Foreword
Implementing Inclusive Education: Issues in Bridging the Policy-Practice Gap
ISBN: 978-1-78635-388-7, eISBN: 978-1-78635-387-0
ISSN: 1479-3636
Publication date: 8 August 2016
Citation
Gunnvall, P. (2016), "Foreword", Implementing Inclusive Education: Issues in Bridging the Policy-Practice Gap (International Perspectives on Inclusive Education, Vol. 8), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. xi-xii. https://doi.org/10.1108/S1479-363620160000008020
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2016 Emerald Group Publishing Limited
The European Agency for Special Needs and Inclusive Education is an independent organisation that acts as a platform for collaboration between our member countries in the field of special needs and inclusive education. We are the only European body with the specific mission of helping countries improve the quality and effectiveness of their educational provision for all learners, including those with disabilities and/or special educational needs.
At present, we have 29 member countries: Austria, Belgium (Flemish- and French-speaking communities), Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and United Kingdom (England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales).
We offer our member countries a unique opportunity to exchange knowledge and experience so that quality in inclusive education in each member country is promoted. Our member countries can learn from each other by drawing upon our ability to provide different types of real-time and virtual opportunities for exchanging knowledge and understanding.
Our mission is to support the improvement of educational policy and its implementation in practice for all learners. This aim takes into account issues such as equal opportunities, accessibility and the promotion of quality of education, whilst recognising that there are differences in countries’ policies, practices and educational contexts.
This volume reflects the European Agency’s mission in that it clearly aims to support the work of policy makers, practitioners and researchers who work with the practical implementation of policy for inclusive education in their countries.
This book draws on nearly 20 years of European Agency work with member countries. It considers evidence and findings from across a number of key policy areas the European Agency has examined with experts from across Europe and beyond. Each chapter has been drafted by a team of European Agency staff working with school leaders, researchers and decision-makers working with inclusive education in their individual country contexts. However, each chapter uses the outcomes of wider European Agency thematic project work that has been developed in collaboration with many more professionals and end users (information on all of the European Agency’s work can be found on https://www.european-agency.org).
In this, the European Agency’s 20th anniversary year, I would like to thank all of the country representatives and experts that have contributed to our work over the last two decades. It is their past and on-going contributions to our collective work that have made the European Agency – as well as this book – possible.
- Implementing Inclusive Education: Issues in Bridging the Policy-Practice Gap
- International Perspectives on Inclusive Education
- Implementing Inclusive Education: Issues in Bridging the Policy-Practice Gap
- Copyright Page
- List of Contributors
- Foreword
- Introduction
- Changing Conceptions of Inclusion Underpinning Education Policy
- Section I: Key Policy Areas for Inclusive Education
- Ensuring a Strong Start for All Children: Inclusive Early Childhood Education and Care
- Financing Inclusive Education: Policy Challenges, Issues and Trends
- Educating All Teachers for Inclusion
- Inclusive Vocational Education and Training (VET) – Policy and Practice
- Section II: Support and Provision
- How Can Education Systems Support All Learners? Tipping-Point Leadership Focused on Cultural Change and Inclusive Capability
- Multicultural Diversity and Special Educational Needs
- ICT as a Tool for Supporting Inclusive Learning Opportunities
- Addressing the Challenges of Raising Achievement for All
- Section III: Monitoring the Implementation of Inclusive Education
- Inclusive Assessment: Issues and Challenges for Policy and Practice
- Efficiency, Effectiveness and Equity within Inclusive Education Systems
- Young Voices on Inclusive Education
- Summary and Conclusions: Ways Forward in Bridging Policy-Practice Gap Issues within Inclusive Education
- About the Authors
- Index