Eurydice report on diversity and inclusion in school finds that existing national policies for diversity and inclusion rarely address gender equality and LGBTQ.
The concepts of equality, equity and inclusion have become key topics of the educational science discourse and a policy priority across Europe. There is an increasing diversity within the school landscape, and evidence shows that learners from disadvantaged backgrounds and those who experience discrimination disproportionately underachieve in schools. Equality is a core value of the EU and in education, inclusive policies aim to allow all learners to achieve their full potential in mainstream school settings, with special attention and support given to learners at risk of exclusion and underachievement.
The report on promoting diversity and inclusion in schools in Europe issued by Eurydice, investigates existing national policies and measures that promote diversity and inclusion in school education. Rather than focusing on universal policies and measures that support all students in schools, which exist in many education systems, the report highlights existing targeted policy initiatives that promote access to quality, inclusive, mainstream education for learners who are at risk of discrimination. The publication provides a comparative overview of policies and measures across 39 European education systems, including Switzerland.
According to the report, all European education systems promote diversity and inclusion through their curricula, and they strive to make assessments more inclusive, primarily by adapting them to the needs of students with special educational needs or disabilities, and/or by accommodating language barriers for non-native speakers. In Switzerland, the main aims of top-level legislation, strategies and action plans promoting diversity and inclusion in schools are focused on improving the education system, including through inclusive education, equal access and support as well as preventing discrimination and promoting equal opportunities in education.
Across Europe, students with special educational needs or disabilities and migrant and refugee students are the main target group for policies and measures to promote access and participation. However, gender equality is less often promoted and LGBTIQ+ and religious minority students are much less frequently targeted by policies and measures aiming to promote diversity and inclusion in schools. In Switzerland, only students with special educational needs and disabilities are addressed by targeted top-level policies and measures on learning and social-emotional support.
Many specialised policies and strategies are promoted by education systems to assist schools in identifying and meeting students’ learning and social-emotional needs. Policies on access and participation are primarily concerned with inclusive education for students with special educational needs or disabilities, plus students from migrant, refugee, or ethnic minority backgrounds, as well as financial assistance for socioeconomically disadvantaged students.
In Switzerland, there are different top-level policies and measures promoting learners’ school access and participation in place. They include measures targeted at improving physical accessibility and infrastructure, providing financial support for school-related costs and offering blended learning opportunities. Furthermore, migrant and refugee children specifically receive support for registration, reception orientation and guidance at school to reduce administrative barriers to school admission.
While most European nations have governmental entities to monitor discrimination and work with various organisations to address it, more than half of education systems lack access to comprehensive data on the primary grounds of discrimination in schools. Furthermore, education authorities provide numerous opportunities for teacher education and training on diversity and inclusion, as well as promote the use of educational support staff; however, a reported lack of teacher preparation to manage inclusive classrooms and insufficient funding to employ support staff are ongoing challenges. In Switzerland, national regulations determine that future teachers need to be able to identify opportunities, risks and conditions for success in inclusive education and recognise and classify challenges in the developmental process and the special needs of learners. They should also be able to analyse sociocultural differences and reflect on their significance in the educational field. Future teachers need to have a working knowledge of issues related to the reproduction of social inequality through the education system, institutional discrimination, racism, sexism, xenophobia, and homophobia.
The report concludes by calling for all learners to be considered in policies aiming to promote diversity and inclusion in schools to ensure that no one is left behind and that all are supported in their learning and development to achieve their full potential.