consider how voices are obtained, recorded, reported and applied, whether they benefit learners and/or families and how openly information is transferred. Importantly, there is a need to address power imbalances in participation.

Policy-makers should collaborate with schools and communities to identify and include the voices of those in marginalised groups. They should also recognise the interdependence between young people and adults and acknowledge the role of families in developing and affirming learners’ voices in educational matters.

All stakeholders should keep in mind that groups contain unique individuals. It is essential to consider that learners and families may have multiple identities and contexts that intersect and shape their perspectives. Learners or families who share characteristics or ‘labels’ still have their own experiences and voices. This approach can lead to changes that benefit all learners and all families.

To accommodate the diversity of learners and families, it is important to draw from a range of resources and ensure equity at every stage. Programme organisers and policy-makers can refer to different conceptual models to design participatory activities across policy and practice. These models often include points for reflection and discussion and practical considerations and guidance. Technology tools also offer flexibility to support meaningful participation in different ways.

Stakeholders in leadership positions have a responsibility, not only to facilitate opportunities for meaningful participation at all levels, but also to build learners’ and families’ capacity to participate. It is vital to equip learners and families with the appropriate support to develop the knowledge, skills and understanding needed to participate.

Advocacy groups, associations and local and international organisations are important actors in raising awareness of the rights and needs of overlooked groups. These organisations often conduct research on these issues and produce accessible and practical resources about voices and participation. These resources, some of which are included in this toolkit, may be applied to inclusive education decision- and policy-making. The possible benefits of developing synergies and ways of working with these sectors are an important consideration for policy-makers.