Inclusive Schools will concentrate on lifting key barriers to inclusive education:
Overcrowding in classes. We know this can make it difficult for teachers to cater to additional needs that some young people in their class have.
Bias against diversity in school communities, for example against refugee and immigrant children, children with learning disabilities, bullying, gender-based stereotyping or poverty.
A lack of support teams, a rigid education system or a one-size-fits-all curriculum.
Pressure on exams and curriculum results.
Training and confidence gaps within teachers tasked with dealing with students who have additional and diverse needs.
Allowing teachers a space to speak freely about their experiences and challenges.
The project has been designed with the following areas of development in mind:
Motivating the school community towards active involvement by:
- Identifying role model figures who address diversity as a positive development element.
- Encouraging cooperation amongst actors within the school communities.
- Providing a platform for teachers to share and exchange views on their challenges and equipping them with the tools for social inclusion based on life skills, value-based and human-rights oriented education. These tools will include methodology, a pilot of activities, a platform shape inclusion culture, Inclusion Week and Inclusive Schools Certification scheme.
Engaging multiple stakeholders in meaningful communication around inclusive schools and intercultural dialogue.
Addressing issues through psycho-emotional students’ development; stimulating critical thinking, problem-solving, decision-making and cooperation through educational tools ensuring that all children and young people have equal opportunities for inclusive development.
Enabling smoother integration of students of diverse backgrounds in school communities and into society.
We aim to make the following positive changes in schools across Europe:
Develop practical material and methodology around inclusion that work with the current educational systems through working with the school community.
Support teachers’ professional development in classroom management by creating and promoting a school-wide inclusive ethos.
Set the grounds for an effective communication platform on inclusion between schools, educational institutions and policy-makers on a local and international level.
Provide the tools for effective communication and sharing of good inclusion practices amongst schools and institutions in Europe.
Influence National and EU policy agendas with the aim to mainstream inclusive school practices and foster effective learning, health and psychosocial wellbeing for all students.
We want Inclusive Schools to transform inclusive education practices across Europe through achieving the following outcomes:
An international pool of 13 trainers equipped to spread Inclusive Schools best practices, able to pilot activities in schools across Europe.
Direct engagement of 13,000 students through the pilot of activities in methodology in schools as well as indirect outreach of 75,000 students across Europe through the communication campaign, the participation in Inclusion Week and Inclusive Schools scheme.
A thorough methodology that will allow schools to understand and embrace the diversity of their own school community, identify the needs of these diverse groups and assess the impact of the school activities and culture to these groups leading to an Inclusive School strategy and action plan.
An innovative communication and raising awareness campaign reaching school communities around Europe through the Inclusive Schools Certification scheme and participation in Inclusion Week.
Open dialogue between the school community and policy-makers on the issue of inclusion.