Inclusive education and training in the accession countries is on the agenda again in the ancient Turkish city Şanlıurfa on 4 and 5 October, where more than 90 participants from all parts of Europe were welcomed by the Turkish Ministry of National Education, Governor of Şanlıurfa, European Commission and ETF. They all have gathered to discuss how VET policies and schools can become more conducive to inclusiveness, innovation and partnership.

Although much progress has been made in recent years and the ETF-supported regional mapping studies have done an unprecedented job in charting the territory, the meeting shows that we are still a long way off a common understanding of what inclusive education is. For ETF’s work in the countries, a particular issue of concern is the access to VET and the role of VET in enhancing social inclusion and cohesion which at present is underplayed in the region. This is partly connected with the fragmented manner in which education policies are developed and implemented, as well as the fragmentation of teacher development for different levels of education or between different subjects. Throughout the discussions it became clear that it is also connected with the mismatch between VET provision and labour market needs, primarily due to the consequences of economic transition which led to closure of significant portions of industry and the inability of the VET sector to adjust to the new needs and demands.

The problem with the narrower concept of inclusion is that many of the moves to develop inclusion under this concept have resulted in measures and training that are specific rather than generic and, debatably, more focussed on what is ‘wrong’ with the groups to be included and how this may be 'remediated', rather than looking to systemic and whole school approaches such as anti-discrimination practices, increasing the flexibility of curricula at all levels, inter-active and student-centred, peer support strategies etc. Changing the paradigm of inclusive education is identified as the greatest challenge and obstacle to be taken into account when designing future policies and practices.

ETF director Madlen Serban tried to keep it as simply, yet clearly, as possible, when she said:
“Social inclusion is not about ‘them’, it is about ‘us’! Diversity should not be seen as a weakness but as a strength. We have to celebrate diversity, not blame it for everything.”

Widening the concept and practice of inclusive education to embrace the full diversity of youngsters who might be at potential disadvantage in accessing and participating in education must take into account the range of different reasons for exclusion and discrimination and diverse forms of segregation that involve different contexts, different histories and different factors to be addressed.

That about sums up the greater aims of the ETF activities on social inclusion in recent years, in which framework this meeting is taking place.

Comments from the meeting will be published in the next issue of the ETF’s Live and Learn.