Inclusive education is not only about policies to support individual learners. A comprehensive range of policies at all levels must refer to and implement inclusive education.

Sustainable development towards inclusive education requires a combination of three policy approaches – prevention, intervention and compensation.

Collaborative work within ministries of education, and with other ministries, institutions and authorities, is a prerequisite to ensure coherent policies for inclusive education.

To fully address education-system factors relating to discrimination and the underachievement of vulnerable groups, policy must focus on equity and the importance of fairness in educational opportunities.

Most countries still use a categorical approach underpinned by a medical model within special needs education, that considers learners as having deficits that require compensatory measures in provision.

Real progress towards inclusive education systems can only happen when we recognise, listen to, understand and act on all voices.

Policy must systematise processes for the meaningful participation of learners and families at national, local and community levels.

Learners and families should have increased participation in shaping legislation and policy.

Identify and include marginalised, unheard and silenced voices in educational decision-making.

Policy-makers must be aware of the complexities of diverse groups, assigned labels and intersecting identities.

Use a wide range of models, approaches and resources to enable all to participate meaningfully in educational decision-making.

Build capacity for meaningful participation of and active listening to learners and families in educational decision-making.

Create synergies and ways of working with NGOs and civil society organisations to increase the participation of learners and their families in educational decision-making.

Teacher Professional Learning for Inclusion: From project to profile

The Teacher Professional Learning for Inclusion (TPL4I) activity aimed to develop a policy framework for preparing all teachers to include all learners. It revisited the earlier Profile of Inclusive Teachers to develop a competence framework for all education professionals involved in inclusive education.

Recorded by TPL4I activity team, this video features information about the development of the activity, a presentation of the Profile for Inclusive Teacher Professional Learning including the core values and areas of competence, and details about the competence framework.

For more information about TPL4I and to download all the resources mentioned in the video, visit the TPL4I web area

Changing Role of Specialist Provision in Supporting Inclusive Education: Policy Self-Review Tool

This video introduces the CROSP Policy Self-Review Tool, the main outcome of phase 2 of the activity, and gives guidance on how to use the tool.

The tool is for policy-makers at national/regional/local level, as well as decision-makers and professionals at school level. It aims to enable them to reflect and develop a continuum of support for inclusive education.

For more information about the Policy Self-Review Tool, visit the CROSP web area.

Inclusive education is often interpreted as being specifically aimed at learners with disability and/or special needs, instead of catering for all learners, with all of their diverse and individual needs, by identifying and removing barriers to learning.

Vulnerability to exclusion in digital education can be associated with learning-related phenomena that are strongly linked to (societal) system mechanisms.

Assistive technology should only be used when universally-designed technology is insufficient to meet all users’ needs.

The COVID-19 pandemic showed that digital and inclusive education promote greater system resilience. Organisations that had prepared for inclusive digital education before COVID-19 seemed to fare better in the crisis.

Media literacy, data literacy and data-based decision-making are crucial in inclusive digital teaching.