Policies and practices for the preparation of teachers in Bosnia and Herzegovina for inclusive education ______________________________________________________________ Education in a Multicultural Society Sarajevo, 19 May 2010 Evgenia Petkova European Training Foundation

ETF is… An official agency of the European Union providing expert advice and support It helps transition and developing countries to harness the potential of their human capital through the reform of education, training and labour market systems in the context of the EU's external relations policy

ETF Regional Project on Social Inclusion in WBA through E&T Rationale: Remarkable ethnic and cultural diversity in the WBA countries Priority given to building societies based on reconciliation, non-discrimination and equal opportunities, but… Persisting discrimination, segregation and inequity in accessing quality education and decent employment

ETF Regional Project on Social Inclusion in WBA through E&T Focus in : Inclusive education and the preparedness of teachers for it Analysis of teacher preparation policies and practices for inclusive education in the Western Balkans Identification of key issues and challenges related to the skills and competences required by teachers for inclusive education

Research methodology Qualitative research strategy: Desk review of relevant texts and documents Field research: interviews and focus groups with teacher educators and trainers, teachers, parents and community members

Outputs 7 country reports on policies and practices finalised December 2009 Cross-country report (based on the country analyses) identifying common challenges and recommendations by June 2010

Country report for Bosnia and Herzegovina

General findings Reform strategies since 2002, new laws and policy documents promote inclusive education; delivery is still a challenge Access to quality education by vulnerable groups (esp., Roma, children from remote areas, girls) remains an issue Segregated schooling of students of different ethnicity still a reality

Narrow paradigm of inclusive education Focused mostly on special needs and target groups (e.g. Roma, students with disabilities, etc.), much less on diversity of learning needs in the classroom, flexibility of provision, intercultural dialogue, etc. Rarely understood as an over-arching change of the education system in order to make it accessible and relevant to all students Insufficient awareness of parents and community

Teacher skills for inclusive education Interpretation of competences for IE varies among teachers and other education practitioners; lack of standards to act as a frame of reference Teacher skills for IE largely developed on ad hoc basis, relying more on the intuition and enthusiasm of individuals than on the support of the education system

Teacher skills for inclusive education Lack of confidence to work in diverse settings Wide spectrum of teacher attitudes (+  -) towards students with ‘non-standard’ profiles Persisting inappropriate, non-inclusive teaching methodologies Some subject teachers, esp. in VET, lack any pedagogical qualification

Pre-service teacher education does not prepare students for IE Outdated curricula lagging behind the needs of current education practices IE seen as adding new modules to existing academic teacher programmes, not as a cross-curricular principle Traditional pedagogy, not conducive to the development of competences for inclusive practices, still dominating university education Lack of sufficient practical training, “reality check” missing

In-service teacher training and CPD Patchwork of practices, determined primarily by the strategies of donors Lack of mechanism to capture the positive experiences, capitalise on them and ensure a more systematic development of teacher competences for inclusion in both pre-service and in-service teacher preparation Scarce public funding for in-service teacher training

Teacher profession and career Low societal esteem and remuneration Reform fatigue Lack of recognition for the enhancement of teachers’ skills (financial incentives or career progression)

Recommendations Competences for IE to be taken into account as part of teacher’s employment procedure and professional development Teachers to be encouraged and equipped with skills to implement curricula adjusted to the needs of the students Teacher education and training to provide for broader teacher competences, incl. interactive and flexible ways of teaching and learning, working with mixed ability and cultural backgrounds

For further information Visit ETF website: ETF Regional Project on Social Inclusion website: Social_Inclusion_EN?opendocument

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