In Europe, demands on schools and teachers have become increasingly complex. Schools are expected to deal effectively with diverse learner backgrounds, to be sensitive to culture and gender issues, to promote tolerance and social cohesion, as well as to keep up-to-date with new teaching techniques and technologies. This has made teacher education for inclusion a top priority in many European countries.
This week, UNESCO-IBE will participate in discussions as part of a study visit aimed to validate a European profile of inclusive teachers’ competencies, taking place at the University of Stavanger in Norway. In particular, project experts will consider the relevance of the profile for teacher education policy reform, with teacher educators, student teachers, novice teachers and mentors.
The study visit is organized by the European Agency for Development in Special Needs Education within the framework of the Teacher Education for Inclusion project, launched in 2009. The project aims to provide information and guidance on how mainstream teachers are prepared to be inclusive via their initial teacher training.
Given its particular focus on inclusive education and curriculum since the last International Conference on Education (Geneva, 2008), UNESCO-IBE has been participating in the project as a participant observer, alongside national, regional and international policy-makers and practitioners. It is hoped that the profile will contribute to the discussions around inclusive teacher training in Europe and can be used as a means of furthering debate and investigation at the national and regional level.
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