1. Teacher Education and Training for Social Inclusion in the Western Balkans ______________________________________________________________ Parental Involvement in Schools Matters Becici, 24 April 2010 Evgenia Petkova European Training Foundation

2. ETF analytical activity Analysis into preparation of teachers policies and practices for inclusive education in the Western Balkans undertaken in 2009-2010 Identification of key issues and challenges related to the skills and competences required by teachers for inclusive education

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

5. 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

6. General findings Progress in adapting countries education and training systems to make them more inclusive Legal frameworks and policy papers value diversity in E&T; implementation still a challenge Progress in improving pre-service and in- service training and development of teachers with donors support

7. Narrow paradigm of inclusive education Patchwork approach in understanding and practicing inclusive education Focused mostly on special needs and target groups (e.g. Roma, specific ethnic minorities, students with disabilities, etc.) Insufficient involvement of parents and community

8. Teacher profession and career Low societal esteem and remuneration Reform fatigue Lack of system for CPD of teachers and for recognition the enhancement of their skills Scarce public funding for teacher training

9. Teacher skills for inclusive education Teacher skills for IE developed as ad hoc and externally-driven activities, without clear home-grown goals and achievement indicators Lack of standards to act as frame of reference for the specific competences for inclusive education Lack of practical guidance to teachers

10. Teacher skills for inclusive education Lack of confidence to work in diverse settings Wide spectrum of teacher attitudes (+ -) towards students with non-standard profiles Shortage of teachers coming from ethnic/linguistic minorities Some subject teachers, esp. in VET, do not have pedagogical qualification

11. Pre-service teacher education Low status of teaching profession impact quality and potential of student teacher enrolment IE seen as adding new modules to existing academic teacher programmes, not as a cross-curricular principle Lack of sufficient practical training, reality check missing

12. In-service teacher training and CPD Lack of systemic approach Good practices (funded by donors and NGOs) remain isolated islands of experience Lack of holistic approach, taking into account not only teachers but overall school teams and management

13. Recommendations Schools should no longer be mono-ethnic institutions with homogeneous classes Promote teacher education as a comprehensive, interdisciplinary, problem-oriented study area Provide for broader teacher competences, incl. interactive and flexible ways of teaching and learning, working with mixed ability and cultural backgrounds Work together, across institutions, across the country, across the region and Europe

14. For further information Visit ETF website: www.etf.europa.eu ETF Regional Project on Social Inclusion website: http://www.etf.europa.eu/web.nsf/pages/Project_Soci al_Inclusion_EN?opendocument http://www.etf.europa.eu/web.nsf/pages/Project_Soci al_Inclusion_EN?opendocument Contact us with your feedback: lki@etf.europa.eu epe@etf.europa.eu

15. THANK YOU!