Let’s make inclusion happen!

Let’s make inclusion happen!
Inclusive education for a fair, resilient and competitive EU

Conference as part of the Presidency of the Republic of Poland in the Council of the European Union

16-18 March 2025 | Copernicus Science Centre, Warsaw

Between 1 January and 30 June 2025, Poland holds the Presidency in the Council of the European Union. The National Agency for the Erasmus+ Programme and the European Solidarity Corps (Foundation for the Development of the Education System) has been assigned to support the upcoming Polish EU Presidency and its activities.

Since 1993, the Foundation for the Development of the Education System (FRSE) has managed programmes, projects and initiatives aimed at broadening basic and specialist knowledge and acquisition of new skills and competencies in formal, non-formal and informal education settings. FRSE is the only institution in Poland that possesses such a broad experience in managing education programmes, especially EU programmes: Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps. The range of other programmes and initiatives that the Foundation manages includes: eTwinning, Eurodesk, Europass, Euroguidance, Eurydice, EPALE.

About the conference

Conference Let’s make inclusion happen! Inclusive education for a fair, resilient and competitive EU took place from 16^thto 18^thMarch 2025 in Warsaw.

Watch videos from this inspiring discussion:

Day 1 [EN/PL]

Day 2 [PL]

Day 2 [EN]

Rationale

High Quality Inclusive Education is an approach shaping learning, teaching and upbringing processes which aim to enhance the educational opportunities for all learners, by providing appropriate conditions to help them reach their individual potential (both within and outside the classroom environment as well as through the work of educators, specialist and other stakeholders).

It aims to enable all learners, regardless of their age, gender, nationality and any challenges they may have, to enhance their personal qualities and fully include everyone in the life of local community and wider society. It is a systemic, multidimensional and multidirectional approach striving to identify all barriers to education and to remove them by adapting educational requirements, learning contexts, pedagogical approaches and educational organisations to the needs and capabilities of each learner as a full participant in the educational process.

Thus High Quality Inclusive Education based on the assumption that every learner matters equally constitutes one of the main priorities of the Polish Presidency in the Council of the European Union in the first semester of the year 2025.

Expected Outcomes and Objectives

The conference conclusions are expected to inform the work of policymakers, senior officials, experts, and practitioners from EU Member States thereby facilitating development of each country’s action plans/roadmaps For High Quality Inclusive Education and its implementation into preschool and school daily practice facilitating the transition of learners from education to the labour market.

Main aims

Increasing public awareness of the rights of all learners to High Quality Inclusive Education arising from the provisions of the European Pillar of Social Rights, The EU Comprehensive Strategy on the Rights of the Child and the European Child Guarantee, the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities;
Promoting international dialogue on the meaning of HQIE in EU Member States to provide all learners with different educational needs with access to inclusive educational systems;
Identifying and promoting information on existing resources and challenges in the field of the implementation of High Quality Inclusive Education in preschool and school practice;
Empowering learners’ and experts’ voice envisaged in existing recommendations (including those elaborated by the EC WGs and international organisations, such as: EASNIE, UNICEF, UNESCO, OECD);
Supporting the work of the European Commission on the development of indicators which could be used by EU Member States to monitor the implementation of HQIE in their national education systems.

Conference programme and workshop sessions

The conference programme includes plenary sessions, power speech, panel discussions as well as interactive workshops dedicated to different aspects of inclusive education. The conference participants had the opportunity to learn and exchange experience on how education policies as well as initiatives undertaken by civil society in the Member States are moving towards more accessible and quality educational systems to support diverse needs of all learners.

Conference agenda – see here.

Nine thematic workshop sessions were devoted to the following aspects of inclusive education:

1. Inclusive early childhood education and care

Inclusion should be the principal commitment from early childhood. High-quality, inclusive ECCE – comprehensive, cross-sectoral, integrated, child-centred, and play-based - ensures that all children are included in development and learning and that all families and caregivers are part of these processes. This vision of inclusion involves improving the quality of education for all children. It consists not only of removing barriers but also of creating an environment that is able to provide quality ECCE. Therefore, it is essential to achieve truly inclusive and effective systems that support early childhood. In other words, it is necessary to start intervention early, beginning during the preconception period or early pregnancy, by promoting adequate nutrition and health care within families and in all ECCE services, consistent nurturing, protection, psycho-social support, and cognitive and social stimulation.

Key issues addressed during the session:

Cross-sectoral collaboration, National ECCE and ECI policy instruments (e.g. legal and policy frameworks, strategies, action plans);
Early childhood intervention (ECI) policies, strategic plans, and laws;
Early childhood workforce (teachers, facilitators, assistants, specialists, community health workers, social workers, etc.);
Implementing changes for continuous improvement and impact that recognizes inclusion and equity in ECCE;
Models of inclusive ECCE services.

2. Inter- and cross-sectoral cooperation to meet diverse learners needs, new role of specialist support

Education understood as a process contributing to every learner’s personal development and every society’s economic and social development. It encompasses considerations for curriculum, teaching and participation in learning, but also promotion and support for well-being and a sense of belonging to the school for every child. The most marginalized leaners, children with disabilities, refugee and migrant children, children from low socio-economic background and ethnic minorities may face multiple barriers to learning. To address their holistic needs, it is essential to provide specialist support and other services. A cross-sectoral approach in planning and provision of support, which includes the representatives of health, education, and social policy, ensures the implementation of comprehensive and highly effective strategies.

Key issues addressed during the panel:

Common vision, structures and processes enabling collaboration and effective communication at all levels of the system (including decision makers) in support of all learners, not only children with disabilities, but also children from ethnic minorities, refugee and migrants.
Policies, regulation and financing that enable a partnership approach that considers the perspectives and contributions of multiple education stakeholders and other services.
Mechanisms and processes facilitating co-operation between schools, parents and members of the community.
Embracing diversity and positive attitudes towards marginalized learners.
Perspective of learners and parents in the development of cross-sectoral support.
Evidence-based approaches and good practices of cross-sectoral cooperation.

3. Education in diverse classrooms

A consistent increase of the proportion of learners with individual educational needs calls for a change in the approach to inclusive education. Our attention should be redirected from supporting each learner individually to supporting teams made up of people with diverse needs. This perspective can be supported by universal design for learning (UDL), which focuses on minimising barriers to educational achievement and personal development. At the same time, UDL emphasises the need to support motivation to learn and school well-being, recognising these as important factors underpinning learners’ participation in educational planning and delivery.

Key issues addressed during the session:

teaching methods conducive to effective learning in a diverse group;
effective enhancement of the well-being of learners; a place for a well-being and resilience strand in a core curriculum.

4. Including learner’s and the families voices into education process

Listening to the voices of learners and their families is crucial for developing more inclusive educational environment. Parents, legal guardians and learners themselves should act together with policy-makers and educators to ensure equal access to high quality education and basic services in their societies for all children and youth regardless of their gender, race, ethnic background and needs.

In recent years in many countries all over the world learners and their families have gradually gained opportunities to share their opinions. Unfortunately their voices still do not have enough impact on educational decision making processes. That is why educational policy makers, stakeholders and social partners should not only facilitate equitable participation of all children and youth in education, but also develop learners’ and their families’ capacity, knowledge and skills to actively participate in the creation of inclusive teaching and learning environments.

Key issues addressed during the session:

Presentation of policy and research based evidence on effective ways to include the voices of learners and their families in educational policy development and implementation at local, regional and national levels;
Exploring existing approaches, guidelines, tools and/or methodologies that could help to ensure full participation of learners and parents in school daily practices.
Hearing learners and families’ voices on their needs.
Discussing strategies of cooperation with educational stakeholders and types of support they could provide to pupils and their families to guarantee education for all.

5. Future of Erasmus+ - how to make the programme more inclusive?

The European Commission started planning work on the next generation of educational programmes, which will begin in 2028. Evaluations and consultations involve various stakeholder groups, including National Agencies and programme beneficiaries. One of the priorities of the Polish Presidency in 2025 is to strengthen resilience of learners in various dimensions of social life. In this context, the future of educational programmes, their ability to support the inclusion and education of vulnerable groups, such as children with additional educational needs, young people with experience of war trauma, or migration in Europe are gaining importance.

As part of the Polish Presidency Flagship Conference “Let's make inclusion happen!” the Polish National Agency of the Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps is organizing a panel aimed at exchange of expectations vis-a-vis the next generation of EU educational programmes to create a space to discuss the following questions:

How has the experience of past E+ projects contributed to the promotion of an inclusive approach in schools and educational institutions in Europe?
What aspects should be included into the future E+ actions, so that the programme is even more based on an inclusive approach and enabled active participation for people with different needs?
To what extent does the participation of schools and other educational institutions in E+ contribute to strengthening the European value system and raising the level of social cohesion?
How can opening of the E+ programme to new countries (e.g. Ukraine) support building resilience of young people and respond to emerging global threats?

For a panel discussion we invited experienced representatives of the donor and key stakeholders: a representative of the European Commission from the Permanent Representation in Warsaw, experienced directors of the National Agencies of the E+ Programme (Germany, Poland), a representative of the E+ project awarded with the European Innovative Teaching Award (country to be confirmed) and an expert from Ukraine.

The results of the panel discussion should contribute to recommendations for the next generation of the EU educational programmes, which could be used by the European Commission for the work on the future Framework of the Erasmus+ Programme.

6. Career without barriers

Supporting students with diverse needs, including disabilities, as they prepare to enter the workforce is a complex task and a challenge for many schools. This process involves a range of specific tasks, such as fostering job-market competencies in students, encouraging them to recognize their strengths and to work persistently towards acquiring essential experiences and skills, as well as cultivating positive attitudes toward career development and planning. It also includes familiarising students with current market demands and providing them with the knowledge about possible career paths. These topics will be addressed in the session "Career without barriers."

Key issues addressed during the session:

current methods and best practices for supporting students in their transition to the workforce;
teachers, career counsellors, and parents and the tools they need to best support students as they prepare to enter the job market;
how to effectively support students with a wide range of needs and limitations in a way that respects diversity, including neurodiversity, while ensuring accessibility and efficacy.

7. Staff preparation for inclusive education

The principles of quality education are incorporated into the classroom practice by professional teaching staff. The higher the participation of teachers to high-quality professional development, the more likely they are to use variety of inclusive teaching techniques. Professional development activities that prepare staff for the task of making learning accessible for all require:

- knowledge of the methods of work with diverse groups of students;

- competence to observe pupils systematically and to respond flexibly to their needs;

- competence to communicate and collaborate with other teachers and specialist provisions;

- integration of well-being themes into subject content.

Key issues addressed during the panel:

Teachers’ education programmes delivered by universities - modification and monitoring,
Effective methods of teacher education (formal and non-formal) in the face of dynamic changes in education systems and teaching approaches,
Measures of the quality of teachers' delivery of accessible and inclusive education; self-reflective practice,
Shared training across sectors; training for school leaders and policy makers at all levels.

8. Quality monitoring and effective education for all

In today's increasingly diverse world, there is a need for quality and effective inclusive education for all. We understand inclusive education for all as a concept that takes into account the needs of both the majority and minority of students and professionals. Based on an inclusive (for all) and non-exclusive perspective, we analyze how policies and measures for ensuring quality and effective inclusive education are implemented in different parts of Europe.

Quality and effectiveness is linked to an interdisciplinary and holistic approach to knowledge, research and practice. Hence, the panel will focus on existing resources and knowledge on useful practices, solutions and research relating to students' needs and outcomes as well as processes for identifying and monitoring various forms of support in education for all (from pre-school children, school students and teachers up to academic staff and other professionals).

Key issues addressed during the session:

quality and effective inclusive education for all;
learners’ needs;
identification, monitoring and evaluation of quality support and measures tackling;
underachievement in basic and digital skills.

9. New technologies for inclusive education

Modern technologies open new doors for education, especially in the field of inclusive education, which aims to create environments accessible to all students, regardless of their needs or limitations. During this panel, we will explore how digital tools, communication-supporting applications, and interactive educational platforms can foster diversity in the classroom. We will showcase examples of best practices and strategies for integrating technology to assist students with learning difficulties, disabilities, or language challenges. Additionally, we will focus on how technology can enhance collaboration skills within the classroom.

Experts, researchers, and designers of inclusive education solutions will be invited.

The discussions and presentations of projects and initiatives from different EU Member States were evidence-based, involved stakeholders, focused on existing effective resources and recommendation as well as built on cooperation and peer-learning. The results of the discussion sessions and the recommendations worked out during the conference will contribute to the Conclusions of the Polish Presidency in the EU in the field of education.

Conference participants: moderators and speakers – see here.

Abstracts – see here.

Participants of the discussions:

representatives of ministries of the 27 EU member states,
representatives of the European Commission,
experts of international organisations (European Agency for Special Needs and Inclusive Education, UNICEF, UNESCO, OECD),
teaching and non-teaching staff in pre-schools and schools,
staff of pre-schools and schools,
managing authorities of pre-schools and schools,
universities,
government administration,
local government administration,
children, young people,
parents,
representatives of non-governmental organisations.